Duers under 30 - have you ever seen a caboose?

[AngryAmish]

in use of course

[kentauros]

1. Also

caboose
1747, "ship's cookhouse," from M.Du. kambuis "ship's galley," from Low Ger. kabhuse "wooden cabin on ship's deck;" probably a compound whose elements correspond to English cabin and house. Railroading sense is by 1859.

:D

[Zephie]

2. Yep! We lived near some of the only working traintracks in the county

I was always excited to see the train come by.

[texanwitch]

3. I rode in one several times when I was a kid.

It was old MKT railroad.

A friend's grandfather worked for the MKT, so we got to ride the train.

The train would go to pick up some boxcars someway and bring them back to the railyard.

We road in the top, great fun.

[grasswire]

4. ?

Trains don't have cabooses any more??

[pokerfan]

5. It's FRED's fault

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashing_rear-end_device

[murielm99]

7. They haven't had them in years.

The caboose used to be where the train crews rested, had a meal, read the paper, etc.

Railroaders don't call them 'the caboose.' They call them the weigh car. I don't know why they are called the weigh car. I have asked several old railroaders, including my dad. No one seems to know.

My dad used to have a very drunken, very funny old railroad friend. The guy was a great raconteur. Once, in his cups, he said to my dad, "Remember Marty, the car behind the weigh car always carries the American flag."

Huh?

The guy is still around. I am happy to report that he quit drinking. He is so much fun, I hope he is around for many more years.

[Odin2005]

6. Just a couple weeks ago, actually.

[NickB79]

8. Yep, all the time as a kid when the train went through Little Falls, MN

Can't say I've seen any in the past decade, though.

[blueknight]

9. i rode many trips

in a cab, until i took promotion to engineer