# Do They Match?



## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Just curious, how many of you try to match up the caboose with the loco on your freight trains.
In other words, if you have a CN loco do you also run a CN caboose on that train?
What say you?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Mine always match. They say Lionel Lines!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

My Railroad is Santa Fe.
All of my cabooses are Santa Fe. But only two
of my freight locos are. There are 4 leased
switchers still in the owners livery. Too old
to repaint the division office said.

Don


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Matching Caboose*



raleets said:


> Just curious, how many of you try to match up the caboose with the loco on your freight trains.
> In other words, if you have a CN loco do you also run a CN caboose on that train?
> What say you?


 ralleets;

Back when cabooses were in use, particularly in the steam era, it would be odd if the locomotive and caboose did not match. Both would have belonged to the same railroad company and would be marked accordingly. A caboose rarely left its owner's "home rails" to travel on another company's track. In many cases, a caboose was permanently assigned to one particular conductor, so that caboose would usually carry the same crew, over the same division, for most of its service life. There were exceptions. Transfer cabooses were used on very short runs, often within the same city, to haul the cars of another railroad back to their own yard, or other track. However they seldom spent much time on "foreign rails". (those of another company) The caboose would be tacked onto another transfer run; quite possibly hauling your railroad's cars back home. Railroads constantly forwarded, and interchanged freight cars, since many shipments would need to travel on more than one railroad's track to get to their destination. The companies did not want to keep someone else's cars any longer than necessary however as they would have to pay the owning railroad company Per Diem charges for the use of their cars. 

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

Mine do have matching cabooses and I generally run them that way. But I also have several cabooses that are generic with large numbers on them. These are my transfer hacks. I also use them with the few oddball engines I have.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Definately matching.....


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

Mine match too. Thanks for the explanation, Traction Fan.

Mark


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I try to match the locomotive and caboose. Rolling stock is not an issue, mixed cars were prototypical.


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## 4G-Man (Jan 2, 2014)

I never thunk of it but I will now.


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

I match.


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## mjrfd99 (Jan 5, 2016)

All our freight trains run a Chessie safety slogan or regular caboose from BO CO WM


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Whenever possible, the caboose and locos are the same railroad on my layout. I haven’t found a P&R caboose yet so I run my P&R camelback with a Reading caboose. I also attempt to have the caboose an example of what was actually used on the railroad. For PRR I have an N6b and an N5c. For Reading I have Reading standard (northeast) cabooses (red for steamers and green/yellow for diesels). I would like to get a Reading NMn wood sided caboose, but have never seen one. MTH makes a Reading wood sided caboose, but it’s a Pennsy N6b with Reading markings. I will sometimes mix locos from different railroads (Lehigh Valley with D&H or Lehigh Valley with Reading).


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The P&R is an odd case, when I run the LC+ Camelback, I also use a Reading caboose.


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*Matching caboose's sometimes?*

being representative of the transitional period. I do try to match caboose's to the lead engine 
( a big heavy steamer).
The caboose was an interesting item to collect starting out modeling rail roads. At this
time I do have more(caboose's than I do have big heavy steamers.(ATSF& SP)( a cab forward &Yb6 
With the diesels....I'll have to make an end of train red flashing device. I would employ an IC chip 555 timer. 
I use the 555 timer in/for a cross-buck flasher driver at grade crossings.
Although,I do not think it's really necessary to match when running diesels.:dunnoa yb6?Along with a cab forward) These are my heavy steamers. I will try to employ aend of train device with my
leading diesels. (I'm a UP fan!) 
Regards,tr1


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The P&R is an odd case, when I run the LC+ Camelback, I also use a Reading caboose.


MTH made a P&R bobber in 2005 (20-91184) that is an accurate rendition of what they ran, but I have had zero luck finding one.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*Cabooses*

I have a fire-engine red, undecorated caboose. Maybe 30 years ago the City of Yakima, WA required the local short line to use a bright red caboose within the city limits to increase visibility at grade crossings. I read about it in "Trains" magazine, and probably still have it. Hey, if a real railroad did it, I figure I can 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4588747


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I usually match them, not just the RR, but the era, never mixing eras, etc.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

I always try matching locomotives and cabooses, as Lee said both railroad and era, although nearly everything I have is Steam-Diesel transition era.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nikola (Jun 11, 2012)

Carpets and drapes? They don't always match with little if any effect on the pleasure of running a layout.


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*Caboose is one cool end of train car*

:hah: Initially,as I stated earlier.the end of train car:the caboose,
was the car that I collected(starting out[years ago]) So...I have now more cabooses than I do have leading steamer engines. Here,again,the end of train device helps save a little bit of money:smilie_daumenneg:
:hah:.. Regards,tr1


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Nikola said:


> Carpets and drapes? They don't always match with little if any effect on the pleasure of running a layout.


Or as Bond would say, "As long as the collars and cuffs match."

I don't have enough equipment to worry about matching. At 64 I'm really just into the beginning stages of model railroading.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Thanks for all of your comments, guys. Pretty much what I expected, but was just curious to know if most of you matched the caboose to the loco too. 
My Dad was a brakeman on the Santa Fe in Southern California shortly after WWII. I was just a little guy at the time, but later on he told me some wild stories about riding in the caboose, which was also known as the "stink wagon", according to him.
Something about hard boiled eggs and chili being served often.  :goofball:
Bob


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2017)

I match the caboose to the locomotive. If I buy a loco I will search for a caboose to match.


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

i always try and match boose with loco. 

on another thought, where did brakemen and other crew ride on an old time passenger consist? :dunno:


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## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Passenger train crews had quarters up at the head end, sleepers and such (usually).


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

On today's long haul Amtrak trains each sleeper car has a dedicated "attendant" who is in total charge of that particular car. Each Superliner car has 10 Roomettes and they utilize one of them, typically Roomette #2, because it is closest to the restroom, coffee pot, etc.
There is also another car with sleeping quarters for the train Conductor, chefs, waitstaff, etc.
Traveling long distance via Amtrak is an absolute blast!! :thumbsup
Bob


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

OK, THANKS GUYS.

I ALWAYS WONDERED.:dunno:


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