Detroit Toledo & Ironton Railroad Caboose, 1925

Summary

The caboose was the conductor's office, the crew's quarters, and the observation platform from which to spot problems with the train. It could also be dangerous. "Slack action" -- sudden movement when slack ran in and out of a moving train -- could toss riders about. Computerized record keeping, trackside defect detectors, and smaller crews made the caboose obsolete by the 1980s.

The caboose was the conductor's office, the crew's quarters, and the observation platform from which to spot problems with the train. It could also be dangerous. "Slack action" -- sudden movement when slack ran in and out of a moving train -- could toss riders about. Computerized record keeping, trackside defect detectors, and smaller crews made the caboose obsolete by the 1980s.

Artifact

Caboose

Date Made

1925

Henry Ford Museum
 On Exhibit

at Henry Ford Museum in Transportation - Trains

Object ID

72.163.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad.

Material

Steel
Wood (Plant material)

Color

Red

Dimensions

Height: 14 ft

Width: 9.5 ft

Length: 29.25 ft

Inscriptions

Location not noted: D.T.&.I.R.R. / 77 / BLT 1925 Location not noted: DT&I Location not noted: BUILT BY / STANDARD STEEL CAR CO. / PITTSBURGH, PA. Location not noted: ATLAS LUBRICATORS / RPKD. D.T.I. / JN. 11-8-72 Location not noted: UNITED STATES / SAFETY APPLIANCES / STANDARD Location not noted: DT&I 77

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