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Caboose

This caboose, or "Conductor's Van", was built by Canadian Pacific Railway at their Angus Shops in Montreal in 1912.  The purpose of a caboose was to house the train crew when on and off duty.  While en route to the away-from-home terminal, the train crew was obliged to be alert for defects in the running gear such as overheated wheels, sticking brakes, dragging equipment, or any other cause of a delay to the safe movement of the company's rolling stock.

After arriving safely at the destination, the crew was off duty until called on duty, hopefully for a direct train back to the home terminal.  Meanwhile, the caboose served as home away from home.  On a caboose such as this one, the employees had to provide their own personal equipment.  As an aside, if you tour the caboose, try to find the lavatory ... there never was one!

When attached to our passenger trains, our operations change from a "passenger" train to a "mixed" train service, to use old railway jargon.  In the first half of the 20th century, mixed trains were a standard feature of branch line operations, particularly on the Prairies.  A train would be made up of a locomotive, a series of freight cars, a baggage car, and finally a caboose.  The baggage car was known as a "way" car that carried way freight.  In the days before extensive roads and trucks, railways were the means of transporting not only passengers but also freight.  The "way" car contained numerous small items for distribution at every station along the route traveled: cream cans, egg cartons, hardware, machinery, harness parts, items purchased from Eaton's mail order store in Winnipeg, etc.  The mixed train would stop at each station just long enough to unload and load goods, transfer passengers, and conduct business that had to be done within certain time limits.

This particular caboose (originally numbered CP 436192) would have been in road service until about 1968, when the company and the union(s) agreed on the concept of "run-through" cabooses.  In other words, the new cabooses would not be available to sleep in or be used as a kitchen or diner for the crew.  Instead, the caboose stayed on the train from, for example, Winnipeg to Vancouver.  At each terminal along the route, such as Brandon, Indian Head, Moose Jaw, etc. a bunk house was built to accommodate the needs of the crew.  Indeed, a big improvement to the new cabooses included company-provided dishes, pots, cutlery, emergency blankets and cushioned draw bars for a better and less-jolting ride at the rear of the train.

Donated to the Society in 1971 by Canadian Pacific, work commenced in 2002 to paint the exterior to match the remainder of the vintage coaches.  Now used as the Party Caboose, it also becomes Santa's special coach during the Breakfast with Santa and Santa Evening train operations held in November and December.  Additionally, it is also used as a "maintenance" car, housing the many volunteer Members of the Society who conduct regular track maintenance and upgrading work.