anybody heard of a caboose bell?

[who_dat73]

Hey my mother was asking me about a bell that my grandpa had brought home when working the Omaha and into the CNW years he had said it was a caboose bell anybody heard of such a thing or what one was for??
I've never heard of such a thing and might stop in tomorow to take a look at it and see what this is all about!

 

[Dave Flinn]

This is just a guess; but I would say that perhaps some cabeese were equipped with bells if they had much occasion to be on the head end of a train operating on a branch line with no turning facilities. I know that, even today and especially on tourist roads, there are cabeese and some coaches equipped with horns and other signalling devices for this very reason. It will be interesting to see what your visit actually turns up about this bell, however. Please keep us posted.

 

[brakie]

Cabooses could be fitted with a bell and air horns if needed for long reverse moves..ALL cabooses had a whistle.This was a small shrill air whistle that was used in reverse moves at crossings and as warnings to track walkers and animals..

 

[who_dat73]

I should have just sent brakie a pm on this he's always my go to guy!!! :thumb:
Still trying to catch up her to get photos!

 

[iis612]

When I was on the engineer board for CSX back in '94, we would have an occasional local switch trick that had a caboose epuipped with a bell and air horns. In some of the moves the caboose would pushed, making it the head end of the movement. Then it was the conductors job to use said horn and bell to sound at crossings.

 

[CNWman]

Cool! a CNW bell? Better send some pics to the CNWHS soon!:thumb:

 

[brakie]

The Erie mounted air horns on several cabooses that they used on the Dayton Branch out of Marion..You see the Dayton Branch trains had to BACK out of the Marion yard and then crossover to the Dayton Branch..The inbound trains would crossover from the Dayton branch and BACK into the yard.The horns was needed for several street crossings.

 

[Collyn]

Dave flinn is right, One of my freinds duties is to blow the horn on reversing runs with the dinner train

 

[who_dat73]

caught a photo

Ok finally caught up with the Mum and got a pic of the caboose bell somwhat disapointed that she had repainted it but somone might recognize it so here it is