Repurposed Cabooses

Most trains now use an End-of-Train Device (EOT or ETD) instead of a caboose at the end of a train. Florida East Coast pioneered the use of an EOT in 1969, and most other railroads followed suit by mid-1980's (Trains). For example, UP began using them in 1984 (UP). Many cabooses were then either scrapped or put on static display. But some were "recycled" for other uses. Most cabooses that I see today are used as shoving platforms.

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When I posted on Facebook this former C&O caboose that is setting on former Rock Island tracks in Rockdale, IL, I learned from a comment that it is now used as a yard office. That would explain why the windows have not been boarded over and why its position has not changed. I saw it behind Third Base's parking lot and the above link to a Google satellite image shows it there as well. In fact, it is the same place in the Bird's Eye View, so that means it probably hasn't moved in over 7 years. Fortunately, there was not a cut of tank cars blocking my view on the day I spotted it.



This SOO caboose at the Illinois Railway Museum has a sign explaining that it was also converted, as a Facebook comment by Sam Carlson called it, a poor man's business car.

Sam also mentioned that this caboose was not built as a drovers car. Another comment explained what a drovers car was:

Larry Ellis Reed Correct me if I'm wrong, but a "drover's car" would have been a hybrid of caboose and day coach as ran on stock trains heading to the major livestock markets (which, in the former Milwaukee's case, would have included the stockyards in Chicago, Milwaukee, South St. Paul, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Omaha and Kansas City) as accommodated such wanting to sell their cattle, hogs or sheep thus.

A banana messenger's car, which ran on banana trains, was similar.

In any case, drovers thus riding up to market would get return tickets on conventional passenger trains (subject to restrictions on certain high-end prestige trains not accepting Drover's or Banana Messenger tickets).