Norfolk & Western Class CF Caboose #518302
Manufacturer: Norfolk & Western Roanoke Shops, 1922
Length (coupled): 34 feet 8 inches
Crew capacity: 6
Height: 15 feet 1 inch
Width: 10 feet 5 inches
Weight: 47,000 pounds (lbs.)
A caboose was a rail crew car located at the end of a freight train. It also served as the conductor's office. The first crew cars were modified boxcars or flatbed cars. Later they became specialized vehicles, often with raised cupolas or side projections. Cabooses typically included sleeping and cooking facilities although most crews opted to stay in railroad-owned hotels by the 1940s.
Cabooses were used on freight trains until the 1980s, when they were phased out due to improved safety technology. Virginia was the last state to require cabooses in the United States. Cabooses are now used on rail maintenance or hazardous materials trains or on heritage and tourist railroads.
The Norfolk & Western (N&W) Class CF Caboose 518302 was built in April 1922. It has a steel frame and a wooden body. CF class cabooses were built during the years 1914-1924, and 381 units of this class were manufactured. This caboose cost $2,548 when it was buílt.
Many cabooses have a cupola that projects above the car. This allows the crew to safely observe the train while
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Early cabooses like this one used cast iron coal stoves for their heat and oil lamp lighting. This caboose was later equipped with the modern conveniences of a refrigerator, radio, and a toilet.
Erected by Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1922.
Location. 37° 16.395′ N, 79° 56.766′ W. Marker is in Roanoke, Virginia. It is in Downtown. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Norfolk Avenue Southwest and 3rd Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 303 Norfolk Ave SW, Roanoke VA 24016, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chesapeake Western ALCO T-6 Diesel-Electric #10 (a few steps from this marker); Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Boxcar #2305 (a few steps from this marker); Wabash E8A Diesel-Electric #1009 (a few steps from this marker); Norfolk & Western Class A #1218 (a few steps from this marker); Virginian GE EL-C Electric Locomotive #135 (a few steps from this marker); Norfolk & Western Class G1 #6
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 312 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
