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 buνlt.
Many cabooses have a cupola that projects above the car. This allows the crew to safely observe the train while it is moving along the tracks. The crew keep watch for signs of derailment, fire, and other potential problems.
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
this page online
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. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region and in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chesapeake Western ALCO T-6 Diesel-Electric #10
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 782 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
