Cabin cars with R number

[BobLI]

I was reading a Conrail employee timetable and it mentioned cabin cars with numbers ending in R were restricted to a low speed. Any one know why they were restricted?

[CarterB]

"Conrail specially designated a number of older cabooses for restricted MOW service with a gray paint scheme and "R" appended to their road numbers. These cars were found on ballast, rail and other MOW trains and as mobile offices."
source: http://thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/MOW/Cabooses" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BobLI]

Thank you. I guess my blue painted model with the R number is not the correct paint scheme.

[Flat-Wheeler]

I'd imagine your blue cabin is correct. Not all cabins used in MW service were painted gray, and I suspect many blue cabeese were simply "demoted" from regular service to restricted service each year as time progressed. Best thing to do is check your cabin car number on google for any pictures of the prototype that may be out there.

[BR&P]

Two plus years later, I'll revive the old thread and hope the OP still cares.

The "R" had nothing to do with assignment to work train service per se. At some date which I don't have the feds mandated that various pieces of rolling stock which did not comply with all the regs had to be designated as "Restricted". This was shown by the letter R after the number, and was followed by a word or two which stated the reason. Among the reasons often was "AGE" for cars beyond the normal retirement age. Other reasons might be "DRAFT GEAR" or some other obsolete component.

The above I'm sure of. Now the following I'm searching my memory and may not have 100%. I THINK the restriction applied to interchange. So a car beyond X years old (40? 50?) was still allowed to be used on the owning railroad but was not able to be interchanged with other lines. And it's quite possible as mentioned above that there was a speed restriction in some cases but I can't say so for sure.

Also, I believe this requirement is no longer in place having been modified to accomplish the same results but through the equipment database, but I'm not positive on that.

But while MW service was an obvious place for such equipment to live on, it was not the only assignment. I recall seeing former PRR cabooses in blue paint with an R after the number, in local freight service.

[mtuandrew]

Other lines had similar equipment - there is a wood composite DSS&A coach at the Minnesota Transportation Museum, 101, that was eventually used for work trains under the number SOOR 1474 (Soo Rear-Only). Same with C&NW 8676 (X300100) and DM&IR 30 (W30), but I don't know if those were rear-only.

[Noel Weaver]

I will have to dig for more and not right now but if my memory serves me correct a caboose with an "R" next to the number was restricted to 25 MPH maximum speed and local freight, work trains and yard moves only.
Noel Weaver