When did Conrail stop using cabooses?

Around the time of the split the last really old cabooses got retired, so far as I know, I remember the last "Northeastern" was retired in Buffalo and donated to the WNY NRHS. There's been some of the older PC transfer cabooses around, and at least one Reading wide-vision, but yes most are N21 bay window cars.

scottychaos wrote:It happend system wide 1984-1986.

I started taking train photos in 1983, Southern Tier Main, NY state,
in 1984 cabooses were still in normal use, nearly ever train still had one..
by 1987 it was over, they were gone on mainline trains.

Scot

I agree, sometime about 1985-86 is when the bulk of their trains dropped them.

I did see a photo of a SeaLand double stack train operated by Conrail (before NYSW took the contract) with a Pennsy cab on the rear.
I never saw a caboose on an APL stack train when they started running in 1984

at the risk of sounding uneducated...what's up with the "switching platforms"? Cabooses seem fine to me. And they say this provides a safe place to stand and sit? I see nowhere to sit, and what happens if it rains? You have no protection from the elements whatsoever. It certainly is an interesting looking car at that however.

It's certainly safer than hanging off the end of a boxcar.