By EDWARD HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer A colorful part of railroad history started disappearing in the1970s when railroads began eliminating cabooses from the rear offreight trains. While generally gone from sight, the caboose era remains alive inthe hearts of railroad history fans across the country. It's nowbeing preserved for posterity in a new book focusing on cabooses ofthe Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and its affiliates. The CB&Q later merged with three other railroads to form theBurlington Northern Railroad which, in turn, became what is now theBurlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. During its heyday, theCB&Q was one of America's premier railroads, and its familiarred cabooses were known throughout the railroad industry by aunique moniker -- "waycars." The new book, "The Burlington Waycars," provides a definitive lookinto the history of this particular brand of caboose. Shipyard Cranes
The 758-page,hard-cover volume contains more than 1,200 pictures and more than100 drawings of Burlington waycars that once roamed the rails. Included in the book are photos of waycar stops in West-CentralIllinois and Northeast Missouri, including locations in Quincy andHannibal, which for years served as regional railroad hubs.Residents in this area frequently spotted cabooses traversing thecountryside and could often see train crews riding in the cupola atthe top of the caboose. "There was always a friendly crew member who would wave or nod hishead. It was a piece of American railroad lore," Randy Danniel, oneof the book's co-authors, said. "The waycar book takes people backto a simpler time in history when trains intersected more closelywith people's lives." Danniel is president of Mile Post 206 Publishing Inc. Gantry Crane Manufacturer
of WestBurlington, Iowa, which published "The Burlington Waycars." For Danniel, the book was more than a printing project. It was alabor of love. Danniel comes from a railroading family. His fatherand grandfather were both railroad men, and Danniel himself workedsummers as a brakeman and switchman for the CB&Q andBurlington. Overhead Crane Parts Manufacturer
He grew up taking rides in waycars and got to know manyof the men who lived and worked out of the moving cars, which wereequipped with tables, stoves and beds -- everything needed tosupport crew members who spent long shifts aboard the trains. He tried to recapture the waycar way of life in photos and storiesfeatured in the book. "What the book does is take you back and offer a glimpse of thepeople of the Burlington Northern Railroad before it became theBurlington Northern," he said. "Waycars were still out on the railsand used in day-to-day operation.
That is why the book has gottensuch good reviews so far. It's not just a roster book. It showswhat life on the waycars was really like." -- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378.
The 758-page,hard-cover volume contains more than 1,200 pictures and more than100 drawings of Burlington waycars that once roamed the rails. Included in the book are photos of waycar stops in West-CentralIllinois and Northeast Missouri, including locations in Quincy andHannibal, which for years served as regional railroad hubs.Residents in this area frequently spotted cabooses traversing thecountryside and could often see train crews riding in the cupola atthe top of the caboose. "There was always a friendly crew member who would wave or nod hishead. It was a piece of American railroad lore," Randy Danniel, oneof the book's co-authors, said. "The waycar book takes people backto a simpler time in history when trains intersected more closelywith people's lives." Danniel is president of Mile Post 206 Publishing Inc. Gantry Crane Manufacturer
of WestBurlington, Iowa, which published "The Burlington Waycars." For Danniel, the book was more than a printing project. It was alabor of love. Danniel comes from a railroading family. His fatherand grandfather were both railroad men, and Danniel himself workedsummers as a brakeman and switchman for the CB&Q andBurlington. Overhead Crane Parts Manufacturer
He grew up taking rides in waycars and got to know manyof the men who lived and worked out of the moving cars, which wereequipped with tables, stoves and beds -- everything needed tosupport crew members who spent long shifts aboard the trains. He tried to recapture the waycar way of life in photos and storiesfeatured in the book. "What the book does is take you back and offer a glimpse of thepeople of the Burlington Northern Railroad before it became theBurlington Northern," he said. "Waycars were still out on the railsand used in day-to-day operation.
That is why the book has gottensuch good reviews so far. It's not just a roster book. It showswhat life on the waycars was really like." -- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378.
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