Flowery Branch Historic Caboose - Flowery Branch, GA. - Train Cabooses on Waymarking.com

Located at the North end of Main Street in downtown Flowery Branch, the city’s historic Caboose can easily be seen from Atlanta Highway (SR 13). Once an active caboose, the piece now sits as a museum to days gone by. The Caboose, rich in history and surprise, is open for tours on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The tour givers, the long-standing and devoted volunteers Francis Turner and Roxanne Rose, are happy to lead visitors through the very interesting tour.

The Origin of the Caboose
The origins of both the car and the word are surrounded as much by legend as by fact. One popular version dates the word back to a derivation of the Dutch word "kabuis," which referred to a ship's galley. Use of cabooses began in the 1830s, when railroads housed trainmen in shanties built onto boxcars or flatcars.

The Cupola
The addition of the cupola--the lookout post atop the car--is attributed to a conductor who discovered in 1863 that he could see his train much better if he sat atop boxes and peered through the hole in the roof of his boxcar.

Uses for the Caboose
The caboose served several functions, one of which was as an office for the conductor. A printed "waybill" followed every freight car from its origin to destination. The conductor kept the paperwork in the caboose. The caboose also carried a brakeman and a flagman. In the days before automatic air brakes, the engineer signaled the caboose with his whistle when he wanted to slow down or stop. The brakeman would then climb out and make his way forward, twisting the brake wheels atop the cars with a stout club. Another brakeman riding the engine would work his way toward the rear. Once the train was stopped, the flagman would descend from the caboose and walk back to a safe distance with lanterns, flags, and other warning devices to stop any approaching trains.

Once underway, the trainmen would sit up in the cupola and watch for smoke from overheated wheel journals or other signs of trouble.

Source (visit link)

Current Use: The Caboose is open for tours on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The tour givers, the long-standing and devoted volunteers Francis Turner and Roxanne Rose, are happy to lead visitors through the very interesting tour. Type Of Caboose: Cupola, "Standard"

Visit Instructions:
Please visit the location of the caboose, brake van, or guard van, provide visit details through photo or narrative.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   06/23/2023 ckirbee visited it 10/09/2021 shortyknits visited it 10/09/2021 scottberks visited it 10/09/2021 Firefighter Skippy visited it 07/26/2011 Rat Rat visited it 06/17/2011 Purplebutterflygirl visited it 12/11/2009 HarborSpy visited it 06/04/2008 Lat34North visited it

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