Transfer cabooses were used for cross-town hops between yards. In the post-caboose era they have been used as “shoving platforms” providing a place for the brakeman or conductor to ride and be the engineer’s eyes during long backup moves. They did not have cupolas or bay windows, cots or amenities. In fact many didn’t have electricity. Most were built in the railroad’s own shops.

Monon Transfer Cabooses. Monon built a trio of transfer cabooses in their Lafayette Shops in 1959. The Monon system map was X-shaped with Chicago and Michigan City legs in the north and Louisville and Indianapolis in the south. The four legs met in Monon, Indiana. Monon served as a bridge carrier for Southern and L&N between Chicago and Louisville.

33020 Monon #81551 $49.95.
33021 Monon #81552 $49.95

All Bluford Shops cabooses come ready-to-run with Kadee #5 couplers, metal wheels, wire grab irons and cut levers and appropriate trucks for the road name. Each road number is sold separately. We are still in the process of cutting the tooling on all five caboose variations.

Delivery of this group is expected in 2013. First draft artwork is shown here and is subject to improvement by our crack development team.