Grand Trunk Western Railroad transfer cabooses. October 1983.

This photograph was taken in early October of 1983, at the GTW Elsdon Yard in Chicago Illinois. This view looking northeast from 51st Street, east of Lawndale Avenue, is showing a pair of GTW "Transfer Cabooses". A transfer caboose, is a special duty "Utility caboose" used mainly on switching locals serving the many industrial districts around large citties such as Chicago. A transfer caboose is pretty much a flatcar with a shack on top of it. They were mostly homade by the many different railroads. Usually in their own shops. Each railroad that used these seemed to have their own unique design. They were great for situations requiring numerous "Back up movements", during switching operations. In England and many parts of Europe, Cabooses are known as "Brake Vans".