S-Helper S Scale ICC Wide-Vision Caboose, Santa Fe

The familiar caboose at the end of the train traces its origins to the early 1830s when railroads built enclosures in boxcars, or on flatcars, to house crew members. The addition of a cupola is credited to a Chicago & North Western conductor in 1863, when he suggested adding an enclosure on top of a car where he could watch the train more easily. From then on, the cupola style caboose became the standard until the 1930s and 40s when the bay window style started to become popular.

The caboose had many purposes: it sheltered the conductor, brakeman, and flagman from the elements; gave the conductor space for his paperwork; had bunks for rest and a stove for cooking. The cupola was the place to monitor the train while en route, watching for any problems that may occur between terminals. The cupola usually had seats in both directions, so no matter which way the caboose was pointed, the trainman could keep a vigilant watch.

As trains became longer and freight cars became taller and wider, it was more difficult to keep watch from a standard cupola caboose. A solution was to make the cupola a little wider, extending over the sides. This allowed the crew to lean out a little and keep a better watch over the train. 

In 1953, International Car Company introduced the wide vision caboose that our model is patterned after. This new standard design was used on railroads across the country, and while not as common as they once were, you can still find examples in use today in specialized services.