What is A Bobber Caboose?

Found this in an Internet search:

"Most railroads opted for a caboose with two trucks (called "bogies") and eight wheels, but some eastern roads chose a no-truck, four-wheel design called a "bobber." The lack of trucks reduced the amount of steel needed for the caboose, thus lowering the final cost. This car got its name from the way it would "bob" down the track. Its tracking was so bad that several states enacted laws prohibiting the use of bobber cabooses (although by then the railroads had already stopped buying them)."

Sounds reasonable to me.  Railroads have always been cost-conscious.

As Allan posted, "Bobber" cabooses were used in main line service.  The Reading used them for a LONG time. MTH has offered several models.

Short lines, lumber railroads and others had similar cabooses, but I haven't heard "Bobber" applied to them.

There are a few Bobbers at the caboose motel in Strassburg adjacent to the TCA museum.

Don

That Erie post card car looks as though it might be coupled to a McKeen.  It is a short

car but I can't tell if it has 2 axles, or a pair of trucks.  If it is on only two axles,

I'd call it a side door bobber, maybe special built, to tow behind the underpowered

McKeen.

MTH has made many Bobber cabooses to go with logging engines.  At the very least, there is WVP&P, Weyerhaeuser (my spelling is probably off), Hillcrest Lumber (For Hillcrest they also made a similar paint scheme (but much larger than a Bobber) steel type caboose).

I think they have made a Bobber to go with most of the Shays and Climaxes that they have produced, but maybe they missed some.

Not on the logging vein, but I also think I have ones for Erie, Pennsy,  and Long Island.

-Dave

Yes, MTH has offered a number of bobber cabooses in a wide variety of road names.  I have them in Alaska RR, Hillcrest Lumber, and Colorado & Southern, and am always on the lookout for more because I'll need several for the West Side Lumber Shays that I have, as well as my Meadow River Heisler.  A Hillcrest Lumber bobber came with the Climax set I just bought, but I don't believe they have ever made one for West Side Lumber.  The MTH bobbers are quite nice, in my opinion.

I'd be very interested in a WSL bobber as well.  Unfortunately, I doubt it will ever come to be unless MTH actually makes their shay in that road name, which they have not so far.  I can't see MTH providing a caboose for an engine only Lionel (or the previous K-Line) has made so far. 

I'll gladly order one or two if MTH would like to prove me wrong! 

I went with the WSL work caboose Lionel did instead.  (I remember a thread where we were mentioning those a while ago).  Not a bobber, but very nice with wood decking like the PS-4 flatcars.  I think they also offered this caboose in Weyerhaeuser and Elk River.

Not sure off the top of my head what has been offered for Meadow River.

Sorry to the OP, I got a little off the track of what a bobber is, but hopefully that's been answered to his satisfaction at this point.

-Dave

I would be in for at least two, as well, but I share your doubt that MTH will ever step up to the plate and offer one.

Will likely have to purchase several in another road name and have them repainted.

As colorado hirailer suggested, I'd call it a "side door bobber" or a "freight door bobber" or a "custom-built bobber."

We "O" Gauge modelers call all such cabooses "Bobber." But that term isn't used in my books about short-line or logging railroad cabooses. It seems to apply to cabooses on Class 1 railroads. I haven't seen evidence that railroaders or authors used the name "Bobber" for short-line, logging, or custom-built 2-axle cabooses before mass-produced models became available.

Pretty much all early cabooses were customized, so what the body looked like on a "four-wheeled caboose car" (the proper name, according to the Master Car Builders' Association Car Builder's Dictionary) made no difference. It was still a "bobber" (if you want to call it that) whether or not it had a cupola or a side-door, or even a bay-window.

According to "The Railroad Caboose" (the bible on the subject), four-wheeled cabooses were "the first type of American caboose." And they were popular: the NYO&W had 106 four-wheeled but only 60 eight-wheeled cabooses on its roster during its prime years.

Smaller version of a "Robert" Caboose?

My NYO&W bobber caboose.

Sorry, my you tube video wouldn't load from my IPad.

Go to my channel: rutlandmilk.

Load the video that is called MVI 4197

Peter

I have heard that a railroad official would travel in a bobber caboose behind the regular caboose, not sure if that is true.

Lionel also made some bobber cabooses(four digit number) a few years back. I have one in Reading Lines that has only four wheels or two axles, and it is very light, so light that I added over an ounce of weight to keep it on the track.

Lee Fritz

They did the same thing on the prototype! Before freight trains had air brakes, if a four-wheeled caboose had any unused locker space, it would be filled with short lengths of rail, scrap iron and other heavy material to increase caboose weight, in order to increase hand-brake power (to keep the caboose wheels from sliding).  

I have read that the short, two axle cabooses, were notorious for rough riding,

and unloved by the crews, so I'd be surprised if any ranking railroad suit rode in

one to be whip-cracked behind the train.  You can think about the comparison between

a ride in a SmartForTwo auto vs. a stretch limo. These cars are probably the source of

some of the nicknames, such as "bouncer", for cabooses.

Some states outlawed 'bobber' cabooses. In my state of Minnesota, a law was passed in 1911 saying cabooses had to be at least 24' long, and have at least two 4-wheel trucks. The classic Missabe Road 3-window cabooses were created by the railroad taking two bobbers and putting them together into one car.

The famous Maryland & Pennsylvania had perhaps the "iconic" bobber caboose:

Rusty

I like my PRR bobber cabin  cars!

This one was a former bobber converted to 4 wheeled trucks.