William F. Knapke

The subtitle of The Railroad Caboose - “Its 100 Years History, Legend, and Lore” is actually a very concise summary/review of the contents of this book. The author opens with a history of the evolution and development of the caboose. With the formalities out of the way Mr. Knapke segues into discussion and first person accounts of caboose life. The chapters that follow include descriptions and stories about caboose cuisine (both preparation and consumption), caboose pets and other animals that have either called the caboose home or had an interesting encounter with same, a side discussion about safety lighting (marker lights, lanterns and fusees), some cabooses that made history (such as the one that went with Perry to the Artic), and the human drama covering everything including caboose weddings, murder, accidents and very close calls.

The style of writing is conversational and shifts smoothly between the technical and the anecdotal. I think the book is an excellent history of the U.S. caboose. I would recommend it to anyone interested in railroad history and first person accounts of railroad life in “the little red caboose behind the train.” (Text Length - 233 pages with many photographs, Total Length - 237 pages, includes an index.)

See Common Knowledge for a sample of the writing style.… (altro)