Re: RGS caboose behind tender

For regular operations on railroads (not necessarily the RGS), adding a caboose to a passenger train often meant that it was a freight crew off assignment. Cabooses used to assigned to the same conductor (just as engineers were often assigned the same engine), so if a freight crew was assigned a passenger run (generally in an emergency), the caboose was either handled on that train or forwarded on another train to follow them. It might also indicate a freight crew was deadheading on the passenger train.

This practice quickly came to an end on the class 1s when they started pooling cabooses.