This page was last updated on March 29, 2021.
(Return to UP Cabooses Index Page)
Compiled by Scott Thomas.
This summary of cabooses/shoving platforms started with a January 21, 2002 caboose roster provided by the Union Pacific. Since then I have tried to keep updating it as I come across any changes online or in person.
Union Pacific doesn't really track cabooses like they do the locomotives on the monthly change reports, and tracing them doesn't reveal much about them.
Looking back in previous editions of the UP System Special Instructions, the first time I see the term "shoving platforms (cabooses)" used is the April 1, 2004 edition. The editions prior to that simply said cabooses.
On Union Pacific, shoving platforms are former cabooses that are used by trainmen and switchmen to ride when a long shoving move needs to be performed. Sometimes the distance of the shove is just too excessive to be comfortable for someone to hang on the side of a car. Other times there may be multiple road crossings to cross and hanging on the side of a car over a public road crossing is against the rules. Another issue is that the rules also prohibit riding the sides of certain types of cars, such as coil cars and loaded centerbeams with a single vertical handhold.
Most of the shoving platforms have had their end doors welded shut so the interiors can not be accessed by crews. This eliminates any maintenance requirements inside.
At Seattle, Washington, on Harbor Island's Pier 15-1/2, Union Pacific uses three cabooses (MP 13876, MP 13900, UP 25830) as idler cars to reach onto the barge when loading and unloading cars. The traffic here is interchanging with the Alaska Railroad and can been seen on Google Maps Street View.
Some shoving platforms have been fitted with lights on the ends as well as horns.
Some have been repainted over the years, including those that were not originally UP cabooses. They still retain their original reporting marks. These include at least SP 4609, SP 4747, CNW 11226, and MP 13064 (with its nice heritage former MP scheme).
UP 25833
Photo of UP 25833 at RRPictureArchives.net
SP 4609
Photo of SP 4609 at RRPictureArchives.net
SP 4747
Photo of SP 4747 at Flickr.com
CNW 11226
Photo of C&NW 11226 at Flickr.com
MP 13064
Photos of MP 13064 at RRPictureArchives.net
MP 13764 - this one did not become MP 7500 (which in itself has never been verified to exist), used by UP at Corsicana, TX 5/18/15
Photo of MP 13764 at Flickr.com
MP 13774 has been renumbered 2nd UP 24552 sometime after 10/25/10 and before 6/1/14. Presumably the 1st UP 24552 (ex-CRIP 17134) has been retired and this ex-MP one took it's place. Evidently the locals had an attachment to the UP 24552 number.
Photo of MP 13774 as UP 24552 at RRPictureArchives.net
Here is what I show as the largest possible version of the shoving platform roster. I am going to go over them again tomorrow and list last known locations and dates. A lot of them are certainly gone. This is one of those almost impossible tasks to get 100% accurate, but I will work on it what I can.
At most I can come up with 117 left on the UP. Likely some of them are gone, but it's a decent start to the list.
CGW (1)
10534
CNW (19)
10366, 10935, 10946, 10958, 10997, 11066, 11119, 11157, 11160, 11170, 11186, 11216, 11222, 11226, 11227, 11228, 11304, 261520, 261531
DRGW (4)
01482*, 01503, 01513, 01522
MP (43)
MOW: 7502, 7503, 7504, 7505, 7506, 7508, 7511, 7512, 7513, 7514
CA-33: 13732, 13736, 13746, 13759, 13764, 13791
CA-35: 13818, 13824, 13832, 13848, 13858, 13876, 13882, 13884, 13894, 13900, 13920, 13926, 13929, 13940, 13944, 13964
CA-34: 13000, 13001, 13012, 13021, 13033, 13063, 13064, 13071, 13078, 13080, 13098
SP (21)
C50-4: 1877
C50-7: 4609, 4612, 4617, 4627
C50-8: 4652, 4699
C50-9: 4702, 4704, 4709*, 4718, 4720, 4729, 4733, 4734, 4737, 4742*, 4744, 4747, 4759, 4761
*= SP Police
UP (28)
CA-33: 2nd 24552 (ex-MP 13774)
CA-11: 25800, 25801, 25802, 25805, 25807, 25808, 25812, 25814, 25815, 25821, 25830, 25831, 25833, 25835, 25837, 25840, 25843, 25847, 25850, 25851, 25854, 25875, 25881, 25883, 25887, 25893
C50-7: 26000
Some of the last known dates for the 117 known cabooses in service as shoving platforms. Some locations are quite old and the caboose itself may have been retired and disposed of.
CGW 10534 - Waukegan, IL 6/8/13
CNW 10366 - Cedar Rapids, IA 7/24/09
CNW 10935 - Waukegan, IL 7/3/15
CNW 10946 - Janesville, IL 8/26/16
CNW 10954 - Butler, WI 9/17/2016
CNW 10958 - Jefferson Junction, WI 4/24/20
CNW 10997 - Milwaukee, WI 5/27/06
CNW 11066 - Janesville, IL 12/12/15
CNW 11119 - Elk Grove Village, IL 6/8/19
CNW 11157 - Butler, WI 11/2/07
CNW 11160 - Wisconsin MOW 3/17/20 (has a horn and bell)
CNW 11170 - Clinton, IA 5/20/16
CNW 11186 - Sheboygan, WI 12/23/20
CNW 11216 - Elk Grove Village, IL 11/17/18
CNW 11222 - Butler, WI 8/13/09
CNW 11226 - Ft Dodge, IA 6/27/20 (repainted UP)
CNW 11227 - St. Paul, MN 3/1/06
CNW 11228 - Mason City, IA 4/28/20
CNW 11304 - Beverly, IA 8/27/20
CNW 261520 - Northern Illinois/Wisconsin MOW - Waukegan, IL 11/25/19
CNW 261531 - Northern Illinois/Wisconsin MOW - Milwaukee, WI 3/17/20
DRGW 01482 - Lompoc, CA 6/20 (stored out of service west side of town since 2014)
DRGW 01503 - Salt Lake City, UT 2/27/19 (mostly repainted)
DRGW 01513 - Colorado Springs, CO 5/8/18
DRGW 01522 - South San Francisco, CA 3/19/21
MP 7502 - Ft Dodge, IA 1/27/21
MP 7503 - Dallas, TX 1/23/11
MP 7504 - West Chicago, IL 10/11/20
MP 7505 - West Frankfort, IL 3/16/21
MP 7506 - Pryor, OK 3/4/19
MP 7508 - Oskaloosa, IA 7/5/19
MP 7511 - Laramie, WY 6/2/20
MP 7512 - Paxton, NE 3/1/21
MP 7513 - Laramie, WY 10/14/20
MP 7514 - Kansas City, KS 10/6/12 (still MP red)
MP 13000 - Longview, TX 8/21/19
MP 13001 - Texarkana, AR 2/4/12
MP 13012 - La Crosse, WI 12/24/10
MP 13021 - Omaha, NE & Council Bluffs, IA 1/23/12
MP 13033 - Caliente, NV 12/19
MP 13063 - Green River, WY 8/3/09, seemingly gone now
MP 13064 - North Little Rock, AR 4/19/13 (repainted MP red 8/09)
MP 13071 - Ste. Genevieve, MO 7/5/09
MP 13078 - Texarkana, AR 8/18/20
MP 13080 - Memphis, TN 8/15/15 (repainted MP red)
MP 13098 - Tulsa, OK 10/8/18
MP 13732 - Pryor, OK 4/18
MP 13736 - Milford, UT 8/1/16
MP 13746 - Texarkana, TX 6/14/12
MP 13759 - Muskogee, OK 9/6/09
MP 13764 - Corsicana, TX 5/18/15
MP 13774 - 2nd UP 24552 - Omaha, NE & Council Bluffs, IA 8/22/18
MP 13791 - La Crosse, WI 7/16/18
MP 13818 - Fairfax, KS 7/13/19
MP 13824 - Texarkana, AR 10/24/06 (in accident then, steps bent up and handrails bent)
MP 13832 - Topeka, KS 10/22/19
MP 13848 - Ste. Genevieve, MO 12/22/09
MP 13858 - Tyler, TX 12/11
MP 13876 - Seattle, WA 5/30/19 (idler service)
MP 13882 - Liverpool, TX 7/13
MP 13884 - Kansas City, MO 1/1/03
MP 13894 - North Little Rock, AR 7/28/20
MP 13900 - Seattle, WA 5/30/19 (idler service)
MP 13920 - Green River, WY 8/24/17
MP 13926 - Tacoma, WA 7/22/15
MP 13929 - Pine Bluff, AR 8/29/16
MP 13940 - Salina, KS 11/12/05
MP 13944 - Buena Vista (Salt Lake City), UT 6/19
MP 13964 - Monroe, LA 4/3/20
SP 1877 - Kinder, LA 8/11/20
SP 4609 - Nacogdoches, TX 9/1/18 (repainted UP)
SP 4612 - Gemco (Van Nuys), CA 3/24/21
SP 4617 - Dallas, TX 7/4/16
SP 4627 - Seattle, WA 6/19
SP 4652 - St. Louis, MO 11/7/15
SP 4699 - Oakridge, OR 8/6/20
SP 4702 - Oakridge, OR 5/15/17
SP 4704 - Sparks, NV 3/22/21
SP 4709 - Bakersfield, CA 9/2/17
SP 4718 - Texarkana, AR 10/6/06
SP 4720 - Springfield, OR 3/24/20
SP 4729 - Longview Jct, WA 7/22/20
SP 4733 - La Marque, TX 6/20
SP 4734 - Salem, OR 3/25/21
SP 4737 - Industry, CA 9/3/20
SP 4742 - System work train service (at Huntington, OR 3/9/21)
SP 4744 - Clackamas, OR 3/21/18
SP 4747 - Roper, UT 6/17/20 (repainted UP)
SP 4759 - Stockton, CA 3/21/21 (burned inside while at Tracy)
SP 4761 - Lompoc, CA 12/7/20
UP 24552 - Omaha, NE & Council Bluffs, IA 8/22/18
UP 25800 - Omaha, NE 1/4/18
UP 25801 - Los Angeles LATC, CA 6/7/20
UP 25802 - Boardman, OR 8/7/14
UP 25805 - Hinkle, OR
UP 25807 - System work train service (at Lakeside, UT 4/22/20)
UP 25808 - Grand Island, NE 2/2/20
UP 25812 - St. Genevieve, MO 5/30/13
UP 25814 - Eugene, OR 10/16/08
UP 25815 - Kennewick, WA 10/19
UP 25821 - Delle, UT 6/19
UP 25830 - Seattle, WA 5/30/19 (idler service)
UP 25831 - Oxnard, CA 6/3/14
UP 25833 - Fresno, CA 8/4/20
UP 25835 - Clearfield, UT 5/29/17
UP 25837 - Pendleton, OR 5/15/18
UP 25840 - Kent, WA 9/6/11
UP 25843 - Denver, CO 7/23/10
UP 25847 - Industry, CA 9/3/20
UP 25850 - Brigham City, UT 10/22/18
UP 25851 - Columbus, NE 1/24/19
UP 25854 - Stockton, CA 3/21
UP 25875 - Wilmington, CA 3/21
UP 25881 - Atchison, KS 3/15/20
UP 25883 - Roper, UT 7/22/20
UP 25887 - Portland, OR 7/17/08
UP 25893 - Spokane, WA 3/26/21
UP 26000 - Butler, WI 8/28/16
The snow buses are overhauled and upgraded cabooses that are used to shuttle crews around when inclement weather makes road travel prohibitive. They are run in between a pair of locomotives. In the non snow season they can be found doing other jobs, such as being used as shoving platforms.
I currently show there to be nine "Snow Buses" on the roster: UPP 400, 401, 430, UP 24528, 25809, 25822, 25832, 25872, 25892.
(Read more about Union Pacific's Snow Bus Fleet)
These are not counted in the shoving platform total as they are used in a totally different service.
UP 24528 appears to now be a snow bus, or at least used in snow service out of La Grande, OR in the Blue Mountains since at least 2008.
Photos of UP 24528 at RRPictureArchives.net
UP 25809 has been converted to a snow bus, in August 2009.
Photos of UP 25809 at RRPictureArchives.net
UP 25822 no longer has the propane tanks for snow bus service, although it does still have the MU wiring. It is a resident of Morgan, Utah, now. I photographed it there on 5/8/19 and it was still there on 9/29/19 looking the same as when I saw it.
Photo of UP 25822 at RRPictureArchives.net
UP 25892 has also been converted to a snow bus, by 2008.
Photos of UP 25892 at RRPictureArchives.net
Union Pacific has at least 15 cabooses now in its Heritage Collection at Cheyenne, Wyoming. I do not count these in the shoving platform and would still consider them as cabooses.
CNW 11047, as of 4/19/2018
CNW 11097, as of 4/19/2018
CNW 11111, as of 4/19/2018
Photo of C&NW 11047 at RRPictureArchives.net
Photo of C&NW 11097 at RRPictureArchives.net
Photo of C&NW 11111 at RRPictureArchives.net
DRGW 01476, as 4/19/2018
DRGW 01481, as of 4/19/2018
DRGW 01486, as of 4/19/2018
DRGW 01489, as of 3/20/2020
DRGW 01524, as of 4/19/2018
MP 13835, as of 4/19/2018
SP 4641, as of 2/1/2018
UP 25707 8/23/2018
UP 906251 4/19/2018 (MOW green)
UP 906254 6/24/2015 (UP yellow paint, also stenciled as FTSX 812 Fairmont Tamper office car)
UPP 25740 2/1/2018 (UP yellow paint; ex-UP 903011, exx-UP 25740)
Photo of UP 903011 at RRPictureArchives.net
Photo of UP 906254 at RRPicturearchives.net
CRI&P 17017, as of 8/23/2018 (at Cheyenne; not part of UP's Heritage Collection; never in service on UP)
The former CRI&P 17017 was working on the Wyoming Colorado Railroad (WYCO). After the abandonment of WYCO it seems to have ended up stored in Laramie, WY. Then later at some point the UP had it at Cheyenne. As to how they seem to have come into possession of it I do not know. I do know there was a cleanup and removal of some old tracks in Laramie at some point, so maybe the UP agreed to take it to get it out of the way instead of in being scrapped as part of the cleanup.
Photos of CRI&P 17017 at RRPictureArchives.net
Photo of CRI&P 17017 in service on Wyoming & Colorado Railroad in August 1989
UP 24565 was repainted in May 2012 and placed on display at the entrance to the North Little Rock Terminal (not the Jenks Shop which is separate but nearby facility).
Photo of UP 24565 at RRPictureArchives.net
UP 903018 roadway caboose also still seems to be on the property. It shows at Ray, TX as of 11/15/19 and says "Hold - Dismantle on Site - Cannot Move". Hope they don't cut this one up.
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