Has anybody had any experience turning a caboose, or any railcar for that matter, 90 degrees on a concrete floor? Space is very limited, so moving the car back and forth in a three point turn is out of the question. The caboose is about 22 tons. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Hire a machinery mover, who would probably jack it up enough to put dollies under each wheel and then spin it.

You can rent the dollies, but unless you know what you are doing, let a expert do it.

-Hudson

Is the caboose sitting directly on the floor, or is it sitting on a panel track?

It's sitting directly on the concrete Kelly. (Not my choice)

I second hiring a rigger. Those guys are whizzes at maneuvering heavy stuff in confined quarters. Where about might this job be? I can make a recommendation for northern Illinois.

I agree with the others: bring in a pro. Your floor will thank you.

Phil Mulligan

Our 140,000 pound locomotive required turning after delivery because the only large door on the "Engine House" was on the side. (This has since been remedied). It was delivered at about a 45 degree angle to the building onto a track panel with steel ties. A piece of heavy equipment was connected to each end with chains, one through the large door and one through a man door on the opposite side. After coating the floor under the ties with dish-washing liquid and water it came around nicely.

Apparently, no one got a photo of the turning, but this photo shows it going into the building.

There was a video of the moving contractor doing that with AT&SF #5000, the "Madam Queen" (and tender) when turning her 90 degrees in the middle of an Amerilo intersection. Until I saw that I never would have believed it was possible.

You'd be amazed what can be done with soap.

Howard P.

I rotated a streetcar once inside a building on concrete. I used steel plates and some grease. Just jack axles high enough to get plate under flanges, put a dab of grease down ( a little goes a long ways, and set axle down and repeat for other axles. As you push the car around you will have to reposition the steel plates. It did not cost us anything but our time as we had used steel plates on hand.

Old school turning of locomotive BLW 60000 to get it to line up with display track in the Franklin Institute.

Its not just “soap,” it has to be bars of Ivory soap. An old house mover trick which I have used, and seen used, many times over the years.

I’d block the caboose up on the side bearers with some blocks of wood, then a layer of plywood on the floor and broken up bars of Ivory soap between the blocks and plywood.

There was an old show on the History channel years ago which covered the move of I think the Block Island light house which was brick. When the rigger was asked what the key was to moving it without it falling apart, his answer was Ivory soap.

J.R. May

Thank you gentlemen. You've been extremely helpful.