European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 05, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes thursday december 5, 1985 i to Tom Ufa a fun inn us  of of 11 end of line coming up for Railroad caboose i rum press dispatches after Nett Liiro  half of bringing up the rear in Ilic rails it s the i tul of the line for the caboose in must slates. Railroads s u Cchiv Iii s and modern technology Are pushing the Ohi Nisi nil the tracks. Ind the  of Friendly rail Nadi is inn from the caboose at Cross Ings ire Over. Some people especially caboose Crews arc fighting mad about in. Well there Are  things always going  said Tom .  Pacific Railroad spokesman in Omaha. Neb there arc no More Gas lights on the streets. It s a matter no economics and Crew safety. The caboose simply has outgrown its usefulness. It s out  nationally there Are about 12.000 cabooses in operation each weighing in Iund 21 tons and costing about  new. They re being replaced by an electronic Box that fits on the Coupler of the last car of a train. Weighing about 35 pounds and costing $4,000, the train link monitors air Brake pressure train Speed and other data and transmits it to the locomotive Engi Neer. Sonic Railroad workers say the device cannot replace the human touch in a caboose checking for broken w Iscis and axles and watching out for overheated bearings. Cabooses Are making sort of a last stand in North America. They arc virtually extinct in Europe said Frank Wilner. Assistant vice president of the american association of railroads in Washington. Me said Only a few cabooses Are still at work in Britain where some cars still Lack automatic brakes but they will be phased out. In Canada however cabooses arc still the Rule Wilner Sakl. . Railroads say about 95 percent of on train injuries occur in cabooses and in costs nearly a Dollar ii mile to operate a caboose the United transportation Union agreed to eliminate the caboose from one fourth of through trains and All local and switching movements in october 1982. It was an arbitration award. It was dictated  said Jack Shaver Colorado legislative director for Utu. We think Public safely is at stake and All trains should have a  that is Why the Union has pushed for legislation to require that trains have cabooses if they exceed a certain length or arc carrying hazardous materials he said. So far Virginia Oregon Montana Nebraska and new Mexico have passed such Laws. Similar legis lation in California was vetoed this year by Coy. George Deukmejian. Negotiations arc under Way for a new National Railroad workers con act but Shaver said the Union is seeking More Money for its 100,000 members and cabooses arc not a big Issue. John Bohlman assistant stale legislative director for the Utu in Nebraska said the Railroad tends to push the effectiveness of the electronic devices but in actuality they arc not  the railroads however say the safety Issue is Settle cab orcs Are not needed. The Federal rail Road administration which has extensive Railroad safety rules docs not require use of a caboose. Spec a treat Bill Bohol husband of on employee of the aug italian a Mbailey in peking display a Box of Corn flakes a bought at the grand opening of a Diplo Mats Only duty free shop in la chinese capital. More than 1,000 guests attended the opening of the Thop Tome exclaiming with Delight when they Taw otherwise unobtainable goods. The presid Colial emergency Board in making its ruling on cabooses in 1982, estimated that railroads could save $400 million a year by their elimination. The Board used Florida East coast Railroad As an example of Safe operation without cabooses. Between 1973, when Fec started operating without cabooses and 1980, the Railroad s Accident rate averaged 39 percent of the National Rale. In some years it was As Low As 15 percent of the National rate. In 1982, the interstate Commerce commission recommended that the Milwaukee Road operate without cabooses to help pull itself out of bankruptcy. Soo line now part of the Milwaukee Road began eliminating cabooses last year. In Wisconsin Railroad workers urged the legis lature to enact a caboose Law. Railroads and shippers opposed any restrictions. Christopher j. Burger assistant vice president for Chicago & North West transportation co told a legislative hearing that the company runs More than 100 freight trains daily without cabooses and that workers arc safer in the locomotive. La Hood said Union Pacific has operated about 7 million  Miles since october 1984 Al though he did not have Accident statistics available he said he was sure accidents had decreased after the Burlington Northern would also like to do away with cabooses said company spokesman Bill Joplin. However because Many of its trains travel through Nebraska the company is keeping cabooses on most trains. Burlington has challenged the constitutionality or the Nebraska Law but lost the first round in Federal court. The Case is being appealed. We have to face reality and stay competitive with the marketplace said Joplin. If we Don i. Not Only do we lose business but  stamp prompts complaint a key Christian publication in the holy Lam has accused Israel of obliterating the Cross in a postage stamp depicting the  Church of the holy Sypul Char in East Jerusalem. The stamp was one of three Stamps in souvenir Sheet issued to commemorate shrines of All three major Reli Gions in the holy land that also include the dome of the Rock mosque and the wailing Wall the most sacred Sites for islam and Judaism. But the three stamp Issue appears to have offended both christians and jews. First to criticize the souvenir Sheet was Ull Rafortho Dux israeli lawmaker Avraham Verdiger. Verdi Ger whose Agu Dalh Israel parly is a member of the israeli government coalition called the Stamps an insult to the jewish  now a writer in the forthcoming Issue of la Turre Saintc a bimonthly published by the franciscan Cus Tody which controls most major Catholic shrines in the holy land has come up with a More specific complaint. He said that the Cross atop the dome of the Church of the holy so Pulcher built Over the site of Jesia Christ s burial and resurrection has been made to  an aide to communications minister Arnnon Rubinstein who also is in charge of the philatelic service said he would look into the matter which could have been the result of a technical  but Yhoshua Amis hav said he failed to under stand the Christian criticism particularly because the Vatican does not recognize the very existence of the jewish  funds Appeal launched a $435,000 Appeal has been launched in London to save the Home of 18th-Century Painter Thomas Calm Borough from being closed to the Public. Gainsborough s Birthplace in Sudbury Eastern Eaf land has been a Small museum since 1958, but the Gainsborough House society a charitable Trust says us income is inadequate to keep the building open. Launching the Appeal. Or. John Hayes director of the National portrait Cal cry said ii would be a tragic waste if the museum is allowed to close for what is a comparatively Small  some of the warrants have been outstanding for several years and one goes Back to 1974. He said. The Gainsborough House has More of the Painter s works on Public display than any Galley in Brit we be got news for you stars and stripes is delivered to mailboxes in most government housing areas Lor just $4.50 per month. Keep up with news and sports. Enjoy your favorite comics and columns. Profit from travel tips and consumer advice. Ii you live in government housing you can have All this in your Mailbox every morning. It s a convenience that won t Cost you a Penn extra. 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