Any good looking B&O cabooses?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi, I’m looking for B&O, mid 50’s cabooses. I know Walthers are about to release a caboose but I would like to know if there is any other out there. So far the only one I have seen are the ugly yellow ones that Walther’s sells as well and I just can’t stand the look of them. They look like toys.

Magnus

2

http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-B-O-Wagontop-Caboose-Blue_W0QQitemZ200151050574QQihZ010QQcategoryZ486QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Strip the paint, paint it red and apply the proper decals and you’re good to go.

3

I have beat the drum for the B&O Wagontops for a number of years. There is a kit which is pretty advanced where you can put together a Wagontop should you survive what appears to be a zillion tiny peices (At least to me)

True wagontop cabooses of the B&O are availible in Brass, painted even; if you can find one in mint condition. Will run you about 200+ dollars for one off Ebay. WAY more than Im willing to pay for a Caboose. (Never mind my taste for QSI locomotives)

O scale is FULL of B&O wagontops for the picking, just like a apple off a tree… uh, shelf. HO? Zip, nada, zero, fugetaboutit, no way, hit the road jack… etc. At least in RTR form.

I for one refuse to settle for the so called Walthers Platinum Line Bay Window as they present it currently. If they are going to do a Post war Wagon top and perhaps a Top Cupola caboose they need to do it right.

In fact, I think they had Barrels of blue paint and decided to splash some and slap B&O logos on a run and that is just not what I am looking for darn it! Ye think Im stupid to fork over 40 dollars for something like that farce of a caboose?

Sure, make a bunch of nice Milwakee Roads as they are very NICE. But when you clean out the factory, consider a proper wagontop. It’s past time for such a model.

I already have a B&O Chessie Baywindow that is suitable for post 1970 stuff.

So. One more time around the line… how about a late 40’s early 50’s B&O wagontop in Plastic for HO scale? It’s TIME for a good model. Oh if someone does decide to invest and build one, make it at least three road numbers availible already on the model please because I know I will be buying at least that many.

4

I am not too sure about Inter Mountain, but Branchline has some nice cabooses…might be worth a look. Also, Atlas has made some decent cabooses…not sure about anything you might be happy with or need, but a search of the www might flush out something for you.

5

I couldn’t find any Branchline cabooses unfortunately. I did find cabooses from intermountain and Atlas but no B&O. Thanks anyways, the problem is always that they are chessie if it says B&O.

Magnus

6

Is this of use to you, Magnus?

http://h1073036.hobbyshopnow.com/services/advanceresultsDetail.asp?strProd=B%26O+CABOOSE&strSearchType=ALL&strInCategory=ALL&strInManufacturer=ALL&tag=qsrch

7

If you want truly authentic B&O cabooses for the '50’s, check out the B&O Historical Society - Company Store at http://borhs.org/Shopping/index.html. (It is a ‘framed’ webpage otherwise I’d have provided a more direct link.) On the left-hand menu, scroll down and click “Models”; the models catalog page will display in the right-hand frame. Then scroll down to item#'s 32005 thru 32008 - these are kits of the B&O’s famous I-12 ‘wagontop’ bay-window caboose.

You’ll need to paint it yourself, but decals from several different periods are included with the kit.

8

Good response! [tup] There ya go, Magnus.

9

Thanks to all of you, both those links provided me good options. One a bit cheaper then the other. [:D]

But seriously, the B&O website, how can I have missed it for so long! And what a wonderful collection of cabooses, and they are in kit form since I’m somewhat of an addict to the kit building process. I just finished a Proto time saver kit and that was both easy and fun.

Magnus

10

I don’t have any answers, just wanted to chime in with my own frustration at the lack of caboose options. I’ve been looking for L&N and Seaboard transition-era cabooses and am suprised at how little is available. Seems like there would be as much demand for cabooses as there is for the wide range of locomotives that are available.

11

i have been looking for wagontops for a long time i wanna thank the guy who posted the B&O historical society link i live in northern kentucky/ cincinnati ohio B&o L&N southern and N&W were very big here trying to create some of that on my layout

12

If you love the B&O, you’ll also definitely want to check out the B&O Yahoo Group at: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Baltimore_and_Ohio/

Most of the members of the B&O Historical Society hang out there, even though it’s not the ‘official’ forum of the Society.

Have fun!

13

I for one refuse to settle for the so called Walthers Platinum Line Bay Window as they present it currently. If they are going to do a Post war Wagon top and perhaps a Top Cupola caboose they need to do it right.

They did the same thing with the PRR N6b. The windows are wrong. This after asking for and receiving PRRT&HS support and input. The reviews were pretty condemning in PRR circles.

14

Magnus,

I’m in the process of building 3 of these Pacific Mountain Scale Shop’s cabbooses. I got them at the last Mini Con. They are excellent resin kits with laser etched parts. I am at the stage where I need to paint sub assemblies and still allow interior access for window glazing and lights. If the directions are followed w/o deviating at this point it is difficult or even impossible to access to inside. If I find a good easy solution, I can post or email you directly with my findings.

The BOHS company store does have some very good models available. The active members do hang out at the B&O yahoo group, many of which have worked with the model manufacturers to assure exact prototypical replica of some of the proposed releases. Many of the Walther’s and some Branchline heavyweights (Pullmans, paired window coach and modernized coach) are available to us though the input from these historians.

I believe you have all the available passenger cars except the baggage as I do. Have no idea what happened to the B&O run of these.

15

Thanks, I would apreciate that help. And yes you are correct, I have verything but those baggage cars. But Walthers have received them again so now they are available again. I will try to get some as soon as I can but I have so many other projects going now I will have to wait with both those and the cabooses for a month or two. I will probably get them when Walthers release the new station with platforms. I know that doesn’t fit the B&O but it is so good looking.

Anyways, thanks everyone for suggestion and help. It is reassuring to find out that I’m not the only one stuck without a caboose in train land.

Magnus

16

Since I model Chessie, C&O and some WM, I’m not without any decent cabboose at the end of the train. Atlas did quite a run of the C&O safety caboose, I have altered the P2K steel caboose for a few real # WM in Circus paint and many years ago reworked a couple Athearn B&O 3000 # bay window by adding brass end rails/ platforms,grabs etc, brake rigging, proper trucks remove the roof walk and some paint and lettering for a real close Blue/ yellow end caboose. The wagon top has been the toughest to replicate until these Pacific Mountain Scale Shops became available. F&C resin kits are just not right. Up to now the only way to have a real decent caboose was to find it in brass.

17

Brass it is. Now the hunt starts.