I’ve got several OLD trainset-quality cabeese, similar to those pictured in these images*. Now, I’m quite certain that my favored RR, the UP, didn’t have any of either one. I’m wondering if ANYONE had any of either one! [:)] There is some vague similarity to some (I believe) Penn cabin cars, what with the “streamlined” cupola, and I think I saw an online article on converting the Tyco into a better representation of such. However, overall, I would just like to know- IS there a prototype for either of these, or just an example of a generic “one size fits all train-sets” car?
(borrowed from eBay auctions, please contact me if one happens to be yours and you disapprove, and I’ll figure out another way to display; right now, mine are all disassembled for stripping/painting)
The Tyco caboose is based on the Pennsyvania RR’s N8 class. Tyco took some liberties with it though–the cupola is offset instead of centered on the roof. Here’s one in Penn Central green:
Yeah, that’s the type of Penn cabin car to which I was referring. Basically, I’m wondering if that’s the only prototype, or if there was something else even more similar.
Not too many Pennsylvania cabins were likely to get all the way to Portland, OR, which is where I’m thinking of modelling the UP. OTOH, if one of the Western roads, like SP, WP, NP, etc., had anything like that, I can wave my magic wand (aka, the airbrush), and invoke modeler’s privilege, without completely blowing away believability. [:o)]
The Bachman looks like a pretty good representation of a Burlington caboose. They had a really sharp paint scheme that utilized the same red side bands as on the frt Fs on a silver body.
The Tyco looks like a streched Pennsy. I chopped up one and spliced the pieces togther to make it look closer to prototype. Mucho work for questionable results and then Bowser came out w/ the kit.
The Wabash and C&EI also had cabeese similar to the Bachman but I don’t know if the window arrangement was right for the C&EI but the Wabash only had 3 widows to a side. Of course, neither road got w/in 2000 miles of Portland so it’s kind of academic. High likelyhood of the Q caboose on early BN merger train on SP&S however.
I started one of those awhile back, and then quit when Bowser released their kit. Not only is all the hard work already done (yay!) but all the grab irons are separate parts!
For the Tyco one, you could always make it into a roadside diner or use it as a yard office.
IC bought some N8’s from either the PRR or PC so they could have been seen at an IC/UP interchange probably in the area where the Mopac main crossed the IC in Illinois after UP bought out Mopac.
No idea what the Bachmann is supposed to be based on if anything although the Tyco looks like a stretched version of a Pennsy prototype. Also interesting to note is that many of the tyco cabooses didn’t get road numbers.
Great Northern also had some cabooses similar to the Tyco one with the “strealined” cupola (which would make sense since GN was part-owner of the Burlington).
Welds can be dealt with, on the level of detail I expect to get outa this piece, mainly by sanding down the rivets most of the way. Thanks for the CB&Q pics- will be helpful in painting.
Similar to the Bachmann (q.v. the Burlington pics earlier in the thread) or the Tyco?
Maybe I’ll just to the Tycos in the same general style as the Bachmann. In that case, I could even just leave one of them as-is, since it’s in BN Green.
Well could be either I guess, to me the cupola of the Tyco one has the more correct slant for the GN caboose, but I could be wrong. I would assume GN cabooses would be similar to the Burlington ones. I might have to do a little ‘research’ this weekend on it. [:)]
The Great North caboose is rather different than the Burlington one. It’s kind of like the Wabash/N&W cupola on the CB&Q/BN body and further towards the center.
Here’s a picture of the Tyco car. It’s been suggested that it’s a very roughly based on the PRR N-8 caboose.
Also, regarding the Wabash car. They were also found on the Ann Arbor and the Detroit, Toledo &Ironton’s roster. Both railroads controlled the Ann Arbor at one point. Later on they appeared on the Grand Truck Western after it bought the DT&I. There was a paint shop article by Jim Hediger on using the Athearn caboose with a sloped cupola grafted on to represent GT car.
