One of my favorite cabooses, if not my imaginary crews’:
This is one of three versions Westerfield produces of HO-scale SP boxcar cabooses. Upon completing the project, one becomes an expert at installing hand grabs.
Mark
I’d like to see Atlas make (in HO) one of those Southern Railway bay window cabooses like the Wright Track model except in the Conrail paint scheme.
Let me see if I can help the budget just a pinch. 1) I find 91% cheaper at Wally World than at my drug stores. 2) Pour the 91% in a resealable container sized for the models you are stripping and you can keep it. The stuff I’m using aought to be near a year and a half old. Still works. That spreads the ISO cost over 100 models, instead of just one. Sure, the iso and the tub to keep it in may be $10 but if your doing 2 cabeece, 4 engines, 10 coaches, yadda yadda yadda, it budgets out to only a $45 model and not a Rapido.
Mark:
I hear ya. The Walthers C-30 looks as if it’s the wrong SCALE behind one of my SP trains. And if it helps, the Walthers Rio Grande wood caboose took so much under-frame adjusting to get it to take a 34" radius without derailing that I damn near gave it to my cat (Spooky) to chew on.
Okay, forget Walthers. I’ll stick with Intermountain, LOL!
And how come my old Silver Streak ‘kinda/sorta’ C-30 from 40 years ago looks better behind my train than the Walthers? Paid $3.75 or so for it years back. Paid close to $40 for the Walthers. I’ve parked the Walthers in one of my rolling stock drawers, use the Silver Streak instead.
Tom [:)]
I would really really like someone to make an accurate model of a rio grande 1400 series caboose. now that would just make my day
Paul
That’s nice, Mark. [:)][tup] I had to kitbash my NYC emergency war caboose from an MDC wood boxcar shell and Walthers caboose windows and doors. It’s now finally painted but lacks some needed detailing:
The quality of the MDC boxcar shell is lacking but the kitbash is only a prototype or proof of concept. I plan on scratch-building another one sometime down the line; one with more accurate detailing to it. I really enjoy adding some of the more unusual and unique RR-specific cars and structures to a layout.
Tom
A troop sleeper caboose is similar to the converted box cars others have posted, but starting with a troop sleeper (WWII vintage Pullmans for Army use - cattle cars for people.)
I recall having seen a prototype photo once, but disremember which railroad was guilty of that atrocity. Troop sleepers were sold off (almost given away) as surplus after WWII, and a lot of them ended up in MW service on a lot of different railroads.
As for my own desires - I meet them by scratchbuilding to prototype plans and photos or by kitbashing my imagineered designs. (I’m considering an articulated coal hopper-brake van to go with my three-bay, eight-axle articulated coal hoppers in unit train service.) Anybody seen a 1:80 scale Japanese prototype ANYTHING in the Walthers catalog?
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Install some grab irons and apply decals over several evenings and you’ll have yourself a winner. Cabooses are worth the attention.
Mark
I think I am echoing some ohters here as I skim read the responses.
When I see cabooses {or cabeese if you wish} on the shelves in Hobby Shops, so many look like " toy cabooses" that I would like to see a good really detailed prototype accurate caboose!
{naturally in B&O C&O and Chessie of course! with a penssy tossed in for good measure for teh PRR K4 I will get someday.}
Agreed, Mark. Even though it’s just a prototype, I do plan on finishing it off by adding grab irons and decaling it. Bought a few Champs sets - just for that purpose.
Tom
While I’m not familiar with a lot of the cabooses mentioned, surely some of them are close enough to an available model that they could be kitbashed into a more accurate version. Unless your favourite prototype is a large and popular road, the chances of a r-t-r model of one of its cabooses are probably unlikely.
While the caboose shown below is not a model of any prototype, it suits my needs and meets my standards for detail and believeability. I’m sure that someone with more ability and some good photos of their favourite prototype could do even better if they can find a suitable model with which to start.
I used an Athearn Blue Box kit, with windows from Grandt Line and Tichy brake gear. The trucks are from Tahoe Model Works.
Don’t be afraid to make an attempt to put the “modelling” back into model railroading.
Wayne
I do not model NYC but I have to agree. I had a NYC locomotive to run at exhibit for the Great Train Expo. I thought I’ll just run over and get a caboose for it from one of the vendors. NOT I looked through the whole show. I found exactly one caboose painted NYC. It was an Athearn blue box (Santa Fe prototype) that I know NYC never had anything like it. I finally just got an Atlas center cab P&LE to use.
THe “standard” caboose for me is widely available from Atlas, Athearn, and whoever else makes wide-vision caboooses. SO I’d have to settle for the odd.
GN X-1 to X-30 slant coupla cabooses.
I would also say a CB&Q NE-12 but bachmann makes some. I just haven’t been able to find any locally. (don’t really want to order one and pay $5 shipping for a $2 car)
How about some rider cars, and war emergency cabooses from 40 foot wooden boxcars, and any caboose that says NKP on it. I have a rider car, and an NKP war emergency caboose in brass, would like to see some in big production runs though. R. Staller
I received just today a notice from CMT that they’ll be producing the Point St. Charles caboose
Wayne
SWEET! I wondered if Rapido would pick up the PSC, since they are a Canadian modeller and are pushing the other Canadian Protoypes, it seems the answer is a caveated “yes”
I would like to see some wig wags (on an affordable plastic version) for us Santa Fe folks!!
As an N Scaler and Western Maryland modeler, I’d like Walther’s to either:
A) Re-tool the old Life Like Northeastern Steel caboose to include lower ride height, window glazing and finer details,
or B) Drop the MSRP of their announced re-run of it to reflect the 25 year old crappy tooling that it is.
or better yet,
C) Sell all the Life Like N scale tooling to someone who understands how N scale should be manufactured and marketed, because Walther’s clearly has no clue.
Thank you for your support.
Lee
Flashwave, I just got an e-mail from CMT announcing the intro of a Pt. St. Charles caboose lettered for the CN (noodle lettering). Check out modeltrains.com, or PM me and I’ll forward you the e-mail.
Gerry S.
Thanks, I appreciate the notice, though Wayne got to here first. I already have an e-mail to them inquiring as to whether I shall need to purchase a CN and strip her down or if an undec will be available close enough to that $59 pricepoint. Yeah yeah, buying RTR so I can turn it into a kit, but I’d rather work wifth plastic than Brass since I know it, the Rapido caboose (who’s making it for CMT, but you know that) is a reliable company, and it’s a lot closer to my bbdget.