How to Open a Walther's Proto wood side caboose?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

A friend is installing kadee couplers for me on a Walthers proto wood side caboose. He wants to open it up and get inside (not sure if it’s to replace the couplers or for another reason. Anyone have a diagram or description/link for us?

Thanks

2

  1. Pull back outward the later’s from top carefully.

  2. Then with one hand,hold the roof,squeeze the Woodside Caboose sides at the top,close to roof.

  3. Wiggle both till (the four lugs inside) give way. Remember to be gentle with it. Easy to break details.

  4. Ya just opened a Walthers Woodside Caboose.

3

Thanks D.R. Did you have a sheet from Walthers or figure it out on your own? I couldn’t find anything online or in my caboose boxes…

I’ll pass this on to my friend.

4

Dragonriver,

I am Capt. Grimek’s friend trying to crack open his cabooses to add weight. I can see the seam between the roof and the body but it is VERY tight. I tried holding the roof tightly while squeezing the sides but couldn’t get it to budge.

You mentioned four lugs. Are these in the roof with a tooth or bump slipping into a depression on the inside of the car walls? If so, wouldn’t squeezing the sides make it harder to separate the roof from the sides? Obviously I am missing something here.

Any further information or advice will be appreciated.

5

If you can, show us a photo of the interior!

6

ATSFGuy,

I would be happy to post a photo of the interior…if I could get the caboose open. Do you know how to open these cars?

7

The linked article has a photo of the interior of a Walthers caboose. I don’t know if it uses the same construction as the subject of this thread, but the author does mention snapping the roof off.

It’s an interesting read in its own right, about a Walthers RTR caboose that was really a form of kit.

http://www.mcor-nmra.org/Publications/Articles/A%20Not%20So%20Ready%20to%20Run%20Model.pdf

CG

8

The early RTR cabooses from Walthers the modeler had to add grabs and on the wooden C&O caboose had to fix the truck swing in order to prevent it from derailing.

Now these same wooden cabooses comes RTR without the need to add the grabs or fix the truck swing…

9

Central Gulf,

THANK YOU! the photos in that article were just what I needed. I have removed four caboose roofs, added weight (5/8 ounce each) and popped the roofs back on. All is well.

10

Be careful taking the roof off, you don’t want to break any tabs that hold the roof in place.

11

[8D]

CG