matching n scale steam loco's (or any loco's) to cabooses

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

How is everyone going about matching n scale steam locomotives to cabooses? It seems like the manufacturers offer different road names for cabooses than they do steam locomotives… which seems odd as don’t they all need to run with cabooses?

Are you painting your own or decalling or what?

And while on that subject… do you buy unlettered steam locomotives in n scale and apply decals to get certain roadnames?

2

I bought a Bachmann 2-8-0 in N scale, painted but unlettered. They don’t make it in NYC livery so I am going to decal it myself. As for a matching caboose, I couldn’t find one for the NYC so I picked up a Kato caboose decorated for Santa FE and removed the lettering and number and it is also awaiting decals.

I also model in HO. I wanted Bachmanns 2-8-0 in NYC but none were made, so I bought a New Haven model and removed the road name and number, then redecaled it for the NYC.

3

I’ve had the same problem. Guess it is time for me to start looking into lettering kits.

4

I haven’t looked through any catalogs recently, but I’m having a hard time believing that many steam locomotives are being offered in roadnames for which cabooses are not being offered. OTOH, cabooses tended to be custom made for individual railroads, so even if you find a model caboose lettered “XYZ RR”, it’s likely that the caboose looks different from the actual cabooses the prototype XYZ RR used. At that point, you may be looking at either scratchbuilding or kitbashing a caboose for an exact match.

Look through the available cabooses offered by all manufacturers, not just those offered by the manufacturer of the locomotive in question. Also, if you can visit your local hobby shops, and see if they have cabooses in roadnames that have been discontinued. Over the years, Atlas, ConCor, Model Power, and Kadee/Micro-Trains offered cabooses in a wide variety of roadnames. (I’m not real fond of Bachmann freight cars because they attach the trucks with screws, and because they offer carbodies that are too similar to those offered by other manufacturers.)

Also there were people and firms that sold custom-painted cabooses. Bev-Bel was one such firm. Also check for custom painted models offered by clubs and railroad historical societies, and sometimes even local hobby shops.

Sometimes, that’s what it takes. Painting and decaling are always available options. Severa

5

thanks to everyone who replied. It looks like I will start by doing some legwork and visiting local hobby shops and seeing what they have in discontinued stock. That is an excellent idea. I tend to be an internet shopper. I do not care so much that it is the protypical body shape per se, so much as it is lettered and colored to the railroad specific. I am definitely the “close enough” type. I just want a caboose that I can run with the trains. Looks like I will do the re-letter route as well.

When painting, does anyone paint with a brush or is it a must to get some sort of spraying system?

thanks again,

Andy