But so are other parts of me… [:P]
Seriously, I’ve been wondering what caboose would look pretty good behind my Southern Rwy 4-4-0. I know the very earliest cabooses were only flat cars with a little shed like structure on them.
Men were men in those days!
Then you have the little bobber type like this…
But, what were the sizes of cabooses in the late 1800, early 1900s? My ‘X’ series Southern cabooses are much too modern for this engine and it’s little 36 foot box cars.
Jarrell
Jarrell;
Southern had 4 wheel bobbers too! Most were gone by the 1930’s. Ye Old Huff & Puff has a good one as a kit. Its also available in SRR.
Bachmann also sells bobbers is multiple roads and colors RTR.
Yer’caboose is to big!!..yeh’ mine too!!
I did a little quick research and found that as early as 1876 cabooses were configured about like we usually think of them: 2 trucks, cupola, etc. They were made of wood, but they were familar in size and shape.
However, if you just want to go small…
It’s smaller than a bobber, shall we call it a bobette?
The coupler draft gear boxes almost touch on this little baby. If I remember right, Kadee manufactured the kit.
So probably, by 1900… cabooses were around 35 feet. Thanks Shayfan.
Jarrell
Jarrell:
Just a thought, but Ye Olde Huff n’ Puff makes a little 25-footer cupola caboose (it’s an ex-Silver Streak kit) that might work. It’s based on a Great Northern prototype, but it’s cute as a button.
Tom [:D]
Hi Jarrell,
Actually, the first “conductor’s cars” were boxcars commandeered for use as rolling offices. By the 1850s someone had the bright idea to cut a hole in the roof, and by the 1860s those holes had cupolas over them to keep out the elements (and cinders).
The Southern went through the same progression as everyone else: bobbers, short wood, LONG wood, steel, and finally bay window cabooses. Here’s a decent online photo collection.
http://southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/caboose/caboose.html
And cabooses weren’t always short. 22-foot bobbers were purpose built, but most boxcar conversions would have been in the 30’-32’ range. Here’s a couple of pages with plans for inspiration:
http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924032183513#page/n245/mode/2up
http://www.archive.org/stream/carbuildersdict00assogoog#page/n265/mode/2up
I picked up this scratchbuilt example up at a swapmeet a few months ago, but although it says Southern, It almost definitely isn’t…and what’s with the brakewheel facing outwards.
Jon
Jarrell, good thing, I was going to tell you to lay off all that “Junk” food and “Beers”
In 1909 (IIRC) the Minnesota state legislature passed a law that by 1911 all cabooses had to be at least 24’ long and have at least two four-wheel trucks. Many railroads that had four wheel “bobber” cabooses combined two of them into one larger caboose and added trucks to them. Many of the classic Missabe Road wood cabooses (like the Walthers model) were made that way.
Not that the Southern served Minnesota of course, but kinda gives you an idea what people were thinking at that time. From pics I’ve seen, it wasn’t unusual for a caboose about the size of say the Roundhouse 3-window wood caboose to be used. I guess you’d have to check back into Southern Ry. history and see what their old cabooses looked like, most likely someone makes one “pretty close” to what you need in plastic (kit or RTR).
Reading used small 4 wheel bobber cabooses well past the turn of the 20th century. Even after construction and delivery of the 8-wheel ‘northeast standard’ cabooses started, the bobbers remained in service.
–Randy
These plywood cabooses were 41 feet, 6 inches or so. Former 40 foot boxcars.
Rich
Thank you for the reply with the links, Orsonroy. I should be able to educate myself better now.
Jarrell
Well Jon, it’s a little beauty but I’m with you on the brake wheel. If you come across the answer let us know.
Jarrell
Jarrell, just a hunch, but what if that there is one of the boxcar rebuilds? Teh brake wheel would be in a good spot to have been put there for a freight car, and when they rebuilt the caboose, maybe thwey didn’t bother with inverting the wheel assembly?
It is not my caboose that is too big.
Nope, don’t have to worry about that.
It is my spare tire I have to worry about.
That’s a good explanation! And that makes it all the more unique that the brake wheel would have been left in its original position. How 'bout that!
Jarrell
My Caboose Is Too Big!
BTW, should your wife phrase this as a question, the answer is NO!
Jim