Hello Forum,
Can anyone tell me what color/type caboose did N&W use during the period they had FM Train Masters doing coal drags?
I have seen a lot of them in red, but saw a blue Atlas caboose with a center cupola about six months ago but can’t seem to find it anywhere tonight.
Thanks,
Bernad
Hello Bernad,
Train Masters came to the N&W with the Virginian merger of 1959, and at that time N&W cabooses were red. Eight addtional H24-66 units that had been re-engined by Alco (16-cyl. 251Bs) came with the Wabash merger in 1964, but those locomotives generally weren’t in coal service. In 1966, all the ex-Wabash units were assigned as hump engines at the former Nickel Plate yard in Bellevue, Ohio.
Also in 1966 is when N&W began painting cabooses blue, although in 1971 the road went back to traditional bright red with the then-new joined “NW” logo. All the Train Masters were retired in 1976 or earlier. So FMs coexisted with red cabooses from '59 to '66, and again from '71 to '76. Between '66 and '71 was the time of blue cabooses, though of course there would have been overlapping older and newer paint schemes at both ends of that span.
So long,
Andy
Hello Andy,
Thanks for the information. If I can pick your brain a little more, do you know how many different classes of caboose that the N&W used? I have always been under the impression that they used either off-set cupola or center cupola. I found out tonight that they used bay window caboose as well. Can you shed any light on that or do you know the time period in which they used the bay window and more important to me, what would have been at the end of a coal drag with a Train Master for motive power?
Thanks,
Bernard
Hello Bernard,
I’m sorry, but while I have a passing interest in the N&W I’m far from an expert on the subject. I couldn’t answer all your questions without spending a fair amount of time on research. For example, there’s a whole book on the subject of N&W cabooses, Cabooses of the Norfolk and Western, by Robert G. Bowers and James F. Brewer, and published by the N&W Historical Society (www.nwhs.org).
I can tell you that the N&W’s bay-window cabooses were mostly ex-Nickel Plate cars, along with a few from the Illinois Terminal. So it appears that the N&W itself always preferred cupolas but picked up some bay window cars in mergers.
The Virginian, the road most of the N&W Train Masters came from, had some steel cabooses that were very similar to one N&W class, the C2s of 1949. Those VGN cars joined the N&W roster in 1959. However, the C2 caboose hasn’t been done as a plastic model as far as I know. Maybe someone here who actually models the N&W will step forward with a suggestion.
Good luck,
Andy
Hi Bernard,
N&W rarely ran the post '64 merger road cabooses east of Ohio until the mid 1970’s, by which time the Train Masters that hadn’t been traded in or turned to slugs were stuck drilling the coal piers at Lambert’s Point. When they were pulling the coal drags, they mostly had the various two-window cupola cabooses from the N&W and VGN. Atlas has the Trainman caboose in HO scale which is close, and it was available decorated for the Virginian. The old MDC Roundhouse two-window caboose is also close, and it is the model that Athearn has RTR in N&W’s post 1966 blue scheme. Prior to 1964, N&W cabooses were red with “NORFOLK AND WESTERN” painted on each side:
From 1964 until 1966, they were still red, but the lettering was in a different font and the “hamburger” herald was added. The colors were changed to the blue scheme in 1966. Painting was only done as the cabooses needed it, so in the late 60’s any of these would be present. If you model pre-'64, a Virginian caboose would also be appropriate.
John
John and Andy,
Thanks for the help!
Bernard
If you are interested in building a ‘kit’ - AMB has a very nice N&W Class CF wood caboose. N&W built over 300 of them with a steel underframe, and it was used through steam & into the diesel era. The AMB kits are laser cut and go together very easy.
Jim