Nickel Plate Road - Caboose colour scheme

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Help please - would appreciate information on NKP caboose colour scheme used during the late 1930s to the end of the steam era. This data has been rather hard to come by here in Kiwi and is needed to go with an N-gauge Berkshire.

Thanks, NelsonH

2

I think I have exactly what you need!

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/aai.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/afk.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/aft.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Prototype%20Train%20Photos/Captured2006-6-24.jpg

These are all from around that timeframe I believe. Hope it helps!

3

Hi Nelson,

The first Nickel Plate caboose to wear the “Nickel Plate High Speed Service” slogan was no. 1076, repainted at Conneaut, Ohio, in August 1946. The slogan became the standard for NKP cabooses, but it took a year or so before all were repainted – some 1947 photos show cabooses without the slogan.

Note that the stripe along the top of the carbody was a very light gray, not white as sometimes represented on models or incorrect historical restorations.

So long,

Andy

4

Oh man! There I go learning something again.

I’ve really gotta stop this habit.

Thanks for the clarification Andy!

5

G’day Andy,

Many thanks for reply which has provided quite a challenge to come up with a realistic match. Your name is known to me over some years through various articles in the Model Railroader magazine and I still have references in use that I gained from articles saved from time to time. Needless to say, in modelling American outline (Santa Fe being to the forefront due to the first loco I bought being an 0-6-0 s/back Bachmann switcher that still performs well after 30 years or so which carried that brand) I have been quite lucky in what info has been forthcoming out here.

Thanks once again for the info provided.

Nelson

6

Hi Nelson,

Andy and Philip have given you some good information, but it’s incomplete. Here’s the story behind the NKP’s caboose roster from about 1930 to 1958 in a nutshell.

In 1930, the NKP was running four types of cabooses, 1000-1208, 46-147, 212-253, and 255-292. The 1000-series cabooses were the road’s standard long wood cabs, in use from the first day of operations to the last. 46-147 were smaller cabooses inherited with the 1924 absorption of the LE&W. 212-253 were cabooses absorbed with the takeover of the TStL&W (Clover Leaf), also in 1924. Finally, 255-292 was a series of older NKP cabooses bought along with the 1000 series cabs, and which didn’t last much past 1940.

During WWII, the NKP added two series of cabooses to the roster, the 1250-1276 and 1343-1399. The 1250s were former C&O cabooses bought secondhand to relieve the NKP’s WWII caboose shortage. The 1340s were home built cabooses converted from 38’ double sheathed boxcars.

In 1949, the NKP leased the W&LE, and added two more caboose series to their roster, the 700-760 and 826-918. 826-918 were old Wheeling wood cabooses, while the 700s were brand new all-steel cabs built by the Wheeling (and which were the NKP’s first steel cabooses).

In 1952, the NKP built a single steel bay-window caboose, number 400. The car was based on modified 700 plans, and toured the NKP to gain employee input.

In 1954, the NKP built another 25 700-series steel cabooses, numbers 761-784.

Between 1955 and 1960, the NKP built 401-450, which were modified versions of 400.

Finally, and af

7

Some of the ex-TStL&W cabooses were rebuilt from old wooden boxcars. Sometime in the mid 1940’s TRAINS MAGAZINE did an article on the NKP and it included a small photo of a ex-TStL&W 200 series caboose rebuilt from a boxcar trailing a freight on the former Clover Leaf. The Clover Leaf was always tight on funds so I’m sure saving a few bucks on a conversion, rather than buying new, was appreciated by management.