Hey guys - and gals. I was recently given an N scale Atlas Southern Pacific bay window caboose by one of my fellow model railroaders. The problem is it’s missing the radio antenna dish or disk on the roof, and with me being a detail nut it’s driving me crazy!. Can anyone out there tell me what this part looked like originally so that I might try and make a new one for it. All that’s left of the original is a single post sticking up that’s about one eighth of an inch high and a small hole about an eighth of an inch away from it in the roof…
I probably should have just posted this link in the first place, but there are plenty of pics to be found here. Also be sure to check out the link to the other caboose photo site on the below page…
Thanks a million csmith9474. That helps a lot. I was actually hoping that someone that owns one of these N scale cabooses might come forward and explain what the part looked like, but if not I’ll use these pictures as a guide to make one as best that I can.
I don’t know if they are available in N scale (I am an HO guy), but I have seen these parts in HO made from photo etched brass. Here is a link to that part
Thanks again Smitty. The link will come in handy down the road when I start working on some of my other rolling stock that’s missing parts, but I think I’ve got this problem solved. I think I can use a wheel and part of the axel off of an old Bachmann automobile as a stand in, but it seems to me that the original part may have been an upside-down “V” shape with the dish sitting on top with a single pole going from the center of the dish back down to the roof. From the photos I’ve seen that you provided of the prototype, the dish is actually sitting on top of a small pipe and has four supports going north, south, east and west (sorry for lack of a better way to describe it). Anyway, I’ll keep widdling at it until I get it right.
I understand what you are trying to say (I think). You originally thought that there was only two supports, but now realize that there are actually four? Anyhow, glad to help, EVEN THOUGH you are an N scaler!![:)][:o)][;)]
No brother railroader… The part actually is only an upside down V with the dish on top and is black - which I just found out a few minutes ago. The real thing on the real caboose is the one with four supports to it with a pipe in the center. Once again, thanks for helping a poor old “lowly” N scaler.
I hope you know I was jokin’ around. I ain’t like that. After a few beers, it all looks the same to me anyhow.
As well as being a fellow model railroader, you are also a fellow Texan (I am currently displaced because of the Air Force), so I am always glad to help. Did you see what the UP did in San Antonio?
I knew you were just giving me a hard time. We’re cool. Because of your help I got my project finished and behind me and can now move on to other things… And yes I did see the UP wreck on the news. Hard to believe but also glad no one was hurt. I know some people that live close to the tracks here in town and always think about the possibility of something like that happening to them. One of the neighbors that witnessed the San Antonio wreck said that there are trains through that area every 30 to 40 minutes and that they’re always traveling way too fast.