I really want to model one of these, but I have no idea where to start. First, what kind is it, and does anyone make a decent model of it that I could use as a starting point? I could probably manage a little kitbashing if I had to, but it would be my first project so it’d need to be simple.
Any input is appreciated,
Greg
Looks like an old ex-GN or ex-NP car - any numbers or other lettering on it?
Jim
I’d start with an Athearn ATSF steel cupola caboose. Carve off all the side rivet detail, seal up one window on each side, add grabirons and repaint.
The number on the cupola is “1917”. The suggestion of kit bashing the Athearn steel caboose sounds like a good starting point for this project. I was converting a number of cabeese to wood siding using using scribed styrene glued to the side of the car and then cutting out the window configuration that I wanted for a family look to my cabeese. It still involves sanding off the rivets, but reduces the patching of the unwanted windows. just a thought.
Will
Or one could start with an extended vision cupola and shorten the same flush with the car side by trimming material for the middle to get a equa distance on the sides. MR covered such a conversion years ago.
Dave
Or, instead of cutting the cupola up, use the Moloco part 504-1501, the ICC Standard Cupola kit. But I think I’d go with the Athearn ATSF caboose.
I think the Athearn kit bash as you originaly intended, except just cut out the sides, and then cut the appropriate windows in a new side of .020 stryne. The prototype is welded so you’d have no prblem w/ rivets. You might want to check out the prototype for signs of plated over windows if you wanted to make it as original. i’d go along with the NP as prototype, I believe in the 1000 series (having a shorter cupola than the 1200 series) I think the NP cabs had more windows than 2 per side. Any NP fans out there could probably give you some more definitive data.
Cutting out the whole side sounds pretty drastic but would probably be easier than trying to mess w/ the existing side. I made a credible Milw rib side caboose out of an Athearn SP bay window cab and car sides from a Roundhouse Milw rib side box car. The hardest part of the job was cutting out the windows in the thick plastic side. Using .020 stryene should be a piece of cake.
Thanks y’all, I’ll look for that Athearn ATSF. Any suggestions on what to use to seal up the window? The rest of the project sounds easy really. I had a good walkaround of the caboose, and I didn’t notice any obvious patches, but this shortline didn’t have any reason to modify it any, it was used for a short-lived passenger excursion, probably for a year or two, and has sat where it is in the pic since then.
JimRice: Good idea, but I think I would rather seal up what’s there, I’ve had some bad experiences with trying to cut straight lines in styrene, but that’s waht trim is for on buildings, right?
Thanks,
Greg
This looks to me like you’d be kitbashing a kitbashed prototype. [:D]
As for making straight cuts in styrene:
Finally, don’t watch me or look too closely at my results. I’m not real patient. [oops]
Chuck
The only GN cabooses that had non-symetrical rear windows were wooden. I would guess the same for NP as they usually played copy-cat. I would guess CN or Soo for an original prototype.
The caboose in question is a former NP 900 series caboose-originally
built in 1954-then rebuilt and renumbered in 1968 to 10900 series.
The NP and SP&S had an older, similar in appearance group of cars
but the end railings and platforms identify this one. To my knowledge,
the only decent models of these cars were done in brass, probably
by Overland. For other pictures of these cars look in the Del Grosso
book: “BN Caboose Book” Hope this helps.
I looked at Athearn’s website to try and find one fo the ATSF cabooses in question, but nothing I found matched the one I need. Now its off to ebay to see what I can find there.
Thanks,
Trainwreck