Scratchbuilt Caboose

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

After getting lots of styrene sheets and strips at the LHS, I started work on a small transfer caboose for the mill. Here it is as of now.

I’m basing it off of a caboose pictured in Dean Freytag’s The History, Making, and Modelling of Steel. So far I have about 3 hours of work in it. The trucks are an Eastern Car Works kit that I found in the 50% off bow at the LHS. It will be painted blue with a black roof to really make it stand out. I still have to add the endsills, handrails, grabs, stirrups, brake gear, and rivets.

Thanks for looking. I’ll post updatesd on progress as I finish the car.

2

Chad

Nice work! There is some great satisfaction when you get something like this done. Are you working from drawings or is this your own design? I have been looking for some drawings of these transfer cabooses to build a couple of my own.

Dan Pikulski

www.DansResinCasting.com

3

Nice job! Thats looks great!

4

Looks like a good start …Hope to see more photos when you get finished…Here is a transfer caboose That I kit bashed in N scale…I think they make interesting models and not often seen…Cox 47

5

chadw & cox 47, great job!

chadw: can’t wait till its done!

6

Good start, Chad. I look forward to seeing some more photos when you get it finished.

Here’s a shot I took some years ago of a CN transfer caboose:

Wayne

7

I’m basing the model off of a picture but making it up as I go along. I dont have drawings for it. The side handrails are on the car now. I’ll post more pics when the end rails are done.

8

Here’s the caboose with handrails installed and still wet primer.

Here’s an end veiw showing the open door.

thanks again for looking. All thats left now is paint and some detailing.

9

Here’s a transfer caboose that I kitbashed a few months ago.

10

Hi!

Just a thought… Why not get an Athearn blue box caboose kit and use the base/frame? That would take care of the truck bolsters, stairs, etc. and assure the couplers/trucks are all aligned and will perform as they should. Of course you would then be kit-bashing rather than purely scratch building, but that’s OK!

Mobilman44

11

Some Transfer caboose were made on 40 foot box car frames and the box car body was cut down still keeping the 40 foot length…Con Rail had some that came from the NYC I think… I remeber one that worked the local here that didn’t have any windows at all…Cox 47

12

Good work with those cabeese!

My first scratch build caboose was a Track Cleaning Transfer Caboose. I’ve made the car from brass.

This was a Red Caboose flat car which got a MOLOCO kit:

Wolfgang

13

Dumb question time. What is a “Transfer Caboose” Caboose I know, this I don’t. And please don’t tell me it goes at the end of the train ;-)…

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A caboose used on locals and short runs…Cox 47

15

A caboose is like a moving home for the train crew with beds, a stove, and other supplies inside. A transfer caboose was usually just a shelter on a frame sometimes heated, sometimes not. It was used as a place for the crew to ride on and get out of the weather. They would be used on locals or short transfer runs from yard to yard.

BTW the model is painted now. I don’t have pics yet but if you imagine the earlier primer pics in blue with a black roof, you’ll get the idea.

16

Ah. ok!.. Thanks. Had to go fishing for this thread. I forgot were I was when I read it.