checked ebay but i cant seem to find a decent HO small wood caboose. There are tons of athearn “santa fe” style caboose but very little wood caboose. i just need a cheap little one so i can tag it to my 70 tonner and operate safely [:)] could that be a good scrathbuilding project?? wondering if anyone has link or MR back issues with article on bashing a simple wood caboose
thanks
You might want to try jumping forums into the Pull Out Plans forum under Garden Railways section. There’s a few topics on plan #78 - a wood caboose. The gauge is obviously wrong for HO but the pictures will give you ideas. Either that or do as I did and guess the dimensions (based on a 40’ base) and scratch your own car.

This car is a little further on now having trucks and kadee couplers, but as yet, no detailing parts.
Hope this helps,
Ian
Bachmann did a plastic four-wheel bobber several years ago in their “silver series”. These are reasonably nice models that I think would be quite appropriate, and I see them around at train shows and on E-Bay. Ye Olde Huff n Puff also had a series of semi-craftsman wood caboose kits that would be good, but it appears to me that they have closed shop.
Walthers offers “wood” cabooses in both 3 and 4 window variety. They are standard size (about 34’) but are pretty nice, I have 2.
Rick
The Athearn “Bobber” is an inexpensive solution that with a few customizing touchs looks good on the end of a short local freight, logging or mining train. A bit more expensive is Kadee’s logging caboose - see http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page128.htm. If you want a two truck caboose, you may be able to find a Roundhouse Wood Caboose (Item 1-108 for CPR)
Both short cabooses appear in the Grizzly Northern photos at modelrailroadphotos.com
There are DOZENS of wood cabooses on the market.
AMB: http://www.laserkit.com/laserkit.htm 24 different models
Funaro & Carmelengo: http://www.fandckits.com/ 10 different models
Walthers: http://www.walthers.com/ eight different models
Grandt Line: http://www.grandtline.com/model_railroad/rolling_stock_and_locos.htm one HOn3 caboose
Bethlehem Car Works: http://www.bethlehemcarworks.com/Products/index.html Nine different models
Precision Scale: http://www.precisionscaleco.com/ three different HOn3 cabooses
The Shops: http://www.buzzhos.monon.org/boas.html six different models
Westerfield: http://www.westerfield.biz/ Seven different models
Kadee: http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page31.htm one logging caboose
Atheran/Roundhouse: http://www.roundhousetrains.com/Products/RollingStock/Default.aspx three different models
The list goes on…
I use a wood bobber kit made by Ye Olde Huff"n Puff.
I run “wood bobbers” on my Sawyer Lumber RR line. The two types that I have are the Kadee, a very nice little kit made of plastic and the Ye Olde Huff’ n Puff’ which is a bit more “craftsman” and a wood kit. Both are very nice and not all that difficult to assemble.
All though my “Huff’ n Puff” bobber is pretty old and I did hear the they went out of business…I’ve also heard that they are back in business!
I forgot to mention in my post…
Ian, I like you handy work! Is that a prototype of a work caboose /switching caboose…? And what time frame would it be from?