Transfer Cabooses (Cabeese)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’ve long been a fan of transfer cabooses. Somewhere in my files I have LOTS of pics of this big variety of cars. And I have a number of them as well as kits for them, as well as flat cars, and other cars that might be kit-bashed into them.

So it was with an admiring eye that I spotted this one at a train show this weekend. Had to have it, whether it was prototypical or not.

a few more photos

…even storage boxes and cut levers

2

“Had to have it, whether it was prototypical or not.”
I believe this is a promotional transfer caboose done for these guys (Ocala Model Railroaders), a group founded in 1996 (hence the reporting mark).
Model itself seems to be the Bluford Shops transfer caboose.

3

Ya gotta say that is one sharp lookin caboose!

4

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And I decided not to go to the train show this past weekend. Good find.

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I am looking forward to the ZitNik parking lot sale in a few weeks in St. Petersberg. That should be a show where I part with a few $$$ too many.

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-Kevin

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5

Is that a pretty good ‘show’?

I have an old friend who lives over that way, so perhaps a combo trip would be called for.

6

It looks like a bobber transfer caboose. Did you do that when you posted or did the forum software squish it?

7

I think you are correct,…thanks for recognizing that

8

I usual reduce my images to 800 pixels wide for other websites, and this forum site seems to make smaller dimensions,…so it gets squished up a little. I can’t take the time to make it smaller for this site that does not even host images itself, but rather relies on links to other internet host.

9

I’ve only monkey’d with the pixels once or twice when I wanted to post a cute picture that nobody needed to see larger

I have posted long narrow pics and they came out fine. There is a picture testing site on trains.com, for anyone feels the need to test how your pic will appear in the forum.

http://cs.trains.com/trc/f/2/t/267774.aspx

BTW That’s a great looking caboose.

edit: The forum does it automatically,

http://cs.trains.com/trc/f/2/t/272430.aspx

I belong to another forum, that will store pics, but doesn’t do anything to size. Some high resolution pics, you need 3 monitors to see the whole thing.

10

Brian,

When you manually reduce the width of your photos for your photo-hosting site, does it simultaneously reduce the height?

Tom

11

Sometimes there is a checkbox that has to be clicked that says “constrain proportions” or words to that effect. This will automatically reduce the height as you reduce the width.

Good Luck, Ed

12

Some photo editing programs also give the option of reducing images by a certain percentage and this will keep the right proportions. Adobe Photoshop Elements is one.

Nice to know that custom runs of the Bluford Shops car can be made. I still have a Rail Yard Models kit tucked away.

13

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I do not know. I have never been to this one before. I have just become tired of all the same old dealers every couple of weeks at the “Regal Railways” shows.

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-Kevin

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14

If someone simply clicks on those photos I posted, the image comes up in true size/proportion,…at least it does for me.

I use an image software called IrfanView. Its free and its easy to use.
https://www.irfanview.com/

You can adjust the image size in pixels or mm or inches, and you can do it in proportion or with individual dimensions. You can also adjust colors and focus.

Another item I found handy is I can left click ‘copy’ on one of those posted photobucket images (or is it ‘right click’), and then ‘paste’ it into Irfanview blank screen, then play with it size and colors, then save it as a jpeg image on my computer. I previously had problems saving photobucket images (they acted like they were saving, but then you could not open them up)

15

Indeed, the scaling issue is the forum’s fault, as it’s trying to cram a wide picture into a significantly narrower box.

16

But a lot of readers may never do that and what I am seeing above are yucky squished photo’s.

Back on topic; D&RGW didn’t have anything like these chopped down cabooses, but they did use cabooses in transfer service but they were just ordinary D&RGW cabooses IIRC, just designated for yard or transfer service (probably some things about the caboose configuration were different than road cabooses.

17

Bluford Shops makes a very good model of a Mopac “shorty” caboose. It looks like a transfer caboose, but it was a road caboose in the modern era.

18

RailFest in Palatka

I just just over at ‘RailFest’ in Palatka. FL yesterday morning. [show link removed by moderator]

The Ocala Model Railroad Club was there with a portion of their n scale modules. There was also one table with some HO gear on it,…along with 2 of those transfer cabeese, new in their boxes. I didn’t ask of their prices as I already had one.

…back to work now on my ‘metal benchwork’…got some hung yesterday,…went pretty quick once I sorted out which pieces for what locations.

19

I once bought a Red Caboose flatcar and Moloco transfer caboose conversion. I never built it, and have since decided to part ways with them.
Fuzzy

Thanks for reminding me of that kit . I think I have a few of these.

https://www.molocotrains.com/products/3001?variant=6859709572

…and here is the construction of one of those kits…
http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/how-to-building-a-rail-yard-caboose-kit.39225/

20

Wonder why you removed show link? It really was a rail event more than a show??

What I was really trying to do is link up that ‘club site’ in Palatka as they had some interesting info on the 2 layouts they house permanently in the rail station (active one) they have there. Never knew that existed to the extent it was.