will the real caboose please be identified???

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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[:0][?][:)] I have two Yellow CP Rail cabooses with the identification number " CP 438861 "…
I have NO IDEA which one is correct/ accurate (nor do I care, just plain curious)… or could one be a renovation of the other??? I believe they are both from starter sets, both are plastic models, neither in perfect shape. Since joining the forum, I’m paying attn to details so here goes:

caboose #1 — off-centre (to rear) rectangle Cab with 1 split window (almost square side by side windows) on each side, two oval windows on each of front and rear Cab sides, roof of Cab is black (without walkway); roof has centre walkway through the length (except over Cab); front and back ends of caboose are identical with centre door and split upper/lower window in door,and matching windows on left / right of door (bit taller than they are wide, oval); the stairs on all 4 corners are straight (not tapered); roof seems to be missing the smoke stack on right side (broken off); the ladders to the roof are on the right side of each of the ends; no “toolbox” storage (see caboose # 2); the sides of the caboose have length-wise rectangular (almost square) windows in each of the corners (ie 4 in total), and the right-side of the caboose also has a small oval (height) window below/ to the rear of the Cab; caboose #1 is slightly shorter (few mm’s) than caboose # 2; imprint on bottom says “Bachman, Hong Kong” (below Bachmann)

caboose # 2 — hexagon Cab (top view) is at the rear of caboose with one sqare window on each of the sides, Cab has two square windows on each of front and rear Cab sides, roof of Cab is yellow (without walkway), roof of caboose has centre walkway over entire length (except over Cab portion) - including short length behind the Cab, on the roof’s right side there is a bent smokestack (perhaps intended to be straight) pointing towards the front of the caboose, smoke stack has a cross-pipe at the top end; front and back ends of caboose are identical with door in centre - an

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what? no takers…? I thought one of you might have a better idea about these cabooses. now I’m not even sure if the # itself is an actual CP caboose #. (perhaps like me, you are all doing research on it - I could hope right?) how do I sent / forward this note directly to the people in the know at MR Mag?
cheers,
ck

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I would guess things got changed so as to be produced cheaper, or if it was the other way around, the # would have been changed too. The less detail would probably be the newer. What’s somebody eles’s opion?

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Some of the companies that make the lower end HO trains such as Bachmann, Life-Like, Model Power, etc. will often do things like this. To save money they have one set of numbers they use for all the cabooses (or other types of cars) of a certain railroad. It just makes them cheaper to manufacturer. I have the two Bachmann CP cabooses that you have, plus a third different one, all with the same number. I have other rolling stock like this as well. In fact, it might not even be a number that really existed on a CP caboose to begin with. If a manufacturer sells a particular car in as many roadnames as they can, they sell more, even if one of the companies never had such a car. So basically, it has no bearing on protoype reality and is just a way to save money and hope that nobody notices or buys both. A good example of manufacturers producing items that never existed is the Docksider 0-4-0ST steam locomotive. Only 4 of these engines were ever built and they all worked for the B.&O. However, you can buy Docksiders in Santa Fe, PRR and NYC. The topic “Fakes…my bete noir” on the forums talks all about this.

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thanks - both of you, much appreciated