Hi, I am new to the board, and just getting started back into the hobby as a grown-up. I used to only have Tyco and Bachmann stuff as a kid as many of us did (or so I gather). I own a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation (B&O). I want to build a layout on a hypothetical prototype on a Maryland interchange...at around 1948... I have been searching for a Caboose (we all need at least one caboose right?)... of the "bay-window" style. No luck... every online store I see is out of stock or the model is discontinued...I've spent hours searching MD woo woo woo, and Brooklyn Model Trains, etc... Is there anyone out there selling one of these guys? In fact, at this point, I will take ANY style caboose that is B&O and would fit my proto... And does anyone make a decent SW1 switcher? Same paint? Thanks!!!
As far as an accurate B&O caboose, unfortunately there is nothing out there RTR. There are plenty of Santa Fe style offset coupola cabooses out there with B&O slapped on the side. There was also a bay window offered by Wathers at one point that could pass for a later B&O bay window. The best thing on the market is the JNJ Wagontop Kit. It is a resin kit that will require trucks, couplers, decals and some work. It makes a nice caboose when done. Right now I think they are out of stock though. We ran out a few weeks ago at the shop and I don't know when more will be available. These are a couple of the JNJ kits completed. Given time, I expect Athearn to do a version of their SP bay window in B&O paint. It won't be perfect but it will work for more modern style bay window. For the older wood caboose, there really isn't anything out there. The closest in shape is the older Life Like NE caboose, although it is steel. The LifeLike has been offered in B&O paint before. Atlas will probably do a version of their Trainman C&O caboose in B&O colors at some time. Others that I have: Old Camden and Amboy resin kit heavily rebuilt into a Wagontop: A wooden I-1 kit from Fox Valley Models that never officially was released: Here is the JNJ kit before paint and assembly:
Forgot the SW-1 question. No SW-1 in N right now. LifeLike had SW8/9/1200 (pretty much all the same model marked differently) that runs pretty well. Walthers as not decided to re-run them for a bit though. The Kato NW2 is of the right vintage but only comes in Chessie paint. Other offerings.. Bachmann and Atlas both offer H16-44's in B&O paint. The Bachmann is the earlier scheme and phase. LifeLike has done an SD9 in decent B&O transition era paint. Bachman offers a USRA 0-6-0 that makes a great D-30 switcher with a little paint and swapping one of the better all wheels live tender on to it. Before (was an undec that I decaled for B&O) After (tender swap with a shell from an old Atlas/RR 0-8-0 switcher)
Mark, You are right on the phase. I typed too fast without checking. It should read the Bachmann matches more of the B&O transition era units better. http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?september05/09-01-05/B+O_FM_RSF-11C_925-left_side.jpg The B&O only had 2 of the early phase H16-44's and Atlas has done them in both versions. Both numbers of the early 906 and 906, later renumbered to 6700 and 6701. B&O had 8 of the later phase loco's. The original 3 were 925, 926, 927. In 1957 5 more were added and all inluding the 2 early phase loco's were renumbered into the 6700 series, 6700 through 6709
Thanks for the replies... Regarding the caboose... I will prob buy a RTR model and repaint. Can someone recommend a good paint color to match? Either Testors Model Master, or some other generally available spray would be great please... Regarding the loco. I am very attached to the idea of a late 1940's switcher. Is there a body kit blank to match that Kato SW1? I am fond of the Kato equipment... The other option was a 44-Tonner? Being on DC, the Bachmann (which is DCC ready), seems overkill... Is there something else out there aside from that one? (thanks again for the replies... I am chock-full of questions)...
Caboose color - I use either Floquil Polly Scale Caboose Red or Model Master Insignia Red. The base color you paint the red over has a lot to do with the result. The two I-12 wagontops pictured above were both shot with Insignia red but the weathered looking one was shot directly over gray resin while the lighter car was shot over white primer. Switcher - The Bachmann 44T is an excellent loco. Well worth the purchase. It will run on DC or DCC and the DCC in it is fairly transparent when running on DC. It will crawl a tie at a time on DC or DCC. The Also S1, 2, 3, 4 are really missing from N and hopefully will be made at some time. An SW-1 is a little smaller than the SW8/9 and would be harder to do a kitbash. There is always Randy and his critters. The Bachmann 44T might be a closer starting point for an SW-1 and it is a good mechanism to boot. There have been some conversions using bashed LifeLike SW shells on the NW2 frame but nothing manufactured yet. The Kato NW2 may not one of their better mechanisms. There are quite a few reports of gear slipping on the shafts and the loco's loosing drive. It is a very creative drive train but the additional gear reduction is where they drive slips in some cases.
My two cents worth - I have a JNJ kit, but still haven't gotten around to painting it. In the meantime, I have a couple of the older Con-Cor bay windows that came in the B&O scheme standing in until there is a better option. I'm not much of a kit-basher or scratch builder, and I have the feeling we'll be waiting a long time before we see a B&O prototype bay window...
So strange considering that model was sort of the B&O signature caboose... or so I reckon from the brief research I have been doing... I might have to go the route of the resin model... I have a lot of painting experience (plastic and resin models and miniatures), but not running gear assembly... but it might be worth a try... thanks again!
Mark, There in lies the problem. It was a very B&O specific caboose. Nobody else used anthing remotely close to the Wagontop caboose. Manufactures like to make a car that can be sold in multiple paint schemes and road numbers to help recoupe their costs. The wagaontops made it into the Chessie and even barely CSX era so there are plenty of schemes to paint on one, but only for one road. Unlike a freight car, the caboose will only appeal to a B&O fan. It's hard to sell a B&O caboose to a person modeling 1950's Union Pacific but a B&O freight car, just might have made it's way out west. There is a picture of a B&O Wagontop Boxcar being used as a storage shed out west if I remember. The various bay windows out there that have been produced are mostly based on the southern pacific bay windows. The recent offerings from Micro-Trains and Athearn are also based on SP cabooses. Athearn has already said they will produce close enough foobies of other roads on this body style. MT will also. You can look at Athearn's HO version of the bay window caboose to get an idea what you will see in N. Unfortunately that body style is a little late for steam era B&O bay windows. It works better in the Chessie and CSX era.
Do it! It's a very cool caboose! B&O modelers are lucky to have the JNJ model. N&W modelers have nothing, nada, zip! Mark
I follow Skipgear's logic regarding the market for wagontop crummies. But I wonder what the B&O/Chessie/CSX market size is, in this case, in N. Could there be an underestimate of that potential? Could the B&O historical group spearhead an initiative to a firm to consider a R-T-R product using their numbers of members and website hits as evidence of the possible market? After all, if you are running B&O, you won't get just one, but probably in groups of five. Bowsers' entry into the caboose market for N certainly went well. Given, they had a lot of possible uses for the model and went to great lengths to cover as many bases as they could. And the market responded at the $25 price. Heck, even if they just do the body, it will move.
J'n'J has done two runs of these and they were sold before they made it to the train stores. I want some of these, but I can not get them even if I am willing to commit certain crimes to get them. On top of all of that, these are KITS , which, as a rule, are not that popular in N. All of this for a 'road specific' caboose. I do hope that they do another run.
Thank you, The decals are mine. When I first learned of the JNJ's coming out, I contacted them and he sent me the artwork for the original master to use as a template for sizing. The decal sheet was made with the help of a few at the B&O Historical Society. I sell them for $5 a sheet plus $1 to ship. The decal set can be seen here... http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/73168 Here are more shots of the cabooses in process... http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/1205 BM.. I saw your post a while back looking for these and I was all ready to tell you we had some. The next day I went into the shop, somebody had found them and bought all 5 we had left. I am working to get more, we have sold through about 40 of the JNJ kits so far.
JNJ caboose update.... Our shop should have more JNJ Wagontop cabooses after Christmas. I ordered a dozzen Monday and he said they were in process and due in a few weeks. If anybody would like some, let me know and I can beef up the order to compensate.
Atlas made a red steel caboose and walthers made a blue with yellow ends bay window caboose also, if you check ebay I just saw an Atlas B&O red steel caboose (same as pic one) for sale for $4.99. Search N scale ohio and you will find it
The reason you can find the offset (Santa Fe) style caboose for so cheap is that B&O didn't have anything remotely close to them in real life yet they have been made in mass since the early days of N scale. Atlas, Life Like, Bachmann, Model Power and others have all run them, I think I have examples of each. MDC/Athearn has done a wood sided offest cupola caboose that is somewhat close to some older BR&P cabooses that the B&O ended up with eventually. The original poster was asking specifically about the B&O Wagontop caboose which is a very iconic car for modeling the B&O.
Here's the only shot I have handy of one of the Con-Cor's I use as a stand-in for a B&O I-12 (built between 1941-1945) or an I-17 (built 1952-53):
The original post was asking for a "bay window" caboose, did not specify that it has to be a "wagontop". Which is what I have in picture two, these are harder to come by. I also understand that the poster was looking for any caboose to fit his era and I simply tried to help him out the best way I could:tb-wink:
