Cabooses (Cabeese?) for new Steam Engines

sumfred Mar 2, 2015

  1. sumfred

    sumfred TrainBoard Member

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    :( Now that we have all these new Steam engines (Bachmann 2-8-8-4, 2-8-4, ect.) I found that there are no matching steam era cabooses for the roads offered.
    Not that I would like a Bachmann caboose, but the other manufacturers don't seem to have matching cabooses. (It took over 2 years before a matching B&O wagon top caboose appeared for the 2-8-8-4.) I did manage to secure a Pere Marquette Trainman caboose (long sold out) from an online dealer for my still to be purchased 2-8-4. I know that there are kits out there for diverse roads, but no ready to run models. Is this something that I am just missing or have you guys also noticed this.
    Fred
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2015
  2. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    The caboose often had a extreme long life stretching from the steam era in the 1920s on into the diesel era of about the late 1960s. A number of wood cabooses received steel under frames and various other upgrades over their years. Even the two axle bobbers ended up having a few feet added to them and two axle trucks slid under them and some soldiered on until the late fifties. Both Atlas and MicroTrains have had quite a few renditions of different classes in both steel body and wood body configurations and they would be the folks I would turn to for a ready to run version. It doesn't matter whether they are wood from the 1920s or steel from the early 1950s as both could be found behind steam in the later years. Just a 1960s built or later would not fit.
     
  3. sumfred

    sumfred TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for info, John, but unfortunately for the roads being manufactured in the steam engines, there are no matching cabooses available at the moment, either they are out of production and thus no longer available or to recent (i.e to modern). I have searched all popular manufacturers and only found one Pere Marquette Trainman caboose that had been long out of production. First encountered the problem with the advent of the B&O EM1, -- no B&O caboose anywhere until Fox Valley came along.
    I just thought it might be an idea that the engine manufacturer would provide a matching caboose at the same time.
    This would come in handy especially if one does not have any other engines from that road (and therefore no caboose) and would just like to run a proper consist.
    Fred
     
  4. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    There used to be some engine and caboose sets, no cars, sold back when. You could pick up a matching road name caboose and either steam or diesel loco. At least you could in HO and I believe there was the same in N scale for awhile.
     
  5. rogergperkins

    rogergperkins TrainBoard Member

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    Frankly, as a modeler of B&O, I am delighted to have the earlier era FVM wagon top cabooses even though they came 2 years after the EM-1 appeared. I started in n-scale about 1973-74, and the only steam locomotive I could find was a 2-8-2 in an Atlas set. I am not bothered by the fact these FVMs are not totally era specific. I am pleased they were released. The era issue does not diminish my enjoyment of running the B&O trains.
     
  6. robert3985

    robert3985 TrainBoard Member

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    I'm a big caboose fanatic.

    When I first started out in N-scale in the late 70's, there was only two cabooses that were anywhere close to a UP caboose available, and each one of them had problems.

    They were the ubiquitous Kadee (now Micro Trains) "Wooden Caboose" which is pretty close to a UP Harriman Era CA wooden caboose (but with incorrect end platform details and trucks), and the old Revell/Mintrix caboose, which was modeled after an 19th century Non-Standard UP wooden caboose with the wrong sized siding, really bad end details and incorrect trucks.

    Several brass models came out by Hallmark and Overland. The Hallmark models came in two styles (1) a "UP Riveted Caboose" and a (2) "UP Welded Caboose". The "riveted" caboose was totally incorrect, but the "welded" caboose was pretty close in some details to the UP CA-8/CA-9 series of cabooses introduced in 1965. Here's a before-and-after pair of pics of their "UP Welded Caboose" in pure stock form and after I did much modification and adding of scratchbuilt details:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Overland's brass UP cabooses were pretty good, and included an early CA-3, a later CA-3, a CA-4, CA-5, and a CA-6, with correct trucks, rivet details and pretty close end-platform details. I picked up at least one of each and found out they rolled like bricks.

    Sometime in there, a company named Goldenwest Models (long out of business) introduced a pretty crude injection molded kit of a UP CA-3/CA-4, with really funky trucks, and very minimal underbody detailing, but the carbody itself was pretty good. I bought a couple of dozen of these models. Here's a photo of one of 'em being modified:
    [​IMG]

    Then, Intermountain Railway bought out Goldenwest Models and did some improvement on the trucks, and started selling UP CA-3's and CA-4's all assembled and painted up...but they still didn't have the early wooden beam Q-trucks...still no joy...I haven't bought a single one.

    Overland introduced a full line of steel UP cabooses with much better detailing and also painted, but I was in the midst of assembling my Goldenwest Models CA-3's, CA-4's superdetailing them and kitbashing CA-5's from the car sides with kitbashed roof panels and scratchbuilt end platform details.

    Sometime about three years ago, I was browsing around on the Shapeways site and came upon a designer who was modeling and printing 19th century Civil War and later cars and trucks. He had one called "CB&Q 5' Truck" which was for late 19th Century passenger cars and cabooses...and they were nearly identical to the UP wooden-beam Q-trucks...but with exceptionally fine details!! Much better than any injection molded truck I had ever seen before....with the wooden end-beam hangars for the outboard brake shoes that are so evident in photos of UP cabooses during the steam era. FINALLY! I ordered up a batch of 'em!

    What does this long dissertation mean? That even one of the most modeled roads (UP) has only one plastic RTR caboose available that is a pretty exact model (the Intermountain Railway CA-3/CA-4), and one plastic model (Micro-Trains "wooden caboose") that is semi-close to a Harriman Era UP CA, and can be kitbashed into a really nice CA-1 if you wanna take the time to do it right. All the rest of UP's 20th Century steam era steel cabooses have been available as brass models, and only one kit...and until three years ago, the correct trucks for CA-1's, CA-3's and CA-4's simply were not available...it's been over 30 years and the selection is still sparse. The most common UP caboose..the wooden CA-1, has never been available in N-scale either as a kit, an RTR model or in brass.

    Here's my first attempt at kitbashing a UP CA-1 from two Micro Trains "Wooden Cabooses"...with a lot of added details, including the Panamint Models/Eric Cox Q-trucks in FUD:
    [​IMG]

    I have several, more correct ones on the bench right now, but this one has served my layout well for a while:

    I would certainly be willing to pay extra for a steam engine if it included a correct caboose for the road in the box, but I doubt any manufacturer of plastic RTR engines and rolling stock is gonna do that, although I think it's a damn good idea! A couple of brass importers have done it...specifically the big Yellowstone steam engine and its attendant caboose, and the #1 GTEL Turbine with dual tenders and a steel UP caboose in the box.

    In the meantime, I keep my eyes peeled for brass Overland UP cabooses, and feel badly that TrainCat never produced its planned etched brass UP CA-1 kit. Here's a photo of the UP Mainline on my layout with a couple of old Overland cabooses going west in Wilhemina Pass:
    [​IMG]

    Many modelers of other roads end up doing the exact same things that I have done, and a two-year wait to me doesn't seem like something to complain about!

    Back to the workbench!

    Cheerio!
    Bob Gilmore
     
  7. ntbn1

    ntbn1 TrainBoard Member

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    I would encourage you to try to repaint a close prototype to meet your needs. There is a good chance there are decals for the road you need. Today's paints can be brushed with good results. Airbrushing is still the best, but for a first effort try the brush to see if you enjoy the process. If you want to add road specific details you can. If you search hard enough you might find a prototype to match your model.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  8. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    I have no idea if this caboose style could be modified to fit your circumstances. Bowser is rarely mentioned as a manufacturer, but they produce some excellent products.
     
  9. sumfred

    sumfred TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for all the helpful hints, but having converted over 50 steamers to DCC and most with sound, I wanted just to relax and not have to start converting cabeese.
    Fred
     
  10. kmcsjr

    kmcsjr TrainBoard Member

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    Sorry, I"m not so good with prototypes. Is the Atlas Cupola caboose appropriate for yhe 2-8-4?
     
  11. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    This one by Atlas was originally built in 1937 and the same type was rostered by Pere Marquette and C&O. So it would be of the right era to be behind a Berk.
    [​IMG]
     
  12. rogergperkins

    rogergperkins TrainBoard Member

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    Wish Atlas would have done this in Baltimore and Ohio. I guess an undecorated version or remove lettering on this one could be a stand-in, too.
     
  13. Kenneth L. Anthony

    Kenneth L. Anthony TrainBoard Member

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    Shameless commercial plug for myself. I have an old Arnold Rapido ca 1970 N-scale caboose lettered A.T.&S.F. incorrectly, that is actually more or less a model of a Union Pacific CA-1 wood caboose. For sale on eBay cheap. Would take paint, lettering and coupler replacements but might not be out of place on a UP steam freight.
     
  14. kmcsjr

    kmcsjr TrainBoard Member

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    There are 4 on that pay site in pere marquette
     
  15. robert3985

    robert3985 TrainBoard Member

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    I have at least two of 'em still in the original boxes and they are not CA-1's...they're late 1800's Non-Standard cabooses and with some fixin' up would look okay behind UP steam up until the mid 1940's...but seldom behind big mainline superpower such as Big Boys, Challengers, FEF's, or TTT's. Consolidations or MacArthurs (Mikados) would be appropriate.

    The color wouldn't be Armour Yellow, but would be Oxide Red...or Freight Car Red, with white lettering, with the trucks painted the same color. By the time UP started painting their cabooses Armour Yellow, almost all of the wooden framed non-standard CA's had been retired. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of one of 'em in Armour Yellow.

    Replacing the original trucks with MT "Caboose" trucks would be correct as the wooden beamed Q-trucks were stolen from these older cabooses and applied to CA-1's and CA-3's & CA-4's in mainline service because of the superior ride.

    The MT "Wooden Caboose" is modeled after an SP prototype, but in the research I've done, they are pretty close to some UP CA's. The main difference between them and most prototype CA's is the brakewheel and the end-platform steps. UP converted most of their Harriman Era steel-framed CA's to have an extra step on each side of the ends, but they retained their vertical brakewheel, neither of which is featured on the MT "Wooden Caboose".

    An easy way to get these to look almost correct without a lot of work, is to paint the top of the cupola and the carbody roof Oxide Red, carefully pick out the grabs with "Caboose Red" glossy paint, and removed, clean and paint the ladder/railing castings flat black, then paint them glossy "Caboose Red" to get rid of the translucent red quality. Also paint the platform and the steps Armour Yellow, then pick out the tops of the steps and the wooden end platform in Maroon. If you want to do it, remove the stock body mounted N-scale coupler and install an MT Z-scale coupler. The running boards are too thick, but if you remove them, and sand their undersides until they're thinner, and glue them onto the roof with Tenax before you paint the roof...this also makes a big difference in looks. Paint the smokejack flat black and put a little grimy black on the top and a touch of "Dirt" and these will look much better. And VERY LAST, order from Shapeways the Panamint Models CB&Q 5' Passenger Car Trucks to really set these models off!

    Here's a photo of one "in-progress" with a sanded running board, Z-scale couplers and the Panamint Models trucks from Shapeways. Even not completely done, these mods make a big difference in the looks of this model:
    [​IMG]

    Some of these cabooses had toolboxes underneath on one side. A good piece of superdetaiing that looks great and installs easily is the Fine N-Scale "Micro Trains Wooden Caboose" interior kit, which also features the underside toolbox...two interiors in the bag. Here's what it looks like:
    [​IMG]

    If your MT "Wooden Caboose" doesn't have windows, MT sells them as a separate part, and they really add to the appearance.

    Cheerio!
    Bob Gilmore
     
  16. rogergperkins

    rogergperkins TrainBoard Member

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    I have added windows to the MTL cabooses which I repainted and lettered for Baltimore and Ohio; probably note per prototype.
    I did not realize commercially manufactured interiors are available for the MTL cars. Does all shown fit within the shell?
     
  17. robert3985

    robert3985 TrainBoard Member

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    Roger, Shown in the photo is the caboose interior, consisting of the cupola seats (joined with a not-noticeable piece of resin) and the main carbody interior. These two pieces go on the inside. Also in the photo is the exterior toolbox which hangs under the carbody and is a perfect fit.

    I've done a couple of SP cabooses for my friend Nate using these components, and they really enhance the appearance, and are prototypically correct.

    Cheerio!
    Bob Gilmore
     
  18. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Is it ironic that we have steam engines for roads but no corresponding cabooses while we have cabooses for railroads for which there is no corresponding steam engines. Specifically I am referring to the Pennsy. Bowser produced 2 separate cabin cars, the N5 and the N5c which have sold out yet there isn't a single Pennsy steamer available. (Note the Minitrix K4 hasn't been produced since 1999 and the BLI M1a, first announced about ten years ago, has yet to be seen.)
     
  19. kmcsjr

    kmcsjr TrainBoard Member

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    Good point Inkaneer
     
  20. TVRR

    TVRR TrainBoard Member

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    Can anyone steer me to era appropriate cabeese for the Southern Railway? Their picture collection shows only wide vision later units, what ones would look right for the 1900~1940 era?
     

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