Hello, Where can I find pictures of a Piggyback Caboose? I want to paint one, but I have no pictures. Thank you. Russell
Were these the silver cupola ones? There was a thread a couple of months back about them, see this link. It might give you a couple of hints. caboose thread HTH
In the book, SP Official Photography Vol.1, there are 2 shots of #1097 in TOFC silver. Page 120. Thom SP#1
What scale are you going to paint up in the silver? I helped a fellow paint a Lionel caboose and decal it some 20 years ago. We used O scale decals and I have seen HO decals at the hobby shop. Another friend of mine did a HO brass caboose up for his pig train. Greg Elems
HO. I was planning on using an undecorated Athearn cabooose to start. I already have one of those. I just bought a set of Champ decals for this (HC-248). I'll bet your Lionel caboose was lettered with Champ decals, too. I think it would be an interesting addition to the fleet down at the LaMesa club. I am not a member there, but I have six boxcars there that I like to visit now and then. The silver TOFC caboose would be fun, I think. And it would belong on the Tehachapi. Did I spell that right? The car shop there is tough, not only do they weight cars to stay on the track in hundred car trains, the specify how low the center of gravity must be as well, to help prevent cars tipping over. I feel proud of the few cars I have on their railroad. I should make them a couple of old style TOFC flats, too. Russell Hedges
I don't know if this belongs in HO or here, but. I have noticed that the Athearn cupola caboose seems to be of a Santa Fe prototype. To make it more like the TOFC caboose of the SP, I would have to adjust the windows and move the cupola. Or abandon use of the Athearn shell and use an old Roundhouse/MDC metal caboose (With the relocatable cupola). Does anyone know of a drawing of this type of SP caboose? Thanks. Russell Hedges
Hi Russell, You are correct, the Athearn is a Santa Fe caboose. Even the Roundhouse caboose has an incorrect roof. If you like, I have some jpegs of the SP style caboose that may help. I may have some drawings packed away with my brass model. I also seem to remember some drawings in a book that was put out a few years ago, on SP cabooses. Same people that put out the SP locomotive annuals. There are two at my disposal that I could take some measurements of if you like. As an aside, I have a need for one myself, only in O. Also, I remember some pictures of some Rock Island cabooses that were real similar. Greg Elems
I have a picture of a brass TOFC caboose that sold recently on ebay. Search on completed items for item # 1738088230 if you want to see the pic. I think the decal is wrong, with the S and P of Southern Pacific black with a red shadow. Shouldn't it be red with a black shadow? But it shows the car very clearly. It sold for $199.95, so I am not looking for a brass caboose.
Yep, $199 is a bit rich for my blood. Now a plastic version or a limited run of a urethane model might be the way to go. As for the lettering, I think you're right about the red and black shadow. I was wondering, if the Roundhouse caboose is the right length. If so a new roof and cupola may do the trick for a quick SP style caboose. The roof needs to be flat and to a point rather than the round type of the Roundhouse or Athearn. Greg Elems
I am afraid that the Roundhouse metal caboose is too short. But since I don't know how long the prototype was. . . is it too short, or the Athearn too long? In any case, the curved roof is a problem. If the brass caboose is right, then there is a window in the end, on the opposite side from the one on the Athearn bay window caboose. That's another problem. I wonder if it would pay to start form scratch. Doesn't Walthers still carry Northeastern strip wood? They used to have a peaked roof block. I should search the Model Railroader database for drawings of Southern Pacific cupola cabeese. I guess this is a more involved project than I thought it was. Russell Hedges
Have you tried this page: Espee raifan site, steel caboose page The cupola styles were the C-40-1 and C-40-3 cabeese, there's a little bit of basic dimensional info, a bunch of pics (most 1970's, quite a few dead links though?), and some confirmation on which ones got the TOFC paint job. Hope that's helpful. FWIW you might get away with just replacing the Athearn roof to make the C-40-1, the proportion of the side to the steps looks similar to me. I think it would make a good basis for a stand in
