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Transfer cabooses were used primarily in large yards and short moves on trains that needed little more than an office to run out of. Like this one, they were often cobbled together out of the scrap box, albeit a somewhat larger one than we modelers are used to.
The box car models a converted car from the late 60s/early 70s, when railroads were forced to remove the roof walks and all new cars had to be built with lower ladders and brake wheels, something that would have eventually been done when this car was shopped.
These were given to me as an unsolicited "Thank you" from another modeler for parts I had sent him. That the one was built by him and the other sports his weathering work makes them cherished members of my N scale roster.
...well...maybe not TYCO but, you gotta admit, it's cool.
Found whilst on the road in Simmesport, LA, apparently the Kansas City Southern owned a couple of these. This one now spends its time roadside as a tourist information center...
Now you have an excuse to make a home for that Silver Streak 'boose you've kept since you were a kid...
I can't believe it's taken me at least 15 years to get to this point. Got it at a flea market in Delaware for $.25, then stripped off the cast on details and installed a battery operated set of Ajax Lighting lanterns from the early '70s. I also replaced the wheelsets with Kadees and installed a set of Kadee #5 couplers.
Annnnnd...that's the way it sat, through 5 moves and 15 years, until this weekend when I finally bent a set of ladders and grabs and installed them...
I wonder how long it'll take me to paint it...sigh...
...in two variants, a gift from a fellow Tyconaut.
...sans couplers, stack and railings, from last summer's Delaware barn box lot.
Interesting to note that they simply left off the horn/hook couplers on the Talgo trucks and tucked the unused mechanisms under the car...
Another fantasy paint as the car is a Reading design that never made the Santa Fe railroad roster. Another piece found in a flea market box lot this past weekend.
The Pennsylvania Lake Region blue caboose is a Life-Like issue that happened to match the Campbell's Soup one. Because the Campbell's one had a missing handrail, I swapped the two frames. If you'll look closely, you'll see the railings are mismatched on the Pennsy car, replaced with one from the junk box---a perfect fit but not a perfect match. I do not know who originally manufactured the promotional set.
It is a fascinating sub-hobby to figure out who had what mold and when. Everything was a drop in fit, even though the handrails were of a different design and manufacturer. More intriguing still is that the Pennsy car I have is not on Tony's page...hmmmmm.
That's not a broken window frame, it's an incomplete injection. Quality control was a bit lacking, it appears they took over the Cox molds around this time. Maybe this one was made on a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon...
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men...
Yup, still gotta get the barn dust offa that one...
..."Corky's Carnival Caravan"
Like those Tyco GG1s, I could not imagine wanting one of these things 25 years ago...but, alas, the nostalgia bug bit and I was able to pick the set up for an exceptional price at a local swap meet. Because of the pastel colors of the roofs on the boxcars, my son calls it the "birthday train".
Come on, you know you want one...besides, they run great AND they are easily converted to DCC.
These were used on trains carrying livestock. The animal handlers used the coach end and the train crews used the caboose end with the cupola.
This was my first wood car kit, purchased in a parts lot partially assembled. I added full brake detail and painted and lettered it for my road.
...built onto an Atlas N scale 0-6-0 switcher mechanism, it was inspired by a similar locomotive in Model Railroader's June '72 issue. The caboose was scratchbuilt from sheet styrene onto a modified N scale passenger car truck.
Shown side by side with my Lima 0-4-0 locomotive for a comparison. You can see from this shot the appeal of narrow gauge steam as an alternative to standard gauge modeling. Alas, 'twas the truck that killed the beast, with horsepower increasing and the advent of multi-wheel drive and heavier transmissions, it was only a matter of time before the higher cost of running even a small railroad caught up.
The caboose in the previous shots was found in the dust and rubble of a large HO layout that was built in a shed. The original owner passed away 6 years previously, and friends and family helped his wife part out and sell down most of the layout. They left several boxes of buildings and old cars that had little value, where they remained as the shed fell down around them. I managed to pick this and two other cars out of the dust and spider webs, to reveal a unique weathering job placed there by time, rodents and rain---just like the real ones. I only added lettering for my road, blending it in with the weathering already present, then sealing it with clear flat.
...stretching its legs on my newly scenicked shunting puzzle.
...shown in relation to each other for perspective. Honest, Ray, I'm gonna do something to yours and give it back...honest...really...no...seriously...you'll get it back...someday...sigh...
