Ralph's cabooses thread
#16
Hi guys,

Your discussions above have saved me some research. Thanks for all of your comments! I run the KP&W as a contemporary of the Penn Central so I plan for it's equipment to fit that 1968-75 time period.

Ralph
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#17
Ralph,

I love that KP&W boose Thumbsup
Jim

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#18
Ralph, all of my PC pictures were actually taken after the Conrail take over, however, most were not modified that much until blue paint was applied.
Charlie
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#19
Ralph, here is some more info from MR's "Detailing Freight Cars."

The COTS labels first appeared in 1972. They were single black panels with a white border. In 1974, two panel plates became mandatory with a deadline date of 1979.

ACI plates came out in 1967 and were an automated method of keeping track of car locations. The deadline date for installation was 1970. After a few years, due to the accumulation of dirt and grime, the system proved unusable because of scanner mistakes. After 1977, cars were no longer required to have the plates, but of course, nobody removed the existing ones. So the ACI plates may have been seen on cars for years after the system was mothballed.

Wheel inspection dots appreared in 1978. A certain "brand" of wheel was found to be defective, and all railroads had to inspect their cars for the wheels. If the bad wheels were found, a white dot was put on, and the car was restricted in service until the wheels were replaced. Cars built after 1980 won't have the dot. Of course, the dots persisted well into the 80s because again, the railroads did not remove the dots. At least they didn't remove the yellow dots. The white ones would have been restenciled yellow once the wheels were replaced.

So, looks like your caboose wouldn't have the dots, and may or may not have the COTS plates... depends on if you are post or pre-1972.

But, I still like the idea of the reflective squares to dress it up a bit.
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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#20
Oh, Ralph... regardless of the above, I still think you did a great job on the caboose. I like it!

DocWayne... 1939 for the reflective tape? I thought it would have been invented much later, like in the 1970s!
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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#21
Gary S Wrote:Oh, Ralph... regardless of the above, I still think you did a great job on the caboose. I like it!

Cheers Ralph, that caboose looks great. The yellow steps set it off just right. Thumbsup Thumbsup


Gary S Wrote:DocWayne... 1939 for the reflective tape? I thought it would have been invented much later, like in the 1970s!

Yeah, I woulda thought maybe mid-'50s. Misngth

Wayne
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#22
Quote:So the ACI plates may have been seen on cars for years after the system was mothballed.
May have been seen? I still see them all the time.
Fan of late and early Conrail... also 40s-50s PRR, 70s ATSF, BN and SP, 70s-80s eastern CN, pre-merger-era UP, heavy electric operations in general, dieselized narrow gauge, era 3/4 DB and DR, EFVM and Brazilian railroads in general... too many to list!
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#23
I only saw one on a gondola that was delivered to us in thee 13 years at Schenley. We didn't get anything but CR cars or newer gondolas. I'm sure CR removed them when the cars got CR paint.
Charlie
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#24
After being distracted by other projects around the house I finished the second KP&W wide vision caboose. Here's a picture of both of them in front of some older Kings Port and Western cabins. The company likes the new look which will be the standard from now on.

[Image: IMG_1259.jpg]
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#25
Now that I've just decreased my Penn Central caboose fleet by two, it's time to turn my attention to creating some more realistic cabins for my PC trains. I remember seeing N8s a lot when I was a kid even though I didn't know their designation at the time.
They looked like this: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1076248">http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1076248</a><!-- m -->
When I was a boy I saw an article in the February 1970 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman about making a reasonable looking N8 from the classic Tyco caboose. I tried it as a kid but butchered it. I kept the article though, always planning to try it again. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and see if I can't fashion an N8 this way. Tyco cabooses are plentiful and a dime a dozen (well, $2.99 actually) in the backroom of my local hobby shop. I bought two.
Here's one....
[Image: IMG_1231-1.jpg]
The first step is to relocate the cupola so it is centered on the roof like the prototype. You cut it at the appropriate places and simply turn that section around on the roof. This required careful razor saw and exacto knife use...something I was not skilled at as a youngster. (It's a wonder I didn't sever a finger back then!) Smile Here's how it looks reconfigured. So far so good.
[Image: IMG_1233-1.jpg]
Next will come widening the small windows on the sides. After that I'll have to putty the cut seams on the roof and close up the center window so the caboose has only two symmetrical windows on each side.

I'm looking forward to this project. Bowser offers an N8 for about $30 but I want the fun of bashing one. And, if it works, I can make at least a couple more for that money.

Stay tuned!
Ralph
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#26
Ralph, both of the KP$W cabooses are great.

As for the Tyco project, now THAT is model railroading! One of my favorite things is to take a bargain table cheapie and turn it into something respectable. Can't wait to see your progress.
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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#27
Ralph, Looking good so far. I tried doing one many years ago with little success.
I was always in too much of a hurry.
I may try another one of these days too.
Charlie
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#28
Gary S Wrote:...As for the Tyco project, now THAT is model railroading! One of my favorite things is to take a bargain table cheapie and turn it into something respectable. Can't wait to see your progress.

Thanks Gary! I really appreciate that comment!

Charlie B Wrote:I tried doing one many years ago with little success. I was always in too much of a hurry.

THAT is my big hobby vice Charlie and I'm going to try hard to be patient with this project.

Ralph
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#29
Progress update. I enlarged the small windows to match them with the large ones and blocked in the middle windows so there are now two on each side as on the prototype. Cutting these windows with an exacto knife was a challenge for me but they seem square and the same size as the originals. I used Green Putty on the seams of the blocked off windows and sanded them until they looked smooth to the eye and the touch. After spraying some primer I see some rough spots that will need more sanding. I also need to scribe window sills for the enlarged windows. This part of the project is a bit putzy but the Tyco caboose looks more like an N8 now.

[Image: IMG_1260.jpg]
Ralph
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#30
So far so good! Keep the photos coming!
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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