Ralph's cabooses thread

[Ralph]

Thanks Gary.

It's GREEN!


Next I need to mask the cupola so I can paint the rest of the roof black. All of the photos I've seen of PC N8s have a paint scheme like this:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/pc23344.jpg">http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/pc23344.jpg</a><!-- m -->

I like those awnings above the windows too....

I'm thinking of creating a cap out of cardboard that can slip over the cupola during painting. Otherwise I'll be doing a lot of careful taping.

Stay tuned!
Ralph

[Ralph]

Update time:

I've tape-masked the cupola and applied black paint to the roof of the "N8-to-be" this morning. While it dried I also white primer painted a second N8 "in process". Photos of the black-roofed caboose should be coming soon. After that I can start adding decals.

Meanwhile, I am starting on another project. A PC N-5G (formerly from the Lehigh Valley).
They looked like this: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/northeastcabooses/media/cab-2-02.jpg">http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfa ... b-2-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->
I found photos and descriptions of this caboose on a wonderful PC caboose site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hebners.net/PC/PCcab.html">http://www.hebners.net/PC/PCcab.html</a><!-- m -->

I have three of these LifeLike cabooses that I bought for a couple of bucks a piece at a flea market years ago. Scanning the PC Caboose Photo Archive, it seems that of all the Penn Central cabooses the LifeLike model most closely resembles the N-5G with the exception of the distinctive rain gutters over the windows. I decided to try to suggest these gutters with staples that I bent and cut to fit over the window sets. They might be a little over-sized but we'll see how they look after the whole unit is painted PC Jade Green.


I'm multi-tasking!

More to come!
Ralph

[Gary S]

It's green!

I very much like the caboose in the prototype photo and your conversion looks right on target so far. Great project.

What are you going to do with the chassis? Body mount couplers? New trucks?

[Ralph]

Hi Gary,

I'm going to cut the horn hook couplers off the talgo trucks and keep them as the wheels for convenience. I'll body mount magnetic couplers.

Here are two cabooses now finished at the paint shop. Decals and window glazing is next.


Ralph

[Puddlejumper]

Lookin' good Ralph. I went to the WGH Train Show today to get some Tyco or Life Like cabooses for similar builds. I was disappointed to find that there were no vendors selling that stuff, nor no junk boxes to dig through. The whole reason I go to these shows is for the "junk" boxes and cheap rebuild fodder.

Dave

[Gary S]

Dave, I agree with you! 90% of the reason I go to a train show is looking for those bargain bins full of old rollingstock and building parts and such. We have a show coming up in February which is put on by the San Jacinto RR Modelers club. In my opinion, it is really good, precisely because the vendor tables are cheap, which means that alot of hobbyists who are trying to get rid of excess stuff will get a table and sell it there... for cheap!

Ralph, the paint looks good. Not to rush you, but I am ready to see them decaled and weathered!

[Ralph]

That's why I love flea markets! I'm always disappointed if there is no "junk" box.

Gary,
refer to this exchange.

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

[nachoman]

Excellent projects. You have inspired me to take apart one of my cabooses and re-do it!

[Gary S]

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

I know, Ralph. But I'm just anxious!

I figure if you pull an all-nighter, you can get'er done!

[Ralph]

Not yet Gary!

Right now the issue is.... PORTHOLES!!! I FORGOT THE DARN PORTHOLES!!!!

I was looking at photos of the N-5Gs on the site I mentioned above as references for decals when I noticed the ends of these cabooses have porthole windows!! This is so typical of my modeling style...miss something bloody obvious! Oh well, at least I caught it early enough to create some round windows at each end of my model. The drill work chipped a little paint so it was back to the paint shop again. After it dries I'll set up a decalling station and work on all three of my current projects.

Here's the new windows. I like the style of these cabooses with the mix of square and porthole windows.


Almost there!!!!!
Ralph

[Charlie B]

Almost there and looking great.
Charlie

[Ralph]

Progress, but then a roadblock. I began decaling the N-5G and was doing fine ( the number is a real one taken from a prototype photo) but then I had a lot of trouble applying the small fonted words "Penn Central" right under the cupola. There is just enough room to fit them under the roof line and above the windows. My unsteady fingers kept fudging it up. The Microscale decal sheet for PC cabooses provides only four of these and I blew them all. I'm going to buy another sheet...actually I'll need a couple of sheets because the N8s have similar lettering...and try again. If it doesn't work I'll make a concession and stick a PC logo between the windows instead. Wish me luck! The N8s should be less of a problem since there is plenty of room right below the cupola for the lettering.



Patience, patience, patience....I'm saying that to myself!

Ralph

[Ralph]

It occurred to me to keep going and do as much decalling as I could. Except for the words "Penn Central" that should go below the cupolas on all three cabooses they are fully lettered. I'm ordering more decals. In the meantime I'm pondering window glazing and putting the cabins back on their chassis. I don't want to just let the projects sit until decals arrive.....



Ralph

[AF350]

WOW

Great paint jobs and decaling so far

Like the window shades on the bottom caboose they turned out great.

[Gary S]

Looking good Ralph. Let me rephrase that... looking GREAT!

But wait a sec... What's up with the fancy schmancy black backdrop for the photos? Shouldn't the cabooses be sitting in front of an insanely cluttered workbench? Paint bottles, screwdrivers, hobby knives, razor saws, glue, cups of decal water, used decal paper backing, drills, plastic sheet, microsol, rulers, prototype photos, chassi, trucks, couplers, wheelsets, scissors, needlenose pliers, and a couple of Athearn blue box boxes in the background?

Keep up the good work!