Ralph's cabooses thread

[Puddlejumper]

I would think it would be easier to start with a bay window and add the little cupola, but then again, this is 20 years too late for my era.
Charlie

The Santa Fe style cabin was pretty unique in design. I found it very easy to lower the cupola and install the Walthers bay.

[Ralph]

The Yardmaster's confusion below is understandable since it doesn't get much beyond 1972 on my layout and Conrail is still a few years into the future.


Over the years I often observed the generosity of Gauge/Big Blue members as they assisted each other and even shared materials and equipment. This time it was I who directly benefited from the generosity of Dave (aka Puddlejumper) who offered me this fine Conrail N5C so it can undergo a back-in-time renovation as a Penn Central Caboose. It really is a nice looking model. With apologies to Conrail fans, however, it will soon be sporting green.

Thanks Dave!

[Puddlejumper]

My pleasure Ralph, I will enjoy seeing what you do with it. I do like your trackwork in the photo.

[Ralph]

There we go! Now things make sense again at Williams Yard although Frank still seems a little befuddled by it all.

I used this prototype <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hebners.net/PC/pcN5C/pc23155a.jpg">http://www.hebners.net/PC/pcN5C/pc23155a.jpg</a><!-- m --> as a model since it had the mating worms logo and not the small font "Penn Central" under the cupola. I ran out of those decals but had plenty of the PC logos. Thanks to the diversity of the Penn Central's lettering and painting schemes there are several options for caboose modeling.




Dave, thanks again for your generosity. I hope I did right by it. This was a fun project and I'm delighted to have the classic port holed N5C running behind some of my trains!

Ralph

[Puddlejumper]

Ralph that looks great! That is some really nice work, I am impressed! Did you have to strip it first or just paint over it? Did you have to rebend any of my handrails?
I see you are missing a step... I imagine you could find replacement caboose steps from Bowser or Cal Scale. Cal-Scale makes brass steps that match the ones in your prototype photo, they are #190-475. The PRR ones (like on the model) had a tendency to crack (they were cast iron) and many were replaced with the weldment style in the prototype photo., though I have seen pics of CR N5C cabins with original steps so it must have been hit or miss.

Really nice work on that cabin, I am impressed!

Dave

[Ralph]

Thanks Dave!

I found from previous projects that I seemed able to get by repainting without stripping the original scheme without any bleed-through of old logos and lettering, or noticeable diminishing of details like rivet lines. I reshaped one handrail that was a little bent but other wise things looked good! You have good eyes and attention to detail. I hadn't noticed the missing step! I'll probably replace them sometime with the weldment style, which I like.

Ralph

[Charlie B]

It looks like the prototype in your picture may have 2 different varieties of steps. You may be lucky and have a photo to prove it, although I can easily be seeing wrong.
Charlie

[Ralph]

After closer inspection you may be right Charlie! Details, details.

[Ralph]

Here is a gathering of all of the cabooses I've worked on since I started this blog:

2 KP&W cabooses made from unrealistic flea market "Penn Central" wide vision cabins
2 N8s made from old Tyco cabooses
1 N5G made from an old Life Like caboose
1 N5C courtesy of Dave's Conrail cabin
1 Atlas N12 with recently added decal details
1 bashed transfer caboose with recently added decal details




I now officially have many more cabooses than trains to run but now I have some choices for assignments and they are closer to the prototype than before.
I've enjoyed (most of) these projects!

Thanks for following along with my progress and for your encouragement!

Ralph

[Charlie B]

Ralph, those are pretty impressive. A great reminder of the days gone by. Great models, and a great set of pictures.
Charlie

[AF350]

Ralph,

Those are some great models of PC cabooses the one with window shades is my favorite, the KPW cabooses are nice too.

[Gary S]

Great fleet of cabooses, Ralph.

[Ralph]

Uh-oh...I may be addicted to cabooses. I thought I was finished making them but then decided to create a transfer caboose for the KP&W. I had another LifeLike caboose that I didn't feel like modifying so I chopped it up!



I had the chassis from a box car just lying around and used it for the platform...



I know most transfer cabooses like this have a single window in the center but the guys at the KP&W shop figured why not allow for more visibility and natural light, and kept the three windows from the original caboose parts. Paint, railings, decals..and there you have it.



I gotta stop!
Ralph

[Charlie B]

A nice use of resources Ralph.
Charlie

[AF350]

Long live the KP&W

awesome work as always. You have a nice flock of cabeese maybe some non revanue mow stuff would be neat.