Switching on GEC's layout

[Green_Elite_Cab]

GEC, it suddenly dawned on me that you said in another thread that your modeling period is 1978-79. That means the Conrail local should have a caboose, doesn't it?

I debated whether or not I should include a caboose. I figured for a short run just outside of the yard, a caboose may not be necessary. That said, after reviewing my books, I could see that even short two car locals had a caboose on the end, so next time I'll include it.

One thing I'm curious about, why are the cabooses sometimes right behind the locomotive, and other times on the back of the train? where is it more appropriate?

As far as the models are concerned, my Conrail cabooses aren't doing so well. a combination of a dog and a derailment has removed the stirrup steps off my N5C and its missing a porthole window (I shifted them around so that its on an end, but it still looks weird). My N21 (walthers Bay window) has these crazy plastic ends that got bent in a collision at my club and have never straightened out. I can probably fix both of these, but they're low on the priority list.

pictures of my caboose and caboose projects-

Conrail N21



Former PRR N5C



A CNJ wood caboose i'm in the process of building. One day, I'll finish it.



I have another "Conrail" caboose that is actually a Norfolk Southern Caboose. Though ordered by Conrail, by the time it was built, the NS/CSX split had already occurred. Norfolk Southern chose to keep the Conrail logos but had the caboose painted red instead of blue.

A pair of Red Conrail cabooses were used for a time in New Jersey to protect local freight trains on Commuter routes around Dover, NJ.

This is a bad picture of it, but here it is behind my NS GP38-2. I actually see the real #5287 frequently, and this NS (former Conrail) unit used to work with this very same caboose (though I didn't know it when I bought the models).

[jwb]

One thing I'm curious about, why are the cabooses sometimes right behind the locomotive, and other times on the back of the train? where is it more appropriate?

I think it depends on what makes switching easier, and minimizing the time taken in walking back from throwing switches. In the "real" days of rail operation, it was a brakeman's duty to stand on the rear platform and keep an eye out for new gouges on the ties, which would signify a derailment -- one reason the caboose was on the rear. As trackside detectors became more common, this was less important.

I learned about another issue on a Southern Pacific branch in the LA area: in the 1980s, when cabooses were being phased out, the local had a caboose if the power was an SW1500. If the power was a GP9, it didn't have a caboose. The reason was that theGP9 had a toilet, while the SW1500 didn't, so the train ran with a caboose simply to provide a toilet. How this has been handled in later years, I don't know, but SW1500s were common in the LA area until just a few years ago, with no cabooses.

[jwb]

By the way, if you're concerned about the steps on the Bowser CR N5c, PC replaced the cast PRR style steps with fabricated ones, so the ones in the Bowser kit aren't right anyhow. Cal Scale makes the correct ones in brass. Also PC replaced the old PRR solid journal caboose trucks with modern roller bearing. So your dog basically pointed you in the right direction.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

That's interesting (on the SP). That seems like as good an excuse as any to include a caboose on many trains. I'll have to keep studying the photos I guess.

In the meantime, I'm gonna have to dig up the right steps. I know i bought marker light castings from Custom Finishing, but I haven't stuck them onto the caboose yet either.

It seems every time I look there is another project to do! Can't complain!