New Caboose

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

        I hope I am wrong about this.    I reviewed the announcement of new equipment in all scales,  especially the northeastern style cabooses in HO and N scale.   I am especially interested in the Reading model.
        Here is where I hope I am wrong.   In all places where I have seen the news of the impending release of this caboose,  the version to be done is the Reading green and yellow version.   I have a friend who claims he read somewhere that the red version will be released also.   I hope he is correct and here is why.   Except for the recently released Athearn version,  loaded with mistakes including the very body they used(a MDC caboose),  the only other release of the red Reading caboose was the original release by Proto 2000 about 10-12 years ago.   Since that release,  Atlas,  Athearn,  and Proto have released the Reading green and yellow caboose at least two times and now we can add Bachmann to that list.   I guess it is my personal bias to the red caboose era,  but I just do not understand why any manufacturer would want to "beat a dead horse" again.
         Thankfully a red undecorated caboose will be offered,  but have fun finding decals.   BTW.....from the pictures,  it looks like Bachmann's caboose will be a more accurate version than the Athearn model.

[jonathan]

EBTBob,

I notice in the flyer that the NE style caboose will be offered in red.  I also notice that Microscale still offers Reading Caboose decals in eras from 1924 through 1970s, if I read it correctly.  So you may be in luck.  Don't know how much re-detailing is involved to get a Reading look. 

If you really want rare try finding a B&O style caboose.  There are decals a plenty.  It seems each railroad had cabeese that were so unique, it's hard to model a specific railroad.

Hence we are forced to search for craftsman kits or brass to get what we need.  Both are scarce and quite expensive.  I like tinkering as much as the next guy.  However, wouldn't it be great to be able to buy a correct caboose without spending months trying to build one, or taking out a loan?

Regards,

Jonathan

[ebtbob]

Jonathan,

      I agree on the B&O cabooses.   I would love to see the wagon top,  bay window caboose done by someone.

[J3a-614]

It's far from the best you can find--pretty marginal, really--but it is supposedly based on a B&O car, and the tooling looks like something originally from Varney:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Freight&scale=H&manu=model+power&item=&keywords=bay+window+caboose&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

Of course, if the EM-1 is a big seller, it should have a proper caboose for it to pull. . .and think of how many you could sell to go with the EM-1s, and diesels. . .and in classic red, 1960s blue and yellow, and Chessie the Cat schemes. . .might be a good one at that. . .

[jward]

if i am not mistaken didn't somebody make a kit for an i5 wood caboose recently? as late as the 1970s, the i5s were common on b&o branch lines. during the steam era they would have been the standard caboose on b&o. they looked kinda like the northeastern style, but wood, and with awnings over the windows.

[jonathan]

A now defunct company called PMSS (Pacific Mountain Scale Shops) did some very nice Cabeese: the I-1, I-5, I-12, I-17 and I-17a.  I built the I-1 and I-12.  There is another company (SMMW) who promises to release the I-12 later this year.  I see brass I-10s at train shows all the time.  Would love a RTR plastic I-5 or I-12.  However, they wouldn't sell well as they are unique.  No other roads adopted these styles.

I suppose one could take the future NE caboose and make a pointy roof somehow and bash up an I-5.  Lots a wire bending to make the ends look right.  Hmmmm, I wonder....

Regards,

Jonathan

[J3a-614]

There used to be B&O cabooses (and other cars) offered by Quality Craft and/or Gloor Craft.  These were wooden kits in the classic tradition, and detailing was pretty spartan by modern standards, particularly for brake rigging; all you had were the basic parts for the cylinder, air tank, and control valve.  The models did include cast parts for components such as the cupola or the bay window (one of the kits offered was for what I think was an I-16--a 36-foot long car, bay window, steel frame, wooden sides, rebuilt from stock cars during WW II).  These kits show up in train shows now and then. 

Another modeler I know in this area found that plastic worked better than wood for parts such as the sides.  He has a website, and one of the pages shows how he made this change.  This was before Walthers came out with their C&O caboose a few years ago.

http://www.piedmontsub.com/

http://www.piedmontsub.com/Projects.shtml

http://www.piedmontsub.com/Caboose.shtml

Have fun.

[rdg1187prr]

I for one am happy to see that Bachmann is bringing out the NE style caboose. I am also eagerly awaiting the RDG version in the yellow and green paint scheme.
The reason why I vote for the yellow-green scheme is because the only decent rendering of this caboose was the P2000. As previously mentioned. The Athearn version suffered from a poor model rendition from the start. Then to add to this. The first run had the numbers done wrongly  in black instead of green as the prototype had.
This scheme will sell well that is why so manufacturers try to replicate it.

I hope I am wrong but the test shots of the Bachmann NE caboose looks like the grab irons are molded into the body. I hope this is not so. I would pay a Little bit more to either-1 have them factory installed or -2 not have them on the model at all like the new Bachmann GP7. That way the modeler  could choose to add the grab irons to the model if they so desire. Or leave them off if they don't want them. That way the model will appeal to the novice as well as the super detail type of modeler.
John Caples

[metrohobbies]

I am planning on stocking these cabeese. I hope they will be done well as my father also models Reading. We also hope a red Reading scheme comes soon.