CABOOSES for steam engines by manufactures of steam engines

[kewatin]

 With all these steam engines 2-8-0, 2-8-4,4-8-2 etc,it is my experience that no other mfg's including BACHMANN
do not seem to offer matching cabooses for the road names they produce.some kits are out there,but no ready to run units for the road names offered, especially for the steam era.Trainman did offer one for the PERE MARQUETTE,but that has long been out of production.it would be nice if engine mfg's would release matching cabooses ,even if they were repaints.BACHMANN could use their 36 WIDE VISION & their  NORTHEAST STEEL models,or even an undecorated version of both for those whom want to be very road selective.this seem to be a hot topic of discussion on other forums,and i have to agree this item would be most welcomed and purchases accordingly if produced ARE YOU LISTENING MANUFACTURES/ how about some feedback on this topic ,if there is enough response,maybe the mfg will take into consideration to make or offer repaints.
regards&later  KEWATIN

[Len]

It's not just the steam era modelers looking for cabooses (cabeese?). Those of use modeling the 1st & 2nd generation diesel eras also need them.

Len

[brokemoto]

For B&O modellers who purchased the B-mann 2-8-8-4, Fox Valley did issue the waggontop cabooses.   Many of them sold before they hit the shelves or vendors' tables at shows.   I would hope that Fox Valley would do a second run.   These cabooses are useful for those who purchased Model Power USRA light
2-8-2s or made a few alterations to the B-mann USRA 0-6-0 to get a real B&O model.

Atlas sells a Magor caboose for C&O or PM modellers.  As both roads operated Van Sweringen 2-8-4s, those cabooses are, indeed useful.  C&O had USRA 2-6-6-2s, which B-mann had sold.  C&O had USRA heavy 4-8-2s, as well, although that road used them mostly for passenger work.  C&O did use 2-8-4s for passenger work in Kentucy.

Reading Company, Lehigh Valley and Western Maryland used the Northeast caboose.  It was based on a design submitted to the USRA but never produced, as the USRA did not last long enough to put cabooses into production.  There may have been other roads that used the Northeast caboose (Lehigh and New England?  Lehigh and Hudson River?), but I am not sure.   Other than USRA steam, I do not know if there is any steam out there that resembles anything that those roads operated.   Reading Company and LV operated many hard coal burners.  B-mann had a Standard Line Reading I-10 (or was it an I-9?) that is long out of production.

Several manufacturers produce and have produced the almost ubiquitous ATSF caboose.  The B-mann
4-8-4 is based on a ATSF prototype.  The ATSF prototype is based, also, on another design submitted to the USRA but never put into production.   ATSF had some USRA 2-8-8-2s during the Second World War that it either bought used or rented from one of the eastern roads.  Life Like sold a USRA 2-8-8-2.  WKW has done at least one run of it, since.

Several manufacturers have produced a Van Sweringen Berkshire.  To be sure, the Rowa and the Rivarossi sold by Con-Cor have since been superceded, but the WKW/LL ran well.  The LL version was an anemic puller, but the WKW run corrected the pulling power problems.   This makes me wonder why B-mann chose the Van Sweringen, as there were other prototypes out there that modellers are demanding.   I wonder why it did not do upgrades to its Reading 2-8-0 or ATSF 4-8-4.   A USRA heavy pacific is another one that is in demand.  To be sure, only Erie had originals, as well as a class of copies, but other roads did operate copies of it.