Sandy River & Rangeley Lake Caboose !

[Tomcat]

Hi all !

Not mentioned yet, but I don´t want this nice model to go uncommented: Isn´t it great that Bachmann did choose a SR&RL Caboose to go along with the pretty Forneys?
I do think it very wise to start (...?) a Maine 2-footers product line.

Hopefully this will mark a start which leads us to some more models...

Cheers, Tom

[Frisco]

Well, I'm not a Maine 2 footer, but I have to say this is the fist Bachmann ON30 product that's gotten me excited for quite a while, not Colorado, but what a nice looking model. I'm sure I'll find a place for a couple.

[railtwister]

I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but the recently announced On30 side door caboose is a less accurate representation of an actual SR&RL caboose, than the original Bachmann caboose is of a C&S caboose. The side door caboose is too wide, has the wrong number of side windows, which are in the wrong locations, the door on the cupola end is centered instead of offset, and the cupola looks nothing like a SR&RL cupola. It looks like what Bachmann has done is produce a dead ringer copy of the caboose Bob Hayden kitbashed out of two On30 cabooses for his Elk River On30 Railroad which was featured in the Nov/Dec 2006 Gazette.

That being said, it IS a very nice looking model of a freelanced side door caboose, and because of the fact that it's "prototype" (?) was made from the Bachmann center cupola On30 caboose, it shares a believable "family resemblance" with the original Bachmann On30 caboose. It should make a good mixed train or logging caboose, or an even better drover's caboose to go behind a long string of those Bachmann On30 stock cars (which are now getting hard to find!). But a SR&RL caboose it is not!

The HO scale longitudinal-seating excursion car announced at the same time as the On30 2-6-6-2 loco and the On30 side door caboose bears a striking resemblance to the On30 excursion car (featured a few months after the caboose article), that Bob H. made from the leftover pieces of his side door caboose project. Let's hope that Bachmann releases a similar car us On30 fans in the near future!

Regards,
Bill

[ebtbob]

     Bill raises an interesting point about the "SR&RL caboose".    Not being informed at all on Maine 2ft gauge equipment,  I cannot speak to the number of windows etc.    What I can say,  is I like the looks of the car.   Now,   with that being said,  what is Bachmann's philosophy on producing new equipment?     At one time,  I was told that Bachmann only wanted to produce On30 equipment based on actual 30 inch gauge prototypes.   The new caboose and the two bay hopper go against that philosophy and from my prespective,  speaking of the hoppers,   I am glad they took that approach.
      Personally,  I hope Bachmann continues to use modelers license and produce equipment that scales out nicely with their current products.   That way,   some of us who have asked for both Colorado and EBT equipment may be pleasently surprised in the future.

[ossygobbin]

tomcat.
this has been mentioned already, look at the topic "new caboose"
plenty of discussion there.

[the Bach-man]

Dear All,
The caboose is a generic side door caboose that looks very nice, I think. It was, in fact, based on Bob's model. It looks credible in Sandy River, but perhaps you noticed that the number was one digit higher than the Sandy River series, as it doesn't match any exactly.
Have fun!
the Bach-man