# Cabooses have feelings too



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

*Those ugly step sisters*_
Bridesmaids of the rails._

For the most part, (back in the day) an entire freight train always got a wide-eyed notice, until the caboose went by.
It was more-or-less only a signal that the fun was over.

Car spotters looked for their favorite billboard boxcars and road names, detail purists scouted the train for anomalous oddities, and photo bugs clicked away at a fever pitch.
But then the caboose went by, and everybody turned around.
It's kind of the same way on a model layout.

I'm a caboose fan. Ever since I was a young boy I've been enamored of them. The other kids in the hobby all seemed to ignore them, as though they were only necessary to complete a set of something, like dishes.

My era layout will have at least one yard track devoted to them. Each caboose has it's own special place and time for deployment... for even incidental or minor purposes, e.g., deadheading ('tail wagging').
There are two to four cabs each of four different railroads serving my operations, and each one has a place in the scheme.

I didn't spend a lot on them -- they're all low to mid-priced models, but each one is tuned to roll, and (in one way or another) is treated with the same attention as any premium car.

Proto... Athearn RTR... Centralia... MDC.


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## Theamazingswal (Dec 14, 2017)

In the 13 years I worked for the RR my fondest times were spent in the caboose. We had lunch there everyday, rested in the bunks while waiting hours for passenger trains to clear, planned our switching for the day, and played cards when nothing was going on.

George


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I have 5 of these Point St. Charles cabooses that C.N. used.....they are fully lighted; interiors, marker lights.....

And now very hard to find.....


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Those are beauties!


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## ARR (Oct 15, 2017)

Old_Hobo said:


> I have 5 of these Point St. Charles cabooses that C.N. used....
> 
> And now very hard to find.....
> 
> View attachment 514226


Especially in Alaska paint. ARR bought three of them from CN back in 2000. I've only seen one for sale in HO and, if I recall correctly, it was going for $300-400 or so.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

They were $94.99 when released....


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

By 1981, all Cotton Belt wides had been repainted in SP Freightcar Red. Looks quite a bit different than they did in the '50's.
IMO, not as attractive.
However, this newer Athearn RTR release is nice.
I'll buy one, and weather it like #45.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

LateStarter said:


> View attachment 514216


Love that wood sided RI caboose! The RI is kind of special to me, because my Dad worked for them when I was a kid. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

I did not go looking for cabooses but I ended up with quite a few. Now I’m actually trying to find engines to pair up with them. Btw it’s called a Crummy Track:
https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=182588


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

These Proto and Atlas models are being repainted & lettered for the _Lake City Line_, a private road.
They're nicely detailed.


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## Atlanta (Apr 29, 2019)

Here in central europe specially in germany, it gave Caboose cars, too. 
In the past every freight train used it. It was the right place to show End of Train Devices like lanterns or metal sighns or flags in space to show the interlocking towers that a running by freight train was complete.
The Caboose Cars here called Facultative Cars, a Canteen or Bunk Car or Canteen Car where the Train Chief had his Compartment, too.
Onto local freight or mixed freight and passenger trains such Falcultative Cars had been used as mobil office for freight agents or station agents connecting rural countryside areas with bigger town stations.

When I was a child of ten years that is 40 years ago, there was one daily countryside train onto a branchline who run with such Falcultative Car in end of train.
If passengers wanted to travel into next bigger town they could use this freight train an got their ticket from the train chief.
The small depots often had no RR personal and the interlocking towers personal staff did not bought tickets or did not doing freight house service.
Me I rode two times with such freight train. Onto next train stops the freight car switching was the first job before we continued the travel into next town. 

In 1982 the Passenger and freight service had been closed for public use. Only a gravel company was the last company alongside that 20 miles long branchline. The branchline got partitionally abdoned in later years.

Onto my model RR Layout I do run Coboose Cars for my fictional US based RR.
Onto my Prussian RR project of first steam Epoche in the year of 1888 such Facultative Cars are a must have in every freight train.

Ya Ingo


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

I like cabooses too. Here are some of mine that are the shop built D&RGW cabooses.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

A bit of interesting history.....in Canada, cabooses are actually known as vans, although caboose works as well....

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/CPR/general/vans.html


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Aye, they seem to go by many names - Vans, Hacks, Crummies, cabin cars etc.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Old_Hobo said:


> A bit of interesting history.....in Canada, cabooses are actually known as vans, although caboose works as well....
> 
> http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/CPR/general/vans.html


Isn't that what they are called in the UK?:dunno:


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

riogrande said:


> I like cabooses too. Here are some of mine that are the shop built D&RGW cabooses.


I've always been a fan of the D&RGW... especially the pre-diesel era.
John Allen's work did a lot to grab my attention. MR mag was always featuring his stuff, and his G&D railroad, and it was all closely tied to the D&RGW.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Gramps said:


> Isn't that what they are called in the UK?:dunno:


That is correct....also brake vans.....maybe that's why Canada, being a British Commonwealth country, adopted the same nomenclature.....


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

This was the subject of a thread I started (a couple years ago I think).
It's a KCS stainless steel caboose from the '60's. I believe about 30 or 40 were built. Quite a jaw-dropper.
They had Rockwell trucks.
The scratchbuilt model has the wrong trucks, but it's a masterpiece.


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## Atlanta (Apr 29, 2019)

Hey Ya'll

I forgot to post my favourite Caboose car, an old MDC Roundhouse Kit of a blind end caboose.

Ya'll Ingo


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Count me in as a caboose fan. I’ve never thought of them as bridesmaids or ugly step sisters.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

I'm also a big caboose guy. My "era" is flexible re power, rolling stock, buildings, etc., but no compromising on cabooses 

Mike


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

LateStarter said:


> This was the subject of a thread I started (a couple years ago I think).
> It's a KCS stainless steel caboose from the '60's. I believe about 30 or 40 were built. Quite a jaw-dropper.
> They had Rockwell trucks.
> The scratchbuilt model has the wrong trucks, but it's a masterpiece.
> ...



That's definitely a custom painted model but not a scratchbuild. 

That's a standard RTR caboose model (and the details don't match the KCS car - which is fine, that KCS unit is totally unique) but the paint job is definitely sharp, agree with that!


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

LateStarter said:


> I've always been a fan of the D&RGW... especially the pre-diesel era.


The difficulty with pre-diesel era D&RGW modeling is the cost, assuming you want correct Rio Grande std gauge steam engines. The answer is brass, brass and more brass. Their were leased steam engines D&RGW used for a few short years during WWII that matched those the UP had and you can get those in plastic, and I think D&RGW had some second hand steam they got from N&W (Powerhouse brass hybrid models).


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

I try to pair up cabooses with engines, when I'm not buying random cabooses or engines.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

Need I say anything?


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## Cab1 (Jul 26, 2009)

You got my attention... I've always favored skinny cabooses.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I found this one on ebay. I'm guessing it was sold "from an estate". The previous owner had done a nice job with "light weathering". I added the trucks from an Athearn express reefer, had to trim the side frames to get them to fit.

Although it's not an exact replica of the cabooses that the Milwaukee had (Walthers had a run of them, now rare and expensive), it's "close enough" for me.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Dennis461 said:


> Need I say anything?


 What a dumb place to hang a hat!


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

J.Albert1949 said:


> I found this one on ebay. I'm guessing it was sold "from an estate". The previous owner had done a nice job with "light weathering". I added the trucks from an Athearn express reefer, had to trim the side frames to get them to fit.
> 
> Although it's not an exact replica of the cabooses that the Milwaukee had (Walthers had a run of them, now rare and expensive), it's "close enough" for me.
> View attachment 518692


Want something closer? There is a new Milwaukee bay window caboose by a small maker called Lines West Products.










https://lineswestproducts.com/product/milwaukee-road-thrall-caboose-assembled-992135/

If you are really into MILW, then this should be a nice caboose I'd think! IMO, pretty reasonably priced considering small limited run, small one man company and brass would be a lot more. To me cabooses are really a signature thing for a RR and if you into a particular RR, then having a model matching the real thing is sweet! Plus you don't necessarily need many so the expense can be worth it.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Fire21 said:


> What a dumb place to hang a hat!


Who cares about the hat - seriously!


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

What hat?


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Combo kit & bash...
AMB kit, with Walthers and Moloco detail parts.
Kadee trucks.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

In the grand scheme of things, the Frisco and Cotton Belt were major players on the Southern Pacific landscape.
RI and C&EI also played a role.
In fact, one or more of each were occasionally seen deadheading as tail-waggers on SP trains into Chicago or St.Louis.


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