Interesting caboose ID?

I believe this may be an Ambroid kit made in the early 1970s to build a NKP caboose.  If my memory is correct I built one of these and lettered it for my own model railroad at the time, the "Gunpowder River Railroad".  I sold it many years ago.  Ambroid's caboose kits did feature cast metal cupolas.  Quality Craft also sold several caboose kits in that time frame, including B&O, C&O and PRR prototypes and probably others I had no interest in.

If you can find a kit and like this kind of work, buy it. From my memory,  they are fun to build and go together without a lot of re-engineering.  As far as I know, nothing like these kits is produced today and probably  never will be again.  Someone please tell me I am wrong about this!

Joe

Thanks, Joe, and a quick internet search confirmed the model's NKP prototype - who knew the SR cabs had cousins?

A more recent Southern caboose kit is Mullet River's Southern side door X2610, kit #403033.  Mullet River also did a center cupola kit for Southern wooden caboose X2810, (or may be built from this kit, if windows are also included). It  appears identical to the side door with windows instead of doors.  The M.R. kit l built (C&S/Burlington side door) was the most difficult l've ever built, with interior and detailed underframe.

Yes, I would also have gone for one of the Mullet River kits, if I had found one (SR built the same caboose both with and without side doors).  But this caboose is not wood, and that's what has me perplexed.

Might be a "Brother Love" special.  I don't think Ambroid made plastic cabeese.

bob2 posted:

 I don't think Ambroid made plastic cabeese.

Correct.

The project is finished - well, almost.  As you can see, the mystery caboose is now an approximation of the Southern caboose that ended up as Virginia Blue Ridge Ry. #2.  The "almost" is because I have yet to find corner steps of the correct style.  Mullet River made them for their kits, and Des Plaines has the tooling but has not produced them yet.  So for now, my crew has to bring a ladder to get into their caboose.

PS - Please forgive the 3-rail track on the 2-rail forum - I actually run 2-rail stuff on it with no problem.  Horrors!

PSC has some lost wax brass tender step castings whose shape resembles those on the Southern caboose.    Part PSH-41069 or possibly PSH-5133 

Thanks, Ed.  Those are indeed pretty close; I may go that way if I can't find the correct part.

Stevenson has some that are brass, and look a lot like the Lionel 700T stirrups, which are very close.

The steps are available on the Shapeways website.

I take it that's one of your models - beautiful!  I had not heard of the Shapeways website, but I just checked it out and already see tons of interesting things, including those steps.  Thanks for the tip!

Yes, the shapeways site has a lot of nice model railroading products. Yes, that is one of mine. Thank you.