La Belle Coach kit

Looks good!

 

Jeff C

Sweet - it's amazing how much easier it is the second time around.  Now, keep going before you forget what took three years to learn!  I'm interested in building similar kits.  Time to venture into something new.  Well done.  Keep up the good work.

I've haven't done any of their O scale kits, but I've built plenty of their HO ones.  They make a nice product.  The biggest problem is deciding whether to paint them or stain them.

 

Stuart

 

 

Nice work!

 

Brad

Absolutely gorgeous!

All the best,

Miketg

The LaBelle products are absolutely top notch. I currently have my CB&Q caboose/coach model back at the LaBelle shop for completion, as there were a few "design errors" in the overall kit, according to the owner of the company. He is almost finished with it, and I hope to have the completed model back in a few months. I can only think of another company in O Scale that would do THAT, i.e. Sunset/3rd Rail.

"Design errors?"  I have one of these kits...was waiting to get some correct trucks

for it....I had already kitbashed one of the LaBelle combines into a combine caboose

with the addition of a cupola, though.

I really didn't understand what he was telling me either, but the bottom line was; the kit could NOT be properly assembled per the components & instructions. He is in the process of changing/improving some things with this specific kit (the CB&Q caboose/coach).

 

Concerning the availability of CORRECT trucks for the CB&Q caboose/coach, they are virtually impossible to find, as PSC stopped producing them in O Scale, quite some years ago. I was lucky to find a pair of the correct trucks from my O Scale 2-Rail supplier about 3 years ago, as he found one pair remaining in his "stock of stuff". Certainly not cheap, but they are spectacular trucks, and worth whatever I had to pay for them at the time.

Specific O scale trucks can be exceedingly difficult.

On the RPO kit I read the instructions, then read the instructions again, then read the instructions again, the read the inst... It really didn't help. There are parts listed in the instructions that don't exist, and there are parts included in the kit that don't exist in the instructions. On the coach, I just "winged" it. I never would have finished the RPO if it wasn't for J Daddy's post from awhile back. I've considered making up a step-by-step set of instructions with pictures and posting them somewhere, but not enough people build these kits to really make it worthwhile.

 

I've got a list of "what not to do" in a notebook, so each kit is a little better than the last. I also note some critical measurements so it makes it easier on the next kit.

 

It is enjoyable to me to build these kits. They work with my prototype and small layout, and I see myself building more than I need as I find more kits in my price range.

 

If anyone is on the fence about building one, go ahead and get one. There are plenty of resources on-line to help with the construction, and I would be willing to try and help through e-mails.

I'd love to see your list of what not to do, before I tackle one of these kits.

 

Jeff C

I built the one car some time ago, so don't remember it, but also don't remember the

instructions as clear and precise.  Luckily, I was building wooden HO rolling stock kits in my early teens, and sometimes, at least with structures. ignore the plans.  I

would want to accurately model this caboose and will probably wing it from pictures.  Can it be harder than a Mullet River kit? (I doubt it!) (although with no trucks to be found, it will wind up with Walthers 4 wheel passenger trucks on it)

Done! Well, mostly. Even have a day to spare. Perhaps I'll start on another one tomorrow. Probably not.

 

Took a quick pic.

 

NICE....I have a few to build ....yet....

I've bought a ton of these kits old and new, combines, passenger cars, boxcars, reefers gondolas etc. I'm planning to start building one soon. Any tips would be appreciated.

Oh, wow!  Colorado Midland!  Now that is nice.  My railroad's mgt. would not be

offended to see that stopping at the stations.

I have a few LaBelle kits and this thread has been quite useful. Just the knowledge that the instructions may be wrong will be a big time saver. If something seems off, I'll just look for a prototype photo or a logical solution rather than waste time trying to reconcile the printed page with reality. 

Some suggestions that may be helpful to kit construction:

 

1. Read the instructions. They're not 100%, but they are helpful.

2. Try and identify all the parts. If you can't, put them back in the box, and don't worry.

3. Start at the top and work down. If the kit didn't come with a roof-rounding kit, buy one. The kit comes with instructions that are very useful.

4. Use the tutorials on La Belle's website.

5.When you complete the roof rounding, sand and prime before adding any details. That way you don't have to sand around them. Some filler may be required on the roof ends.

6. Once the roof is ready for paint, DO NOT install the celestory windows if they are going a different color. Ask me how I know.

 

Undercarriage:

1. Know what trucks you are going to use beforehand. I use MTH trucks, and if the undercarriage is built per the instructions, the car sits too high. I had to leave out the end pieces.

2. If using MTH trucks, 2.5" from the end of the car with buffer's installed is where the trucks should mount. I can run my cars on Atlas O-36.

 

Once I find my list I'll post some more hints. If there's interest maybe I'll try and do a step-by-step with photo's on the next car. Hard to do because it takes me about 6 weeks to build one of these, so I have to post as I go otherwise things get out of sequence or forgotten.

 

Thanks for the replies so far.

Beautiful job!  I've built two of these, and it's good to see other people taking advantage of these wonderful kits.

That is a beautiful build. Congratulations on a super job.

colorado hirailer, two more La Belle kits: one lettered for the Colorado Midland, and one for the Midland Terminal.

 

 

 

My goal is to build a Colorado Midland passenger and short freight train. Then another set of passenger cars for the "Short Line", Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek District RR.

 

This is a "work-in-progress" using a Williams ten wheeler, eventually to be converted to a Midland engine:

For your short freight train, brr, LaBelle offered a Colorado Midland Ute Indian reefer

kit, which I was lucky to find very well built up, in a show.  (I think that kit is hard to find, but you might approach the current LaBelle) It accepted then available

Weaver arch bar trucks and couplers very well.  I also found a built up kit O scale

short gondola, CM, which got the trucks, too...not sure who made that kit.  And I have

forgotten who made a plastic kit for a CM hopper, which I did build. (would have to root through old boxes)  I have plans for one of the CM side door cabooses with the reverse curve cupola roof, which is on my to do list.   I do have a couple of Colorado and Southern cabooses and other rolling stock as well as Denver and Salt Lake freight cars (D&SL had a drover's caboose I would like to build).  I will want to see your other

creations when done.  (I think the only CM passenger car I have is a kitbashed K-Line

heavyweight combine lettered for it...) (K-Line sold a lot of unlettered baggage cars

and coaches, which can be sawed in two and reglued into two combines, and lettered

for something interesting)

colorado,

Thanks for the reply. Would love to find a correct reefer kit, but La Belle doesn't produce it anymore. Will probably have to build one on my own. I do have the Weaver versions, but they are obviously not correct. I've got another boxcar kit (ye olde huff n puff), and gondola (LaBelle) waiting to be built. Clover House has the dry transfers, so I'm good to go there.

Intermountain produced the CM hoppers, along with some steel-side reefers. I have two hoppers, but plastic just isn't my medium at the moment. I've got a lot to learn about kit building.

 

I've got intentions to build two more items. The Divide station, which I'm going to use a Bar Mill's "the one" kit to construct. The other is a CM caboose. Would love to purchase a copy of the plans from you. Micro-Mark has the siding and caboose roof in their millwork section (along with O-scale passenger car roof's for anyone interested), and I have them sitting in "to do" pile. Was going to scratchbuild the undercarriage, but just realized I have a LaBelle flatcar kit that I could use for that.

 

I think I've finally found my niche' in the hobby.

Thanks again.

brr:  I found the caboose plans right off (for a change).  They are in the July, 1966

Model Railroader.  They are in HO, but Staples will blow the copy up 1.8XXX to O

scale.  I can mail a xerox to you gratis, for your mail address.  That is not the only

place I have seen them, either.  Just first found.  I don't know if the Colorado Midland

Quarterly,  edited by Mel McFarland of Colorado Springs, who wrote "The Midland Route" book on the railroad is still published...(you might find out by emailing the publisher of "Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette"), but that quarterly had plans for the caboose and other cars periodically, but usually in HO.   (that book has drawings of four different variations of the caboose, plus assorted other rolling stock, passenger cars, etc.)

The hopper I have, along with a D&RGW, one is IM, I do not have the Huff and Puff

boxcar, but the gondola I have is probably H&P.  While I have ignored the single door

Weaver reefers, I have seen photos of single door reefers operated by the CM, as

well as the famous double door Pullman Hanrahan car.  The McFarland book has drawings, just outline drawings, of all of these including the Hanrahan double door reefer, but there is a photo of the reefer in the book, too

The  MR plans are of cabooses 401-416, the first series of side door CM cabooses (with

the reverse curve roofed cupola), built by St. Charles Car Co.  I have several freelanced side door cabooses with that cupola, but have not done an accurate scale

model of a CM one.  (as usual, I think there have been HO brass ones and kits)

 

Oh...oh...now I will have to get one in O scale. My first serious HO efforts included a mixed train of a Labelle box car, Labelle flat car, Ambroid box car, MDC tank car and a 60' Labelle combine bringing up the rear. The toughest part in HO is stringing the fishing line to represent tie rods. I had an MDC Roundhouse 2-6-2 on the front end.

Seriously, you did beautiful work on these. I assumed you used piano wire for the tie rods...

I use #2 black surgical silk for truss rods and you can thread that through the entire body as a single length of thread pulling it taunt off the the queen posts and then after securing it, lift it up onto the queen posts to put real tension into the entire suspension.  Just don't forget the thread the turnbuckles on as you go along!!!

brr: I scared up some more CM info, that I could copy and provide, or you can track

down if you have a file:  The May 1995 issue of CM Quarterly has a roster with descriptions of the 29 CM cabooses, and, again HO, caboose plans of CM 418, different from CM 407 out of MR.  MR Dec.1964 has a review of an HO brass Model Engineering Works CM 4-6-0.. (this reminds me that I THINK I read somewhere that MEW had imported a few O scale versions of this engine, two rail)  (if we could just get

Mullet River to crank one of those CM caboose out...but I felt lucky to get a CB&Q/C&S kit with a side door) (for Ma and Pa fans this same 1964 MR has plans for the road's

large caboose, which they say had a side door added later in life, equals two possible

versions)

 

Hello Pete,

Here's my email.

Thanks,
Adam
On Jan 8, 2015 3:39 PM, "O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum" <alerts@hoop.la>
wrote:

 

I have to give it a try.

look gorgeous.

The mail stand look good too!!

AG.

 

Thank You very much for the information, colorado hirailer. I'll try and find the resources provided before asking you to hassle with making copies.