In dire needs of direction sheets for a Labelle Drover's caboose. PLEASE. Started to clean house a bit after wife's death must have pitched them.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Dick
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CBQer posted:In dire needs of direction sheets for a Labelle Drover's caboose. PLEASE. Started to clean house a bit after wife's death must have pitched them.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Dick
I bet if you contact Rick, at LaBelle, he would send you a copy.
Jack is right.
They will also taper the roofs for you... the hardest part of the kit I thought.
I thought l read on here there were no prototypical trucks available for this, so haven't started it, but was going to use Walthers pass. trucks? What are you using or planning to use?
Already had him taper the roof. He was not around today.
Dick
The perfect trucks for this car - - now I am presuming this is the CB&Q branchline combine with cupola (never used as a drovers' car) - - were manufactured by Chooch about 35 years ago - their wood-beam 1900-era 4 wheel passenger trucks. Tricky to assemble, but beautiful in finished form. Precision scale has a number of passenger trucks that would be adequate alternatives.
Question, with respect. Then why does LaBelle call it a Drover's Caboose?
Dick
Back when this kit was designed, that probably was a generic term chosen for lack of adequate prototype research. This car is very similar to the Pagosa Jct. car on the 3 ft. D&RGW, which was never used as a drover's caboose, either. While l am interested in the Q because of its variety!! of cabooses, location, relation to C&S, l just accepted that term without in depth knowledge. I guess l will blunder on and use the Walthers trucks.
The Burlington used old coaches for drover accomodation. These were stratgically placed around the system, particularly in the livestock shipping areas. They were painted mineral red, like their waycars. They never used any form of caboose for drovers. The car in consideration was used in branchline service with passenger and LCL facilities, plus a cupola for the crew to monitor freight cars in a mixed train.
Burlington Route Historical Society Bulletin #25, addressing "Stock Cars and Livestock Traffic", described and pictured the coaches used in drover service. Dick, I think CO-HI hit the nail on the head ! BTW, CO-HI, do check Precision Scale, as their trucks are so much better then Walthers.......from the Stone Age!
mark s posted:BTW, CO-HI, do check Precision Scale, as their trucks are so much better then Walthers.......from the Stone Age!
For what it's worth, those fantastic Precision Scale (Burlington style) trucks have not been available for many, many years. I purchased the last pair of those PSC trucks that Ted Schnepf (Rail Unlimited (847) 697-5353) had, more than 6 years ago, for my LaBelle CB&Q caboose coach.
The Burlington branchline combine has a long modeling pedigree........author Merk Hobson built one in HO, employing an Ambroid passenger car kit. Featured in a construction article in the Dec 1954 Model Railroader.
The precise truck employed on this car was a "wood frame passenger truck #2", with a 7' 2" width from axle center to axle center, per CB&Q drawing #400. The class of this car was CW-6, "combination way and passenger car with steel center sill". Info to be found in the book titled "The Burlington Waycars", by RR Daniel, the absolute definitive work on Burlington cabooses/waycars (758 pages !!)
Again, the Chooch wood frame passenger truck cited above is exactly this truck........keep an eye on Ebay for one. Otherwise, many older style passenger trucks would probably be adequate.
Hot Water posted:mark s posted:BTW, CO-HI, do check Precision Scale, as their trucks are so much better then Walthers.......from the Stone Age!
For what it's worth, those fantastic Precision Scale (Burlington style) trucks have not been available for many, many years. I purchased the last pair of those PSC trucks that Ted Schnepf (Rail Unlimited (847) 697-5353) had, more than 6 years ago, for my LaBelle CB&Q caboose coach.
I got a set from Ted years ago. He used to work for the Milwaukee here in Sioux City, I have forgotten his job. Do you still have the instructions for the car?
The interest in this car has to do with the stockyard industry that drove so much of Sioux City's economy. Armour, Cudahay, Swift, Sioux City Dressed Beef, Needham as well as others. Sioux City is still pretty important in the food industry. We have the largest Tyson beef plant in the world, a new pork plant coming on line at 20,000 head a day, the world's largest honey coop (Sioux Bee Honey) Jolly time Popcorn (private owners), 20 miles up the road Well's Blue Bunny Ice Cream (private owned), Dean's Dairy, and an Ice cream cone plant, along with several smaller manufacturers. Food heaven.
Dick
And not only all the food, but a girl worth a song... "Sioux City Sue"! If l had ever seen those trucks on the Bay, l would have pounced, for l have had that kit forever, and l want the Q caboose book, for l have the MoPac one, and these two roads ran my kind of cabooses. (none of the three rail importers have contracted for any of these critters)
they created a new "Sioux City Sue" several years ago. A really cute redhead.
Dick
CBQer posted:they created a new "Sioux City Sue" several years ago. A really cute redhead.
Dick
also home for Col. Bud Day. WW2, Korea, Viet Nam. POW Nam, Medal of Honor winner. Met him a couple times, real gentleman.
Dick
Colorado Hi - Maybe contact Mike O'Connell at Chooch, perhaps he could run down a pair of those trucks.
Got the directions today from LaBelle.
Dick
We offer the following truck that should work for this car here is a link:
Scale City Designs posted:We offer the following truck that should work for this car here is a link:
What used to be the Walthers Sierra car trucks - have used them under caboose or 3, 
Generally look pretty good, too!
Here are some photos of a finished Labelle CB&Q Drovers caboose from the collection of Stan Guyer. The Rockford O Scalers acquired it after Stan passed earlier this year. We do not know who built the kit, but whoever it was did an outstanding job, complete with full interior. I believe the trucks are either Walthers or Keil-Line. We did replace the plastic wheelsets with metal ones. It really is a beautiful and unusual model.
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Frank, that is a gorgeous caboose! I am out of caboose building right now, had rotator cuff surgery.
Malcolm
