Weaver, may it rest in peace, was the one and only mass producer of an O Gauge/Scale Milwaukee Road rib-sided caboose that I am aware of. It was a brass model not produced in Northumberland, therefore, acquisition of Weaver tooling by Lionel, MTH, Atlas or others will not address what may be a viable product offering.
I am posting this new (old) topic in the hope that forum members will register a level of interest sufficient for a Lionel/MTH/Atlas/BrotherLove to explore mass production of this car.
Such a hope is not entirely unrealistic, witness the success of Lionel's B&O wagon-top caboose. After years of brass-only offerings, Lionel took the plunge and the cars have flown off the shelves - shortly after their release, the only place I could find them was on ebay at premium prices.
What say ye?