MTH approves special run Premier Lackawanna and EL center cupola cabooses

Great news Beth. I love the two cabooses you and Steve have chosen.

Beth, you worked for the EL? So many nice cabooses were scrapped back then. Nice to see some Erie and Lackawanna models coming out…

Tom

This is great news, Beth. I used to run out to Croxton to photograph EL trains, when in my late teens, and still living in Hoboken. It’s nice to see the Lackawanna livery.

Artie

Any chance of getting one done in MoPac or T&P?

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Any chance of getting one done in MoPac or T&P?

I tried to push as MP and T&P almost never done.  Never got any traction. I don’t understand why.  None ever turn up in secondary market too.  I’d love to have one of each.

@Beth Marshall-The Public Delivery Track posted:

Personally, a million years ago, I rode around on C102 and C892 a few times when I worked for the EL. 

beth

Are you a Jersey Girl?

What did you do at EL ... if you don't mind me asking

You have two older Atlas tank cars that I'm going to be ordering from you, I don't know ... I do like Lackawanna stuff.

Jim

Jefferson NJ

I could do MP and TP tomorrow.  Why not?   They are railroads that I have little direct knowledge of, and I dont know which paint schemes would be the most popular....which would sell best.   I also have no real knowledge of the MP and TP fan base.  Remember, I have to sell 70 of any special run car, just to break even.  Im sure I could sell 20 or 30 of MP or TP, but beyond that, IDK.   There's demand for Rock Island cabooses too, but similarly, IDK if it will go beyond 30 pieces.

Personally, I have good knowledge of the railroads in the Northeast, and in southern Calif. so I do those RR's, cause I have the knowledge.  I also lived in the Chicago-Milwaukee area for a time, and in St Louis...so I have some knowledge of RR's in that area too.   I know the MoPac went into StLouis and Chicago, but i never saw that much of them.   The only MoPac cabooses I ever saw were those short bay window ones, with that large end platforms, and the screaming eagle logo.  I was in Jenks shop once...and acquired the # boards off a derelict MP U boat...lol.  Theyre around here somewhere...

I'd be happy to do TP, MP, RI....but its $5500 per road name to get them done, and I dont have that money lying around to throw and the wall and see if it sticks.

A good start would be  posting pix of other cabooses that you think will sell...not just what u want personally, but what you know others would want.    And if anyone wants to invest 5.5K in a highly speculative  proposition. LMK.

beth

Beth how do you fill about doing a Penn Central caboose. Same style of body as the above two cabooses. Jade green body with black roof.

Here is a link to a HO Brass model of the MP version of this caboose.

https://www.brasstrains.com/cl...-Steel-Caboose-11040

I don't know numbers but I do think the MP / TP and MKT fan base is underestimated by the model companies. I also think the model companies do a huge disservice to them by constantly offering the same blue and gray Eagle boxcar over and over. All three were big roads and a lot more equipment.

What I do know is that any time an Atlas Extended vision caboose or an MTH Steel caboose in MP come up for sale on that austion site there is always a bidding war.

It's your money though so you have to do what you must to make your sales. I totally understand.

Thanks for at least listening and explaining your side of the equation.

Are these 3 rail only?

Yes, 3 rail only.    Basically. I feel that I cant make an order too complicated.  Asking for the EL cabooses to be , more or less, in 2 different schemes, Is a big ask.  Im the only person asking for special runs this way, so i dont want to compkicate the order even more with 3r and 2r, since Im the only person asking for that, too.   If the order gets too complicated , it gets pushed on  the back burner, and not done.

I also was afraid that the 2 railers would object to this basically being a Reading/LV style caboose, and not an Erie Dunmore, or DLW Kaiser Valley caboose.   Obviously, no one is going to do all new tooling just to make exactly correct EL or DLW cabooses,  Gotta do what's close, or nothing at all..

I do have MTH 2 rail caboose trucks in stock..  I'll make it possible to buy 2 rail truckls for MTH at a reduced price, with the purchase of a car.  It takes some doing in the computer, but I'll try to get that option up

Beth

Beth, I think it’s great that you and Steve are coming up with these cabooses. As a longtime fan of the Lackawanna, and then, EL, it was hard to find anything just after WWll to find anything for the road that was nearest to me, except for the DL&W work caboose. (Never saw one in real life!). Then, Lionel came out with the Erie bay window. Later, at the turn of the century, we had the RMT DL&W caboose, and the K-Line EL bay window (also quite accurate). The only way to get an authentic caboose was to get a brass one (way too expensive for a film archivist!). I’m now lucky to have a real looking DL&W caboose, thanks to Malcolm (Brother Love), but I still love to run my postwar ones as well. I think these will look and sell very well.

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Here is a link to a HO Brass model of the MP version of this caboose.

https://www.brasstrains.com/cl...-Steel-Caboose-11040

I don't know numbers but I do think the MP / TP and MKT fan base is underestimated by the model companies. I also think the model companies do a huge disservice to them by constantly offering the same blue and gray Eagle boxcar over and over. All three were big roads and a lot more equipment.

What I do know is that any time an Atlas Extended vision caboose or an MTH Steel caboose in MP come up for sale on that austion site there is always a bidding war.

It's your money though so you have to do what you must to make your sales. I totally understand.

Thanks for at least listening and explaining your side of the equation.

That brass HO model is Beautiful.
I think MP T&P MKT Frisco base is underestimated too. It IS Nearly impossible to find a caboose for these Roads  - I’ll exclude the flimsy Trainman models.  And yes - we don’t need any more blue and grey boxcars.

@Beth Marshall-The Public Delivery Track posted:

I could do MP and TP tomorrow.  Why not?   They are railroads that I have little direct knowledge of, and I dont know which paint schemes would be the most popular....which would sell best.   I also have no real knowledge of the MP and TP fan base.  Remember, I have to sell 70 of any special run car, just to break even.  Im sure I could sell 20 or 30 of MP or TP, but beyond that, IDK.   There's demand for Rock Island cabooses too, but similarly, IDK if it will go beyond 30 pieces.

Personally, I have good knowledge of the railroads in the Northeast, and in southern Calif. so I do those RR's, cause I have the knowledge.  I also lived in the Chicago-Milwaukee area for a time, and in St Louis...so I have some knowledge of RR's in that area too.   I know the MoPac went into StLouis and Chicago, but i never saw that much of them.   The only MoPac cabooses I ever saw were those short bay window ones, with that large end platforms, and the screaming eagle logo.  I was in Jenks shop once...and acquired the # boards off a derelict MP U boat...lol.  Theyre around here somewhere...

I'd be happy to do TP, MP, RI....but its $5500 per road name to get them done, and I dont have that money lying around to throw and the wall and see if it sticks.

A good start would be  posting pix of other cabooses that you think will sell...not just what u want personally, but what you know others would want.    And if anyone wants to invest 5.5K in a highly speculative  proposition. LMK.

beth

Can you just pick a red or brown color for say a run of 100 ? Then Do like (or share with) Mr Muffin. He’s doing a heavyweight run - all in green. He has decals to be applied for specific roads and some light spay over the decals to “disguise” the decals “look”. (I don’t know who executed this).
Pick 4 or 5 underrepresented Roads - so 20-25 each. MP TP FRISCO for me.  I’d be in for one of these 3 Immediately !!! Magor or Steel preferred by me. EV OK. No Trainman please.
Cheers !!!

We might be able to add on some unlettered red cabooses.  I'll ask MTH.  I just dont have time for lettering.  I would just sell them unlettered.  If steve wants to do lettering, thats up to him...

Atlas made the caboose but not in Missouri Pacific.

http://archive.atlasrr.com/ORS/arc-otmcocab.htm

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

Atlas made the caboose but not in Missouri Pacific.

http://archive.atlasrr.com/ORS/arc-otmcocab.htm

Interesting. I’ve not seen - actually not paid any attention to the issues. 2017 issue only one out there / 2020 still not delivered. Hmmm. That’s not surprising I guess.  And it’s Trainman. I wonder about the quality. I had the TM MP bay window caboose but got rid of it because of poor quality and it was flimsy.  This is a case where I’d rather have the Magor by Atlas Premier (MTH). MP Did have a Magor “knock off”. I can’t find that T&P had any though.

The KO&G had them and were absorbed by the MP / T&P.

http://trainweb.org/screamingeagle/caboose1.html

I have seen a picture of one lettered for T&P in the KO&G colors and one with the T&P diamond but just cannot find them.

@Beth Marshall-The Public Delivery Track posted:

Yes, 3 rail only.    Basically. I feel that I cant make an order too complicated.  Asking for the EL cabooses to be , more or less, in 2 different schemes, Is a big ask.  Im the only person asking for special runs this way, so i dont want to compkicate the order even more with 3r and 2r, since Im the only person asking for that, too.   If the order gets too complicated , it gets pushed on  the back burner, and not done.

I also was afraid that the 2 railers would object to this basically being a Reading/LV style caboose, and not an Erie Dunmore, or DLW Kaiser Valley caboose.   Obviously, no one is going to do all new tooling just to make exactly correct EL or DLW cabooses,  Gotta do what's close, or nothing at all..

I do have MTH 2 rail caboose trucks in stock..  I'll make it possible to buy 2 rail truckls for MTH at a reduced price, with the purchase of a car.  It takes some doing in the computer, but I'll try to get that option up

Beth

That makes sense. I understand. I agree with you that most 2 railers would object to the caboose being a Reading caboose. I researched the 896 caboose and the window arrangements on both the side of the caboose and the cupola are different but the dimensions appear (me eyeballing it) to be very close. I am considering buying one as I really like the paint scheme and color which is accurate. Don't worry about adding the option for 2 rail trucks as I have a couple of extra sets of those already on hand.

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

The KO&G had them and were absorbed by the MP / T&P.

http://trainweb.org/screamingeagle/caboose1.html

I have seen a picture of one lettered for T&P in the KO&G colors and one with the T&P diamond but just cannot find them.

GREAT link with pix. Good start. Gotta find that one with the diamond. The header pic with the Eagle is good too as it gives another option besides the buzzsaw.  This is looking better. 👍😜    
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

@TrainBub posted:

GREAT link with pix. Good start. Gotta find that one with the diamond. The header pic with the Eagle is good too as it gives another option besides the buzzsaw.  This is looking better. 👍😜    
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Here is a link to where I saw the pics. I was mistaken on the one with the T&P Diamond. You have to be a member of Facebook though.

https://www.facebook.com/group...lights&ref=notif

https://www.facebook.com/photo...pcb.2693345444299811

https://www.facebook.com/photo...pcb.2693345444299811

Beth, thanks for the  E-L caboose three rail models.  I have placed an order for one of each of the two numbers.

Like other forum posters I also worked for the E-L from 1967 to 1970.  I was based in Cleveland, Ohio and was a fireman (on a diesel) and also worked as a hostler.  

Frank

Thanks for the order!!  beth....

Beth, I just placed an order for one of the cabooses. I picked C-177. Thank you for all you do for the 2 rail side of the hobby. It is appreciated.

Beth, the two E-L models ordered October 4, 2021 as part of thus special run were received in Ohio on Wednesday, June 1st.  Thank you.  Frank