I am one of those guys who is comfortable in 3 rail, but wants to "operate somewhat prototypical" with no duplicate road numbers. And thus I need some caboose information from "those who know". Perhaps this should have been posted in "Real Trains", but I suspect I will still get some advice.
I am modeling the end of the zebra stripe era of the Santa Fe ("around 61-63"). I am modeling an industrial switch job, so I doubt the "new paint" would show up there very early. So now you have the "set up" for the questions:
I own MTH 20-91194 ATSF offset steel caboose 1785R and would like a second caboose.
What I WANT is MTH 30-71183 ATSF offset steel caboose 1783R.
After watching OGR for sale and "da Bay" for several months, I am coming to the conclusion that might be a losing battle.
I don't like "odd ball" paint schemes, but may have to allow one of the other MTH offerings:
MTH 30-77279 ATSF offset steel caboose 2164 with the slogan: "On Santa Fe Safety Is Everybody's Business"....OR
MTH 20-91031 ATSF offset steel caboose 1579 with the slogan "Watch Out For Axy Dent".
I realize both safety slogan cars are prototypical, but...
Were either or both of the safety slogan cabooses still in daily service as late as 1961-63? If so, how common were they in the first place.
The town I lived in had a refinery and quite a bit of Santa Fe traffic in the 1950s (I simply do not recall seeing either, although if they ran from Kansas to Oklahoma City, I should have seen them.) My home town of Ponca City, OK was just 30 miles south of the crew change point in Arkansas City KS.
TRIVIA for those who like such things...the Arkansas River is NOT pronounced like the State of Arkansas in the State of Kansas, nor is the name of the town Arkansas City, Kansas on the Arkansas River adjacent to the Oklahoma state line in south central Kansas.
The river and city are pronounced R-Kansas not ARK-an-saw. The local "nickname" for the city is "Ark City". Now you can talk like a local if you ever go rail-fanning that area.