N & W C F cabooses

Malcolm, you are nailing all the signature attributes of a CF!

Ron 

They look like they're supposed to, straight out of the factory, Malcolm.

Superb. 

Oh I agree the ones you fabbed up look much better than those cast ones

  Who's castings are those?

Scale City Designs, the old Keil-Line castings.

I gotcha, thank you sir.

Those steps came from Bowser, they are Selley parts. May be from same molds though.

Man they look identical to the steps I have laying here. Even the spot where they cut from sprue is the same. Must be the same mold.

The GRAND MASTER 

I was counting on you N&W guys to help me. I installed the smokestack wires incorrectly. I am changing them now to the correct location. I also decided a few posts back to change these to match the Hundman (Mainline Modeler) drawings and photos so I will go with a different number.

Ready for paint! Downspouts installed, smoke stack corrected.

Oh wow are those gorgeous!  Malcolm you really did some fine work on these.

Brother_Love posted:

Ready for paint! Downspouts installed, smoke stack corrected.

Malcolm, you have Completely nailed  A CF!

A question what era paint and lettering scheme are you using?

These are the decals that I have.

Brother_Love posted:

These are the decals that I have.

Where did you find the decals? I'm starting work on a CF caboose soon and haven't been able to find any suitable decals.

Brother_Love posted:

These are the decals that I have.

Malcolm, that IS the late steam early diesel era lettering scheme.  This is as started  December 2, 1947 then not revised until January, 1964.  This is when the "hamburger" logo was added.

March, 1953 is when the roofs were paint with the dark brown Dednox or Mortex No. 4 asphaltic paint.  This paint quickly collected coal dust looking like faded black.

Ron

This is on Kohs website but I believe it came from the N&W Caboose book.

Stenciling Scheme: 1E

Carbody: Red

Roof: Brown

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1F

Carbody: Red

Roof: Brown

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1H

Carbody: Red

Roof: Red

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1I (as above w/Silver roof)

Stenciling Scheme: 1J (as above w/Black roof)

Stenciling Scheme: 2A

Carbody: Blue

Roof: Blue

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: Yellow

Here are some CFs that have had their wood sides replaced with plywood and the cupola end windows replaced with new sealed glass vs windows that can be opened.  Notice how the newly painted blue CF hasn't had the red safety stripes added yet.  I have noticed that when someone manufactures N&W cabooses the blue painted one disappear fast and go for bigger bucks when sold used.  I assume due to less of them being made.

Decals

Malcolm,

I am not sure what version/era that you are modeling the caboose after.  Your photo shows an ajax brake stand but yet you modeled the early brake staff.  Normally, when a caboose went into the shop to be fitted with the metal roof, the roofwalks were changed to metal and the brakes were changed to ajax as your photo shows.  This would normally lettered using the "AND".  If you are going to model the staff brake wheel version, normally the roofs were tarp instead of metal.  The handrails were originally painted black.  This would be with the ampersand "&" used in the Norfolk and Western lettering.  Of course to model the CF caboose properly, one must have a photo of the caboose of the time period he is modeling.  Remember there were always exceptions.  Hope this helps.

Stephen

Here is a CF with staff brake stand.  I enlarged it and in my humble opinion it has metal roof, metal roof walk, and hamburger paint scheme.  When it comes to CFs I think any combination of brake stand, roof, and paint can be prototypical.

VGN: Good shot. As I said there is always exception. That is why there are over 19+ versions of the CF caboose. That is why a photo and time period is critical to model the CF correctly.

Stephen

No shots taken.  Everything I've written, pictures supplied and information shared is to encourage people to build models and help Malcolm with his fantastic work.  Perhaps Malcolm will do another batch of CFs with different details than the batch he is currently building.   Malcolm stirs my urge to cut styrene and bend brass rod.

VGN64 posted:

Here is a CF with staff brake stand.  I enlarged it and in my humble opinion it has metal roof, metal roof walk, and hamburger paint scheme.  When it comes to CFs I think any combination of brake stand, roof, and paint can be prototypical.

NOW you get it!

That photo of a CF with a 1H/1I/1J Scheme would have to be sometime after January, 1964.

And least not we forget the NW paint scheme.  Amazing that the CFs survived being between a heavy coal drag and a Y-6b pushing over Blue Ridge then being on the end of trains pulled by diesels.

nw2124 posted:

 That is why a photo and time period is critical to model the CF correctly.

Stephen

So true, research is critical for any modeling effort.

I have a photo from MM of 518032 with staff brake, wood roof walk and the "and." But 2 of the cabs are now  in surgery being converted with brake stands.

Thanks for the info. Malcolm

Surgery over and The patients are in recovery now.

VGN64 posted:

And least not we forget the NW paint scheme.  Amazing that the CFs survived being between a heavy coal drag and a Y-6b pushing over Blue Ridge then being on the end of trains pulled by diesels.

This is the "3A" Scheme adopted around mid-1971.  By then all the steam was scrap with exceptions of 611 and 1218 and maybe a few others for display.  These would have extended past the "blue" period.

VGN64 posted:

This is on Kohs website but I believe it came from the N&W Caboose book.

Stenciling Scheme: 1E

Carbody: Red

Roof: Brown

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1F

Carbody: Red

Roof: Brown

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1H

Carbody: Red

Roof: Red

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: White

Stenciling Scheme: 1I (as above w/Silver roof)

Stenciling Scheme: 1J (as above w/Black roof)

Stenciling Scheme: 2A

Carbody: Blue

Roof: Blue

End Platforms: Black

Underbody: Black

Trucks: Black

Graphics: Yellow

 

Yes the diagrams are presented in the "book".  

The 1E was adopted November, 1934 when the word stenciling was changed from 4-inches to 7-inches.  The stenciling is centered on the side.

The 1F Scheme adopted December, 1947 and the 1G Scheme adopted March, 1953 used the same stencil size BUT replaced the ampersand with the word "AND."  The 1G Scheme used the Dednox or Mortex No.4 asphaltic roof paint.  In both cases the stenciling is centered on the body.  The diagram pictured is of a C3 class cabin, not a CF.

The 1H Scheme adopted January, 1964.  Had the 36-inch diameter "hamburger" logo.  The letter stencil  is 12-inches with 9-inch numbers.  Now the stenciling was centered under the cupola center line.

Ron

Isn't it great seeing all this information being shared about the CF cabooses!!!

I remember one of my first brass CF caboose came with black handrails and I thought the importer screwed up. Come to find out that the time period for the brass caboose the handrails were black and later painted yellow.

VGN - you have posted the modern paint scheme "NW" which I have never seen before. Thanks for posting. When a brass dealer was researching the CF caboose he quit at 19 version and said no more he had enough. 

I have always wanted to do the CF caboose with the Southern lettering. I have yet to find out how Southern acquired the CF. Anyone have any information on the SRR CF.

This thread has been great!

Stephen

******** Malcom: Like the changes. Fantastic metal roof walks. **********

Could it have come to Southern by way of Interstate?  Interstate bought used equipment from N&W and VGN.  I'm thinking I once saw something about that as N&W was selling CF cabooses as more steel cabooses came online.

Malcolm, what are you using for trucks?  The best trucks I've see were done by Kohs.

N&W caboose on Interstate then to Southern.  Found this on http://hobbystop.tripod.com/id4.html

Look at #16   I'll be searching for pics next.

Cab #9 was built from an old Interstate boxcar .

  Cab #10-13 had the centered cupola with 3 windows on the front and rear.

  Cab#14-15 had the centered cupola.

  Cab #16 was purchased from N&W, it had the centered cupola.

  Cab #17 it had wooden sides and the cupola was offset to one end. (see photo page.)  Don't know what RR it came from at this time.

  Cab18-19  were purchased from Southern, they had wooden sides and the cupola was centered on the body.  Number 18 was destroyed in an yard accident.  It seems that it was sandwiched between a bunch of coal hoppers and crushed. The conductor was inside, but was warned just in time, and made his escape.  No one was injured. ( Thanks to Ed Wolfe for this bit of information.)

  Cab #20-21 were purchased from Lackawanna (#614 and 670).  They arrived at Andover with Int. markings and numbered #614 and 670. They were soon repainted and renumbered.

All  the cabs had a red body with a black roof and under frame.  White lettering and yellow steps and railings.   The newest Interstate book, volume 3, has a color photo of a couple of cabs in the 50's with different colors.  One is a mineral red color with a black roof and the other is bright red.  My guess on this is the mineral red color was an older caboose.  The bright red one looks like it has just been painted.  The Southern era brought a solid red caboose and later a red and yellow scheme.  During the early to late 60's, Southern started painting some of the cabs in a mineral red color. But, it was back to red after a new pres. took over.

 The Southern era saw the retirement of the orig. Interstate cabs and they were replaced by steel cupola cabooses.  These came from other parts of the Southern System. These were used because of some clearance problems on the line.

  X251.........Savannah & Atlanta home-built

  X252.........Savannah & Atlanta home-built

  X253.........Savannah & Atlanta home-built

  X255.........ex-Reading, Savannah & Atlanta

  X256.........ex-Reading, Savannah & Atlanta

  X257.........ex-Norfolk Southern (the orig NS)**

  All were retired in 1986.

  **Note:  This was the only Norfolk Southern caboose to be painted for Southern Railroad

and to see uses on the system.

 Special thanks to Jerry M. LaBoda for the information about the Southern Steel Cupola Caboose. Please visit his Yahoo Group - RRCaboose for pictures of these cabooses.  They are located under the files section, in the Southern Steel Cupola file. 

  Also, thanks to Ed Wolfe for the information about #18 and his books on this railroad.  Most of the information on this page came from there.

VGN64 posted:

Malcolm, what are you using for trucks?  The best trucks I've see were done by Kohs.

I am using Atlas 3R Bettendorf trucks. I have not determined what I will use on the 2R yet.

Brother_Love posted:

VGN64 posted:

Malcolm, what are you using for trucks?  The best trucks I've see were done by Kohs.

I am using Atlas 3R Bettendorf trucks. I have not determined what I will use on the 2R yet.

Who manufactured the decals and are they dry transfer or water transfer decals?

Decals were custom made and they are water slide.

Nice stuff Malcom,

Soon I will have you build me caboose. Likely Rock Island. 

Malcolm, fantastic work!!  Any pictures of the underbody detail?

Check out the roof detail on this CF.

I believe everyone should own at least one brass caboose, and at least one master piece from Malcolm.