Recommendations for a semi-scale Pennsylvania caboose

Lionel made a nice Porthole caboose in several flavors.

LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD,  Is it traditional Lionel size?

I think that the porthole caboose is scale, but based on a relatively small prototype. So it does not look too out of place behind the larger traditional-sized engines. To give you an idea, here's a picture of the porthole caboose next to the standard SP type traditional Lionel caboose. The difference in size is most easily appreciated in a top-down view.

The Lionel 6-36530 fits with my semi-scale rolling stock quite nicely

http://www.lionel.com/products...pola-caboose-6-36530

Min Curve: O-27
Dimensions: Length:  7 1/4”

-Bruce

I have a K-Line semi-scale caboose I found on eBay for about $35 to run with my K-Line Alco FA's. Mine is brown with yellow cupola and die-cast trucks. You can also find them in solid brown or red with either plastic or die-cast trucks. There are always a few on there.

N6b "Mae West" caboose is a great PRR cabin.

The Lionel n5c cabin car postwar and correct are very close to scale. I have compared it with a Weaver Models brass scale N5c cabin car and the Lionel is so close. The MTH premier and RK versions of the N5c are more 1:43 scale and thus a little taller and a little wider but proportionately look good.

K-Line N5c cabins are too quirky looking. The angles are off on the cupola as well as the trucks are positioned too far in.

I am surprised no one has mentioned Williams and their N5c lettered for just about every road. I think these are the same size as post war Lionel though. The tin Lionel N5 is pretty nice and would for sure fit in the semi scale category.

Pete

Jeff,

    I am surprised no one has said this yet so I will. The K4 was a passenger engine, the Pennsy pulled passenger trains with their fleets of K4s. Heavyweight passenger cars such as 15" Kline cars will look great behind your K4.

JohnB

I have a nice PRR caboose I will dig out and photo. It came with the 0-8-0 semi scale starter set. Simple but nice. 

The K4 was almost exclusively a passenger engine and remained so to its last days pulling commuters.  That said, there are pictures of it pulling reefers and a few show it pulling freight.  There was an article sometime back that stated they pulled freight to break them in after major overhauls.  Also, one may have been the only engine available when a freight engine was needed.  If you want to pull freight with your K4, I'd say do it.

You can't go wrong with a Pennsylvania porthole caboose (N5c) IMO, it looks good on the end of any freight pulled by a K4, mikado, etc.

PRR N5c:

Or, how about the Lionel Lines version;

Does this have any PRR prototype roots or is it just a fantasy item. 

Does anyone know how tall (in inches) this caboose is?

The bottom cabin you show is an N6 cabin and was used by the PRR.  I'm not sure of the scale of it compared to an RK locomotive.  The car that actually would scale out best with a PRR RK steam locomotive is Lionel's early postwar N5b.  An interesting combination of tinplate with scale like proportions.  I have a few of these I picked up at a local auction and they are smaller than my scale sized versions.

Again, what is confusing me is not the style or type of caboose but how large it is.  I used this photo on a previous thread of mine but it illustrates what I am driving at.  A O scale MTH caboose and a "traditional" William's Madison.  Assume the coach is the height of the tender.  I would like to avoid this in the future and would  like both pieces to be approximately the same size (i.e. height/scale).

When I get home this evening, I'll shoot a picture of my scale N5b cabin next to the old Lionel version.  The size difference will be very clear then.  If I could dig out my RK CNJ Pacific, it would be a better comparison, but I don't know where it is at the moment in my pile of trains ......

Jeff Noll posted:

Does anyone know how tall (in inches) this caboose is?

HEY!!!!! THAT'S MY PHOTO!!!!!

Just kidding, top of the cupbola is just about 4" and the brakeman walkway is 3"

This might be a good match.

It is a Lionel N5C from the late 1990's.  

If this interests you, send me an email (in profile).

l also have the Pittsburgh Region caboose shown above if preferred.

Was not looking specifically for this but happened to run across this YouTube video of a PRR K4 pulling freight.

Since you're running semi-scale, you're free to run a K4 with freight, passenger, or both. Heck, WBB made a PRR Hudson (which PRR didn't own) and a NYC Berkshire (which NYC never owned). 

Agree with you on the MTH Rail King caboose. I own 2 six-packs of Rail King rolling stock, but ditched the cabooses. They look ridiculous.

Here is the Lionel starter set caboose. a decent little caboose.....but I have a bunch of scale versions so it sits on the shelf....excuse the dust please!!! 

Jeff Noll posted:

Does this have any PRR prototype roots or is it just a fantasy item. 

 

No not pennsy.  Essentially a wooden NYC caboose.

Jeff,

    Here is a video of my K4(s) train. No cabin car (caboose) but a few head end express boxcars and reefers:

   It is your railroad and you can pull freight or passenger cars it is your choice.

JohnB

Jeff Noll posted:

Does this have any PRR prototype roots or is it just a fantasy item. 

 

No not pennsy.  Essentially a wooden NYC caboose."

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Yep - definitely not PRR - it's NYC. Worlds colliding. Not permitted. What was MTH thinking...!?

Anyway, the model is OK for what it is (RK) - but why the trucks are so far outboard I do not know. Not for tight curves, as other RK cars don't do this. Maybe an existing frame for a longer car...?

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The PRR Lionel PW porthole clones - as in Williams - or the later Lionel re-issues are reasonably accurate and of a smaller size. I'd go that way for your K4.

The Lionel N5c (porthole caboose) is the correct length and the body is the right height, but it is way too narrow for scale.   I kitbashed one into a scale version by cutting lengthwise down the middle and filling in with styrene and putty.   It is about 5/16-3/8 too narrow.

The MTH N5C is about correct scale.    The MTH N6 appears to be about correct scale.

I have not measured the MTH N8 or the Lionel N5 but they look close too.

The Kline N5C is all wrong in the cupola, it does not look like a pennsy caboose at all.

The Lionel low cupula car mentioned is an NYC prototype whatever lionel painted it.   It has pretty good dimensions for prototype for the NYC caboose.

So my choices in order would be the MTH N5C, MTH N6, Lionel N5b, and MTH N8.    Also get a non-fancy paint job.  In steam era, it should be all freight car color, no yellow cupola,  or black roof.   Black roof for very late team.