Return of the Semi-Scale Cabooses

Looking at the Santa Fe caboose I believe it to be similar to this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel...;hash=item3cb335defd

They are pretty common with some going for half the asking price of the one above.

The 1990 "semi scale" caboose was a die cast remake of the pre war scale/semi scale NYC 19000 class caboose. The 1990 remake was called semi scale because the trucks were placed outboard compared to the scale version like the semi scale pre war model. They are all close to scale size.

I am guessing the new release will be plastic and not die cast.

Pete

MTH brought out a "semi scale" die cast caboose with the trucks in the wrong location just like Lionel did 10 years earlier:

It was modified with trucks closer to prototype:

Pete

Also is there such a think as that half cupola?

Yes, it was a NYC thing.

Here is the prototype. NYC had many low clearance tunnels and built some of their engines and rolling stock to accommodate them.

Seaboard Air Line also had cabooses with a low cupola, but I don't think they ever called them "half cupolas".

I have the Lionel 717, the Williams brass version on 717 trucks, and a wood Walthers version.  I had the MTH version here long enough to know that MTH did a very poor job of duplicating the original Lionel cars.