Tail End Tuesday

@Sitka posted:

Nice shot Dallas like that 1 stall shed, with that fine pennsy sticking her nose out.  HAGW

Thanks Mark.

The one stall shed is a stard fare MTH .   I raised the roof with rows of windows  ,  added piping  ,  added roof and side wall ventilators  ,  replaced the 'frosted window glass with see through clear plastic  ,  lightly weathered the original color and installed one of GRJ's LED light module with a strip of LEDs.

Thank You Dallas for the compliment. Have a good Tail End Tuesday all! Young couple that can't read but they are enjoying the view.

Well hello T.E.T. fans, here we are and another week is already partially over, WOW getting close to Christmas ! Today I offer one of Mr. Marx's largest cabooses (cabeese?), center cupola, and made (to my recollection) only in ATSF, Canadian Pacific, William Crooks. and NYC livery. These large cars were about 8 1/2 " long compared with the more common plastic 8 wheel cars that were about 6 3/8" long.  It is commonly labeled a "deluxe" caboose by collectors although Marx never used this label.  This one is the SF and it was made in 2 colors, red and Tuscan, this example being Tuscan.  Tuscan cabooses used white lettering and red used black.  The William Crooks caboose was unique, made much later in 1973, had simulated wood siding and no RR name.   The rest of the large cabooses were made from 1952-1959 so at best this gal is reaching her retirement age (64).  This example dated by the type of trucks (type G) is from 1957.

Here is the side view showing (unusual for Marx) add on metal railings / ladders on both forward and rear platform.

Well that's my add for today.  Hope you are all having a great week so far.

Best Wishes

Don

@Sitka posted:

Thank You Dallas for the compliment. Have a good Tail End Tuesday all! Young couple that can't read but they are enjoying the view.

I think Dad might be the detective!

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Some tails for TET............

...........make it a great hump day tomorrow.  God speed

Nice '68 Charger tail end, too! Missed it last week...

@Bill Swatos posted:

Nice '68 Charger tail end, too! Missed it last week...

Pretty easy to miss post now that it seems there are so much activity on the forum.  Really great to see .

Here's my rear of this fine Tuesday!

Prewar varnish action...

Mitch

Tail End Tuesday!

One of my favorite SP cabooses!

Mitch, I would be interested in the "tale" of how you acquired the varnish, if not posted elsewhere.

@coach joe posted:

Mitch, I would be interested in the "tale" of how you acquired the varnish, if not posted elsewhere.

https://ogrforum.com/...1#173456840901813861

Names have been withheld to protect the innocent. 

Mitch

Colorado & Southern 549 air conditioned coach carries the markers on mail train #7 while Fort Worth & Denver SILVER TRAY completes #2 Texas Zephyr.

The photo of a photo is from Steve Allen Goen’s first book covering the Fort Worth & Denver Rwy.  It is my primary source of reference material for FW&D.
Happy TET !!

Why am I showing one end of a P70 coach?  Because it is the tail end of an express train and is serving as the rider car for the workers that will load/unload the cars at each stop.

New York Central caboose #19654 is an MTH Railking model (30-7721, MSRP $39.95) produced in 1998. This one gets a lot of mileage on my layouts.

MELGAR

@CAPPilot posted:

Why am I showing one end of a P70 coach?  Because it is the tail end of an express train and is serving as the rider car for the workers that will load/unload the cars at each stop.

Ron;

Forgive my ignorance, but what is an express train - is that the same as a mail train??? Thanks.

Here's my rears for this fine Tuesday!  

@Apples55 posted:

Ron;

Forgive my ignorance, but what is an express train - is that the same as a mail train??? Thanks.

Mail trains and express trains were similar in that they were used on certain routes had more mail traffic or more express traffic than could be handled on regular passenger trains.  A mail train would have, in addition to RPOs and mail storage cars, baggage cars in express service, and express and refrigerator cars.  An express train would have mostly express cars, like Railway Express Cars and refrigerator cars, but could have some RPOs and/or mail storage cars.  I have seen some old films from the 40s and 50s where the narrator referred to a train as an express and I did not see any RPOs.

These trains might or might not have some passenger coaches but they always had a rider car.  These cars, from modified cabooses to old passenger cars, were for the train crew.

As an FYI, an accommodation train is a passenger train with coaches and sleepers but with a lot of headend cars such as an RPO, mail storage cars, express cars and refrigerator cars. 

Here is a video of my express train (or since it has two RPOs is it a mail train?)

On the subject of NYC "tail ends," here's a late MPC/Fundimensions-era extended vision caboose in "Pacemaker" livery I acquired recently to complement my NYC F3 growler set in freight service:

I was inspired by @MELGAR 's very nicely detailed MTH version, but got a "budget" version. I reversed the handwheels so they face inward as they should and "frosted" the clear polystyrene insert so one cannot see the incandescent bulb through the windows as the caboose rolls by. The polystyrene insert is still removable so I can add an interior later. I also had to re-engineer the spring tensioner for the lighting collector roller as she "flickered" quite badly out of the box.

I guess that's all part of the "fun" in Fundimensions!

Nice explanation, Ron. Thanks.

I really like the very subdued MTHRRC identifier in the upper right corner. It is unnoticeable, as opposed to some of the more obvious declarations on MTHRRC issued items.

Nighttime in the coach yard

Have a good TET all Pennsy and a Northern Pacific on a evening run.

Well T.E.T. fans good to see everyone again.  @CAPPilot- thanks for the interesting discussion on "mail" vs "express" trains, I will admit I never before knew the differences. @Apples55 - I wanted to comment on your new bookends that model CUT.  Our family lived in the Dayton area of Ohio for 18 years (only 50 miles from Cincinatti) and I visited the Terminal several times, often for their big train display at Christmas and on 2 occasions we boarded the "Chessie Steam Special" there .  It is truly a unique and awesome structure and worth a visit anytime anyone comes close.

Well today I have an interesting old warrior...the Lionel 6257 caboose. I acquired this at last weekends train show in Austin, Tx for the sum of $10, but it turned out I did not have one in my collection.  Lionel made so many variations on this caboose that Greenberg's guide has nearly a 1/2 chapter on cars numbered 6257 alone.  Made during the early postwar years, 1948-1952, they were offered just after the re-issues of the pre-war sheet metal cabooses as Lionel became more familiar with the plastic casting process.  She represents the beginning of a very long line of SP type cabooses made in many varieties right up to the end of the original Lionel.  This one uses the first die for its casting  and has the first type lettering, making is likely nearer to 1948 than 1952. A key feature of die #1 is window frames on the side windows of the cupola  but none on the front or rear windows.

Here she is the Lionel 6257 caboose, offered from 1948-1952 (note the lettering sates "built 1947" which is not really correct).  As best I can date it from the die used in the casting and the lettering, I feel this example falls most likely in the early part of that period.  The 6257 was not a top of the line car , having platform rails but no ladders or hand wheels and plastic truck frames  so she was likely used in middle priced outfits.   This version shows no evidence of ever having been illuminated but I am sure other examples could have lighting.  However, she does have an automatic coupler on both ends.  These came both with and without the "SP" designation and in both this dark red and bright red colors at various points during their period of availability.

Here is the view from the rear quarter.  Note that the rear cupola windows (front as well) do not have any cast in window frames but the side windows have them.

Here is the front quarter view, again no cast in window frames for the cupola windows.

Best wishes for a great week

Don

Another TET already ...................

.............keeps the tails ruling on the layouts instead of ruling as shelf queens .      Make it a perfect day all.     God speed.

@Don McErlean posted:

Well T.E.T. fans good to see everyone again.  @CAPPilot- thanks for the interesting discussion on "mail" vs "express" trains, I will admit I never before knew the differences. @Apples55 - I wanted to comment on your new bookends that model CUT.  Our family lived in the Dayton area of Ohio for 18 years (only 50 miles from Cincinatti) and I visited the Terminal several times, often for their big train display at Christmas and on 2 occasions we boarded the "Chessie Steam Special" there .  It is truly a unique and awesome structure and worth a visit anytime anyone comes close.

Well today I have an interesting old warrior...the Lionel 6257 caboose. I acquired this at last weekends train show in Austin, Tx for the sum of $10, but it turned out I did not have one in my collection.  Lionel made so many variations on this caboose that Greenberg's guide has nearly a 1/2 chapter on cars numbered 6257 alone.  Made during the early postwar years, 1948-1952, they were offered just after the re-issues of the pre-war sheet metal cabooses as Lionel became more familiar with the plastic casting process.  She represents the beginning of a very long line of SP type cabooses made in many varieties right up to the end of the original Lionel.  This one uses the first die for its casting  and has the first type lettering, making is likely nearer to 1948 than 1952. A key feature of die #1 is window frames on the side windows of the cupola  but none on the front or rear windows.

Here she is the Lionel 6257 caboose, offered from 1948-1952 (note the lettering sates "built 1947" which is not really correct).  As best I can date it from the die used in the casting and the lettering, I feel this example falls most likely in the early part of that period.  The 6257 was not a top of the line car , having platform rails but no ladders or hand wheels and plastic truck frames  so she was likely used in middle priced outfits.   This version shows no evidence of ever having been illuminated but I am sure other examples could have lighting.  However, she does have an automatic coupler on both ends.  These came both with and without the "SP" designation and in both this dark red and bright red colors at various points during their period of availability.

Here is the view from the rear quarter.  Note that the rear cupola windows (front as well) do not have any cast in window frames but the side windows have them.

Here is the front quarter view, again no cast in window frames for the cupola windows.

Best wishes for a great week

Don

Once again, great history lesson, Professor McErlean! I've got the 6047 Variation D version of this caboose:

Apparently, the 6047 was only offered for sale in 1963 and does not carry the "SP" marking. The question I have is did Lionel offer any "premium" versions of the SP-style caboose that had more detailed endwork with handwheels and/or ladders? The molded in slots in the roof at both ends indicate that ladders, at least, would have been present on some versions.

@Bill Swatos- Bill in answer to your question about premium versions of the SP style caboose ... yes some premium versions were made.  They came in several levels

a. First was the addition of some much more colorful livery plus illumination and a smokestack - This is illustrated by the 6657 from 1957-58 which came in a really neat yellow / black / grey color scheme with an add on smokestack plus lighting.  It did not have however automatic couplers on both ends, just one.

b. The next level was the  6357 which was not too different from the 6257 except it had a clear plastic insert that went inside all of the windows and it came with lighting and a smokestack.  This caboose was produced for an extraordinary length of time, 1948-1961 and came in a wide variety of configurations.  Again only one automatic coupler and it was made in browinsh red, bright red, maroon, and Tuscan

c. Then there was the 6457, probably the closest to a "premium" model that is reasonably available.  It was lighted, had ladders to the roof from the platforms, smokestack, battery box underneath, two brake wheels and two automatic couplers.  Available 1949-1952 so it is almost a sister in time to the 6257 from my post but with lots more details. It came in gloss brown, flat brown, brownish maroon, and maroon.

d. Finally came the 6557, which came with a smokestack with a smoke deflector and a smoke unit inside. It was made in Tuscan, and dark Tuscan.  This is very scarce and difficult to find.  It was also illuminated, had one brake wheel at the rear, and one magnetic coupler.  It was part of set 2521W that came with the 746 short stripe tender from 1958.

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@Bill Swatos- Bill in answer to your question about premium versions of the SP style caboose ... yes some premium versions were made.  They came in several levels

a. First was the addition of some much more colorful livery plus illumination and a smokestack - This is illustrated by the 6657 from 1957-58 which came in a really neat yellow / black / grey color scheme with an add on smokestack plus lighting.  It did not have however automatic couplers on both ends, just one.

b. The next level was the  6357 which was not too different from the 6257 except it had a clear plastic insert that went inside all of the windows and it came with lighting and a smokestack.  This caboose was produced for an extraordinary length of time, 1948-1961 and came in a wide variety of configurations.  Again only one automatic coupler and it was made in browinsh red, bright red, maroon, and Tuscan

c. Then there was the 6457, probably the closest to a "premium" model that is reasonably available.  It was lighted, had ladders to the roof from the platforms, smokestack, battery box underneath, two brake wheels and two automatic couplers.  Available 1949-1952 so it is almost a sister in time to the 6257 from my post but with lots more details. It came in gloss brown, flat brown, brownish maroon, and maroon.

d. Finally came the 6557, which came with a smokestack with a smoke deflector and a smoke unit inside. It was made in Tuscan, and dark Tuscan.  This is very scarce and difficult to find.  It was also illuminated, had one brake wheel at the rear, and one magnetic coupler.  It was part of set 2521W that came with the 746 short stripe tender from 1958.

Best Wishes

Don

Don, thank you ever so much for this informative reply. Only one problem now. You've convinced me that I need a 6557!

@Bill Swatos-  Hey Mate!  You and almost every other collector!!  My advice, Greenberg's PW book has a rather good and detailed description of this caboose.  Since smoke units can be installed and are often sold as separate items, please be certain that the caboose you elect to buy meets the known criteria.  For example the Tuscan painted version has a black smoke unit and a black smoke deflector over the smokestack whereas the Dark Tuscan version has a brown smoke unit  and no brakewheel and finally there is a Dark Tuscan version with a white smoke unit and a brown smoke deflector over the stack.  In all cases the lettering and numbering are NOT parallel  (i.e. not positioned the same on both sides). (Info from "Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1945-1969, Vol 1, 1989).  Good luck, I must say that the price even today would likely be or exceed $500 for a Ex / Ln example.

Out of my range for sure!!

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@Bill Swatos-  Hey Mate!  You and almost every other collector!!  My advice, Greenberg's PW book has a rather good and detailed description of this caboose.  Since smoke units can be installed and are often sold as separate items, please be certain that the caboose you elect to buy meets the known criteria.  For example the Tuscan painted version has a black smoke unit and a black smoke deflector over the smokestack whereas the Dark Tuscan version has a brown smoke unit  and no brakewheel and finally there is a Dark Tuscan version with a white smoke unit and a brown smoke deflector over the stack.  In all cases the lettering and numbering are NOT parallel  (i.e. not positioned the same on both sides). (Info from "Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains, 1945-1969, Vol 1, 1989).  Good luck, I must say that the price even today would likely be or exceed $500 for a Ex / Ln example.

Out of my range for sure!!

Best Wishes

Don

Thanks for this further guidance Don. I was looking at some of these on the 'bay and the prices didn't seem terrible ($100-$200). Looking again, none seem to be correct as you describe above indicating that smoke units have been replaced. Several have deflectors that are a translucent amber plastic, possibly poly(etherimide) or poly(ethersulfone), neither of which would have been readily available for toy manufacture in the late '50's.

Have a great TeT all! Couple Shantys passing each other. God Speed!

Well Happy T.E.T. to everyone.  Today I have a "tail end" that is nearly 100 years old.  It is the Lionel 253 and two 610 Pullmans and a 612 observation.  This one from 1925-26.

Here is the T.E.T. view as she leaves the station.

Here is a little better look at the loco and leading Pullman's.

Hope your week is going well

Best Wishes

Don

NYC #19654 is the same caboose that I posted last week. It’s in many of my pictures because it’s on my layout whenever a New York Central freight train is running.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

NYC #19654 is the same caboose that I posted last week. It’s in many of my pictures because it’s on my layout whenever a New York Central freight train is running.

MELGAR

MELGAR is that Cab made of die cast or plastic?

Ron

TET, from the TCA 25th anniversary set.

Steve

@PRRronbh posted:

MELGAR is that Cab made of die cast or plastic?

Ron

Ron,

NYC #19654 is an MTH Railking plastic caboose (30-7721) that sold for $39.95 when it was released in 1998.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Ron,

NYC #19654 is an MTH Railking plastic caboose (30-7721) that sold for $39.95 when it was released in 1998.

MELGAR

That's a good looking caboose Mel.

I've had one just like that in the back of my mind but for the Pennsy.

Mel, hope I’m not stepping on your toes. I have both the plastic and die cast versions. Here’s a coupla pictures. Die cast caboose has never been out of it box before tonight. I forgot I had it, until the question was asked of Mel. Die cast version has the lighter color, clear windows, and brakeman in the cupola.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

That's a good looking caboose Mel.

I've had one just like that in the back of my mind but for the Pennsy.

Here ya go, Dallas. Rugged Rails 33-7801

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

Here ya go, Dallas. Rugged Rails 33-7801

Now if I can hire a second story man I can finally get one.

Thanks for sharing the photo Mark.

@MELGAR posted:

Ron,

NYC #19654 is an MTH Railking plastic caboose (30-7721) that sold for $39.95 when it was released in 1998.

MELGAR

Hi Mel,  At first sight thought I had this one also.  A check of the inventory and pics show others.

The die cast MTH at left and the Lionel at right,

And here the P&LE version trailing the P&LE A-2a Berk.

Ron