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My tail-ender for the last day of 2024 is an unlettered Northeastern caboose trailing New York Central Alco RS-3 #8344 and three Connecticut boxcars on my 10X5 layout. The model was made by MTH. I usually run it behind locomotives for which I don’t have a correctly lettered caboose.

MELGAR

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Last edited by MELGAR

Well here it is the "Tail End" not just of a train but of a year...end of 2024 and the opening of 2025.  So for you tonight, here is some "JOY"...A Gerard Model Works (soon to be Marx) Joy Line train from about 1928-1930 just before the Marx take over of the company and introducing Marx trains that would continue on till the 1970's.

Joy Line Train full consist rear view

Best Wishes and Happy New Year

Don

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  • Joy Line Train full consist rear view

My tail-ender for this Tuesday, January 7, 2025 is Boston & Albany woodside caboose #1255 (Lionel 2426970), a custom run by MrMuffin'sTrains. It’s very detailed but I’m not sure if it’s prototypical for the B&A. I think it’s meant to be a match to a green B&A Berkshire locomotive that was a recent custom run by MrMuffin. Sunset/3rd Rail also delivered a green B&A 2-8-2 Mikado during 2024. I’m a fan of the B&A and plan to run this behind several of my B&A locomotives, one of which is a green J-2 Hudson.

MELGAR

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Here's my rear for this fine Tuesday!   A RMT smoking porthole caboose with radio antenna in American Railroads anniversary paint scheme.   I bought this caboose several years ago when RMT was supposedly going out of business but was coming up with "last minute" warehouse finds.  This was one of those "finds".  AND I'm glad RMT is still currently in business too!   Incidentally, I leave the smoke unit off.  I think these RMT cabooses are basically the K line smoking caboose ... and of course K line smoking cabooses' smoke units, when turned on, melt the roof ... not good!  

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@MELGAR posted:

My tail-ender for this Tuesday, January 7, 2025 is Boston & Albany woodside caboose #1255 (Lionel 2426970), a custom run by MrMuffin'sTrains. It’s very detailed but I’m not sure if it’s prototypical for the B&A. I think it’s meant to be a match to a green B&A Berkshire locomotive that was a recent custom run by MrMuffin. Sunset/3rd Rail also delivered a green B&A 2-8-2 Mikado during 2024. I’m a fan of the B&A and plan to run this behind several of my B&A locomotives, one of which is a green J-2 Hudson.

MELGAR

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MELGAR - Absolutely lovely!!!

In the early 1930's Lionel took over the financially troubled Ives Corporation and in fact continued the line for  a few years.  They mostly used a Lionel designed line of freight cars in two sizes and all lithographed.  Lionel was looking for a less expensive alternative to their enameled cars due to the onset of the Great Depression suppressing sales of toys.  They originally brought these cars out with "Ives" in the black circle as an extension of the Ives line.  However, after one year, they eliminated Ives from their offering but continued to offer the cars but with the word "Lionel" substituted for the Ives name.  These cars continued just about all the way to the onset of WWII.

So here is the #1722 Lionel lithographed caboose.

Lionel 1722 lithograph caboose

Best Wishes, Don

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Rutland wood-sided caboose #36 (MTH 20-91496) is at the tail-end of a train pulled by Rutland GE 70-ton locomotive #500 on my 12’-by-8’ layout.  The caboose is lettered for “The Whippet,” a Rutland fast freight train, and was an exclusive run by Forum sponsor Public Delivery Track. A Rutland wood-sided boxcar and Bellows Falls Co-Operative Creamery (Brookside) milk car are in the consist.

The video shows the train and caboose trundling across the truss bridge on the O36 inner loop of my layout.

MELGAR

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The Juice Train is followed up by this USPS 100th anniversary caboose was on of the $25 no box items on the shelf in front of the new rolling stock at a LHS.  I would say it was from a set break up except a piece of railing is broken on each end.  Opposite corners so my story is that piece is missing by design so crew can access the ladders easily.

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At the height of the Great Depression about 1932, American Flyer (Chicago Flyer) like most toy makers was desperate to develop a line of toys that they could offer at prices that would still be attractive to many Americans in tough economic circumstances.  For example, my father worked for a company that told the employees that they had to cut employee expenses by 1/2.  It made an offer that they would keep everyone employed if they worked for 1/2 pay.  The employees agreed and the company kept its promise not to lay anyone off...Both the company and the employees survived!

To reduce the expense of making this car (and its companion coach) Flyer developed a method of making it from one single piece of sheet metal.  The design was lithographed to a flat sheet including the couplers, roof and the truck side frames and the needed openings stamped out.  The car was then formed out of this single sheet by folding it "origami " style into the car.  This vastly reduced assembly costs.  Thus they just added the wheels / axles and bent the coupler into an "L" and they were done.  

So here is the Depression Era, #513 Chicago Flyer Observation Car.


American Flyer 513 obs car side view
American Flyer 513 obs car rear view

Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Don

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Well this car this morning sort of represents a couple of "tail ends", its 1936 and the country is just beginning to come out of the depression which reached its peak (or valley) in 1932.  So American Flyer (Chicago Flyer) is trying to make available some low price trains that parents might "dare" to budget for this year.  So here is the 1936-1937 American Flyer, #1127 caboose.  A simple 4 wheel, all lithographed freight car that can be sold for a low price point.

Note the concessions to low price.  All lithographed, no window frames, cupola not pierced, no railings on platforms, and 2-color livery.  The entire car is just a simple tab type construction so goes together easily and fast.  This version is the least expensive, it was actually also made with 4 wheel trucks on nearly the same platform with the same number and body.

  American Flyer 1127 caboose side

Here you can see some of the "rough edges" in the assembly as the overhangs did not really come together well.  HOWEVER, I am willing to bet that some 5-10 year old youngster who found this train under their Christmas tree or on their birthday after years of very tough times didn't care one little bit and it became a well loved plaything.

American Flyer 1127 caboose front quarter

Best Wishes Everyone.

Don

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For this TET I've got a MTH Rail King NYC steel caboose No. 20112.  I believe it's another set break up or pre-owned piece of rolling stock I picked up at a LHS while I was living on Lawn Guy Land!  I've identified it as Item No. 30-4046D.  It's currently bringing up the rear of my milk train.

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