Transfer Caboose

Although way too new for my era, that is a REALLY nice job. Now all you need to do is up-grade everything to scale couplers (Kadee), and you will be truly 3RS.

 

Excellent work!

My O Scale layout is a switching road amd can you.give directions to.how you made.this please.

B&LE643

 

This was as much a history project as a building project.  I spent over a year doing research.  I searched the internet and studied every book on PC that I could find.  The June 1974 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman has an article on kitbashing an HO N9 transfer caboose.  I was also fortunate that a local business has a N9 on display that I was able to photograph and access for measurements.

 

As for the actual construction, I started with a Lionel 40' PS-1 boxcar.  (Any 40' boxcar should work.)  After removing the trucks, shell and mounting posts, I cut the corners out for the steps.  I fabricated the cabin from Plastruct sheet with wood interior bracing. (No interior details)  After the cabin was mounted in place I installed wood floors on the decks at each end.  I scribed the wood to look like individual planks.  (The wood covers up the holes where the mounting post were.)  The roof is an Atlas O extended vision caboose roof that I spliced and trimmed to fit the cabin.  The handrails are made with brass wire and plastruct I beam material.  The steps and rain guards were fabricated from sheet brass.  Many of the detail parts were fabricated from misc. brass tubing and bar stock that I had on hand. The window glazing is clear acetate that I painted black on the back side.   Using an air brush, I painted the car with Poly Scale Penn Central Green. (F414368)  The Decals are a mixture of HO and O scale Penn Central and New York Central decals from Microscale.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Tom

 

 

I was hoping to find a transfer caboose in the GTW scheme like seen in the Battle Creek, MI railyard for several decades. That might need to be scratchbuilt like the one you built.

 

Andrew

I want to build one for the GM&O RR; they had a few.

 

Bill 

That is NICE!  

 

My first train ride that I remember was on one of those in Harrison, OH.  What a thrill.

 

since then, I had become un-fond of them, but I am becoming fond of them now.  The whitewater valley railroad did a magnificent restoration of one of these with some modifications and it has piqued my interest.  I just bought my first O guage penn central engine and started to look for the transfer caboose with no luck, of course.   While I have only bought scale stuff previously, I went with the Williams PC Geep to run on the floor for the kiddies and would want a non scale version if available.  

looks like a Russ Briggs Transfer caboose

I modeled a Penn Central Alco S-2 that my grandfather was photographed standing next to. Alco S-2s on the PC very frequently traveled with these transfer cabooses, so I would absolutely be in for one if they were mass-produced.

When I think about building/kitbashing a caboose, I automatically reach for an old

Bob Peare "Traincraft" kit, but I don't think there were any transfer cabooses in

that series.  I don't think Bobbye Hall's "Hallmark" series of brass cabooses, which

had a couple of ATSF drover's, had one, either.  Neither would probably be modern

enough for the diesel era.

Like Patrick said, Russ Briggs Designs made a brass kit. They can still be found at shows now and then and Evil Bay is also a good place to look!

 

Simon