ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
What a nice Caboose.
I wonder, if you take it apart, if there is something inside that would tell us who made it? If it was a kit, someone did a great job building it. Anyhow, nice find!
I might give that top removal a try soon, but I didn't really want to disturb it if I didn't have too.
Here is one response on brass forum; "Judging by the oversize bright metal flanges, huge couplers and such associated with 3-rail trains, it could very well be a Right-o-Way 3-Rail model as Sgt Bregler suggests or even an early Weaver brass 3-rail model. Does it have "guts" inside the cabin? Do the marker lights illuminate (of course, why else would it have electrical-contact rollers on the trucks? And it may "smoke" judging by the oversize smoke jack. Check carefully on the bottom to see if there possibly was a small oval sticker that was removed (or fell off) but which may have left some bit of adhesive residue. That may be a hint"
I would be pretty sure it is a factory built piece. The couplers look way out of scale. The trucks appear to be attached with pins. I've never seen a kit done like that. Trucks are always screwed on and no modeller going through all that trouble to build and detail the model would put grossly out of scale couplers on it, unless there was absolutely no other choice. I was going to ask if the steps were plastic, but I see from the bottom views, that they are soldered on.
There are pins coming from the base of the caboose, and then circlips holding the trucks to those pins
...and no modeller going through all that trouble to build and detail the model would put grossly out of scale couplers on it, unless there was absolutely no other choice.
Aren't these gross couplers just the type that most O-gauge trains use verses O-scale? This I believe may have been built to satisfy both markets...where one might pull these O-gauge trucks/couplers off and replace them with scale trucks and body attached scale couplers??
... was going to ask if the steps were plastic, but I see from the bottom views, that they are soldered on.
I'm almost certain that is indeed a Weaver brass model. I had a friend that ran a "scale" three rail layout, and he had one, that to my memory, was exactly like your caboose. It has the rollers for contact for the marker lights. I believe that you can unscrew the smoke jack and find either a smoke unit or the mountings for a smoke unit. Weaver made the same model in hi-rail and scale versions. I think the model was released about 1998. Given the pristine condition, I certainly would not want to convert it to two rail.
Good question...I just don't know. Everytime I think about selling it rather than converting it to 2-rail probably makes the most sense. But it just such a beauty I haven't convinced myself to part with it...yet.
Here are some NICE MTH 2-rail trucks I could probably adapt to it without too much trouble...I think
Okay, I've decided to sell this 3-rail scale caboose model rather than convert it to 2-rail. I figure its got a larger market in the 3-rail configuration.
I'll be listing it on various spots on the internet starting today...thought I would give folks on this forum first notice.
