Caboose markings

[logandsawman]

Hi Guys,

I purchased a caboose very similar to this one, must be a proto because has grabs attached already.

My question is, what does it say in the black box at the end of the arrow, or what would it say, and what years would this be relevant to? The description says 50's to 70's.

Just wondering if the marking is applicable to the transition era



Thanks, Dave

 

[montanan]

Dave, I don't think this marking would have been in use during the transition era. . I'm sure that Joe would have he answer. I am very careful to have the correct reporting data on any of my rolling stock trying to avoid items that are not correct for the transition era.

At the far right of this photo.
I picked up a Walthers caboose at and it did not have the markings you referred to. Extremely good detail on the caboose. I think it is called the consolidating stencil that has information about the car that it is on.

Here's one that is sitting at the entrance to Three Forks Montana as you drive into town. No such marking on it.

 

[montanan]

here are a couple of close up of the Walthers caboose. Check their site as I believe that it is available in a few different road numbers.



They're not cheap, but with all of the detail, I think they're worth it.

 

[Red Oak & Western]

Best I can tell from the photo, it looks like an ACI (Automatic Car Identification) code. It was an attempt to "bar code" rail equipment that went into effect in January 1970 and had died by 1978 due to many technical problems, but basically, once the bar code got dirty, it was unreadable.

So not transition era.

 

[Railphotog]

Looks more like a COTS panel, where service and lubrication dates are kept. ACI labels are stripes.

 

[Rico]

I believe Bob is correct on the COTS panel.
btw it stands for "Clean Oil Test and Stencil" and is for the air brake and rigging info.
I'm not just sure when it came into being but should be 1970 onward.
They are also known as "consolidated Stencils".

 

[logandsawman]

Thanks guys for all the info. I thought it was a later marking and I am kinda of miffed that I bought it because not sure how to fix that and make it look ok.

My actual one does have the attached grabs in place (the photograph is from the catalog). I spent like $39 on it, ordered out of the Walthers web site some time last year.

Funny thing, I was going through my train closet and found that I have several more cabooses than I thought, however this is my only Milwaukee Road caboose.

 

[montanan]

Dave, I would find some Milwaukee Road orange paint and touch up the marking and then hide the repair with some weathering.

This one started off as an undecorated Athearn bay window caboose. At the time I built it, there were no Milwaukee Road cabooses available.

I saw a lot of Milwaukee Road cabooses when I was growing up and they always seemed to be a refugee from a bath.



Don't forget, they were at the end of the reain and managed to collect all of the dust that the train kicked up.

 

[logandsawman]

Wow, Chet, that is great you found that bottom photo! That is really going to help!

 

[cajon]

COTS started in 1972 & were for air brake components ONLY. In 1974 they became two white on black boxes that are now called "Consolidated Stencils" to cover air brakes & lube info. Nowadays it's all in one box but divided into several parts to cover other freight car components. COTS only lasted 8 years so there should be non these days. Same goes w/ the two box stencils.
Here's a website w/ more info on these freight car markings & many others: http://www.hosam.com/mod/rsdet.html#ui

 

[logandsawman]

Thanks for the feedback, coincides with my experiment to actually read the sign by zooming in with the camera, here is the pic:



There is the date clear as glass, 6-5-73.

You can see the model has some excellent detail:





This is Walthers product # 920-103303, out of stock and discontinued.



a little miffed they spelled out the years the way they did, as the model was pictured it should have said "72-80"

First I am going to try a little 91 octane rubbing alcohol and maybe dull it, and follow Chets advice on some touch up paint and weathering.

It is a beautiful model. There is interior detail visible as well, seats can be seen through the window.