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.
Somehow I have ended up with another caboose. It's nothing that worth anything and, quite frankly, pretty cheap. Probably Tyco or Life Like. Other that swapping out the horn hooks for knuckles and slapping on some metal wheels, I haven't done anything with it. I run anything on my layout, but even for me, this thing is kind of embarrassing. So it's going under the "Knife" so that A.) it will look better going along the rails and B.) I'll have a new project.
My fictional modern day RR has a lot of random equipment. Not a ton that is personally branded to the RR, so I could pretty much run any direction.
What would you do? Do a nice "Caboose Restoration" project, weather the heck out of (which would still involve making it look less toy-like), or build a "Modern" shoving platform out of it?
If you are modelling modern railroads, a shoving platform is about all the prototype runs today. Frankly, I believe that a train (model or proto) without a real, live waycar (caboose to most railroads, except the Q and a few other roads) is agin' the laws of nature! Regardless. have fun with your project!
Other than the wheel and coupler thing you mentioned how about blank out a few windows, paint the window frames and add glazing, loose the end ladders, paint the cupola yellow or white, paint the grabs.
Then weather it up. Oh, add some weight too.
This shoving platform model is a conversion build made from an O Scale, M.T.H. Electric Trains, Bay Window Caboose.
railroadmodeling.net
Then I sat down, contemplated self-hate and my own life choices and decided to follow this guy's lead. To a degree, anyway. We'll see how it comes out. If it comes out great, then great! If not, it's just a cheap toy and I've lost nothing, right? Plus I've got 6 more lying around if I need a caboose.
But in my opinion in general, in addition to trucks/couplers, the quickest way to make a cheapo caboose look better - in order of easiness:
1. Change the roof color. Make it look like they have re-done the roof with a new coating.
2. paint the molded on hand rails to enhance the 3d look.
3. Fix the stove pipe and put guy wires on it.
4. !!!! add window glass.
5. Paint the interior to a caboose color like institutional green or cream. This is actually easier than #4 above but the window glass needs to be in first so the area beyond the actual window can be painted to match.
6. scrape off the molded on hand rails and replace with real ones.
7. add marker lanterns (obviously not needed for a shoving platform, but what lighting is needed for one?)
from there one drops off into real detailing....
Believe that is Bachmann. Originally a CB&Q prototype.
Modern railroads have little use for caboose.
But in my opinion in general, in addition to trucks/couplers, the quickest way to make a cheapo caboose look better - in order of easiness:
1. Change the roof color. Make it look like they have re-done the roof with a new coating.
2. paint the molded on hand rails to enhance the 3d look.
3. Fix the stove pipe and put guy wires on it.
4. !!!! add window glass.
5. Paint the interior to a caboose color like institutional green or cream. This is actually easier than #4 above but the window glass needs to be in first so the area beyond the actual window can be painted to match.
6. scrape off the molded on hand rails and replace with real ones.
7. add marker lanterns (obviously not needed for a shoving platform, but what lighting is needed for one?)
from there one drops off into real detailing....
#4 in and of itself makes SUCH a huge difference. I have another caboose that I cleaned up a while ago and just the window "glass" made it look a world's difference.
*******************
The basic body mods began last night. I'll start another thread for that.
#4 in and of itself makes SUCH a huge difference. I have another caboose that I cleaned up a while ago and just the window "glass" made it look a world's difference.
*******************
The basic body mods began last night. I'll start another thread for that.
