Caboose Restoration

Well, here is a wooden caboose I built in high school. I started out with balsa wood and then cut strips of 3x5 index cards to glue on one plank at a time over the balsa. Since I was going to run in on my Lionel layout behind a Berkshire steam engine, I needed Lionel trucks. I also needed couplers so I cut them out of 1/4" plexiglass. Several moves and years in storage have not been kind to this caboose. I found it today while looking for some parts stashed away in a box. Well those broken steps needed fixing and the trucks had to go.

Greg
 

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With a new center sill and scale arch bar trucks, it is on its way to being road worthy again. The steps were hastely fixed, but will need to be replaced. Kadee couplers will be used and staff brakes added.

Greg
 

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F

Fred_M

That's a nice weathering job. It looks like the one I seen in Springfield that's been waiting to be restored for 20 years. DASH
 

Arlaghan

Member
That IS very cool! :thumb:

Nothing I made in highschool survived... we got hit by Hurricane Andrew in '92 and my models (not trains back then) were destroyed. :mad:

Jon, I still have my very first train set, too! Though, seeing as I bought it less than a year ago, I guess that's nothing to brag about. :rolleyes:
 

Drew1125

Active Member
That's pretty neat, Greg!:cool:
Just adding the new trucks makes a huge difference!
I think that model would fit right in on a backwoods looging layout! :thumb:

btw...Happy Birthday! :)
 
Thank you for the BD wish Charlie! I was lucky to have saved most of my early trains.

Thanks for the positive coments too everyone.

Greg
 

Lighthorseman

Active Member
Love It!

That is one cool piece of work, Greg! As stated, even just replacing the wheelsets makes a big difference...just DON'T repaint it!

By the way, who makes those trucks? How much are they?
 
I used Athearn O scale Arch Bar trucks. I substituted leaf springs for the coil springs and IM metal wheels for the plastic ones. Since it was a kit, the substitutions were a matter of using the new parts. Those trucks are really free rolling too. The basic truck kit was $5 plus $3 for the leaf springs and $8 for the metal wheels. I don't know how that compares to HO trucks that are re-wheeled with Kadee wheel sets.

Greg
 

jon-monon

Active Member
On HO trucks and Kadee wheelsets, IMHO if you are upgrading trucks and wheelsets, you are better off getting Kadee trucks with wheelsets to begin with, as apposed to buying another brand of trucks, then adding Kadee wheelsets. This avoids running the plastic Kadee axles in plastic bearings, which is not a great combo. Alternately, if you have plastic trucks you desire, go for Jaybee or other metal axled wheelsets designed for plastic trucks. I think the kadee's are around $5 a pair.

Can't say I haven't broken my own rule putting cheap Kadee or P2K wheelsets into the original plastic trucks on cheap rollin' stock. How long it lasts remains to be seen. Use lotsa graphite ;)
 
I spent yesterday putting couplers on the caboose. They helped quiet a bit in looks, IMHO. I decided to not replace the steps. I want to keep the feel of the first scratch built caboose I made. I will add windows and touch up the under frame with black paint. I like the back woods idea, and will use it for my work train. It is kind of small, but looks OK behind my GE 70 tonner.

Greg
 

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jon-monon

Active Member
It really looks nice with the knuckle couplers, Gary. I wouldn't worry about the size on the work train, just tell the LPB's they'll never have to sleep over in it :D Brakie might have some stories that conflict with that theory, but the LPBs don't have to know!
 
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