Wagontop caboose

skipgear

New Member
I recently started a rant about the lack of accurate road specific cabooses available, for that matter the lack of cabooses, road specific or not. The general concessus was that, unless you model a few specific roads, you needed to make your own caboose to get something even remotely close.

This has led to a caboose buying binge in the past few months to come up with parts to create the various B&O, C&O, and WM cabooses I wanted. I had come quite a selection of cabooses. Then I got lucky on an auction and got a resin kit of a B&O I-17 bay window caboose. The kit hasn't been offered in quite a while, at least 15 year or more from what I can find.

I know why the company that offered the kit is not around any more. It was definitely a "craftsman" kit. The kit required removing one side, shaping, and re-gluing just to get it square. Everything had flashing on it and on most of the parts, the top and bottom half of the mold didn't line up. After much filling and sanding to get the basic shape right, a lot of the original detail was lost. I started reapplying the details but the caboose started to look more and more like a Wagontop instead of an I-17. I sanded the details back off and rounded the roof edges to replicate the Wagontops. I cut the thinnest styrene I had into strips to recreate the ribs on the car. The windows took a little adjusting and I needed to make a new roof walk. It now looked much more like a wagontop than it ever did an I-17.

The next step was end rails which had to be scratch built. I had originally planned on using MT caboose rails but B&O had to be different and their ladders are on the opposite side of most cabooses, yet the brake wheel is still on the same side. There are no cabooses out there that replicate this properly.

I am down to the final step, decals, and it looks like I have to create that myself also. There are no B&O caboose decal sets available that I can find and the various decals that I have acquired don't come close to what I need. Fortunately, my business is vinyl cut graphics and I have a buddy in the business with an Alps printer that can print the decals on waterslide for me. They should be done in a week or so. I am sending decal paper to him in the morning.
 

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skipgear

New Member
One last shot. I will post more once I get decals on it.

boC2445.jpg

Above is one of the images I used for my prototype, care of: http://www.northeast.railfan.net
 

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skipgear

New Member
The first photo is the earliest I have. I didn't think about it until too late. When I start working on a project, I often forget to stop and take time to take pictures. I still have the kit handrail that I didn't even bother to try to use that I could take a picture of to show you what most of it looked like to begin with. I'll try to post later when I get back down to my office/workshop.
 

skipgear

New Member
My decals arrived tuesday. They turned out better than I could have ever expected. Here is a shot of the caboose finally decaled and a shot of flat clear over it to help blend the decals. The decals were printed by a friend of mine from RC racing circles. I create custom vinyl decals and paint work for RC cars to help support my RC and now my train habit.




I'm still trying to decide if I want to do anything with the remaining windows. The two windows in the bays were very difficult to get right.
 

chapmon

New Member
B&O CABOOSES

There is a company named Pacific Mountain Scale Shops which makes several types of these cabooses. Just Google the name and it pops right up.

Hope this helps.

Chapmon :)
 

skipgear

New Member
I could only wish for Atlas, or anybody else to announce one. There are no good bay window cabooses available right now. I have been watching for some of the Fine N Scale boxes but they are getting very rare. I would like to have a half dozzen or so.

I have been using Pacific Mountain Scales website for reference. They make some beautiful kits, unfortunately all HO. I found them through the B&O Historical Society. I wish they made everything that they have in HO, available in N. I am currently waiting for some laser cut I-1 kits from Fox Valley Models. They have the basics done but still need to package the kits.

http://foxvalleymodels.com/
 

jbgormley

New Member
Great work. I'm working on an old Camden & Amboy kit of a B&O I-5B wagontop caboose. I have it together and painted but I can't find decals for it. If your friend made an extra set, I would love to buy them from you.
 
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