Cabooses

Cabooses
RC&G 950 series
The RC&G has a number of cabooses in various styles with no duplicates.

Caboose # 950 utilizes the body from a Bachmann bobber caboose with a new frame to allow use of two standard trucks. Note: the photo below is quite dated and the caboose has since been updated with Aristo Delton classics trucks and the smaller gauge 1 couplers that are body mounted. An updated photo will be supplied when available.

Caboose # 952 was bashed together from parts from several Bachmann bobber cabooses prior to them releasing a long caboose. Like the one above, this is also an older photo and it too has been upgraded with new trucks and couplers.

Caboose # 953 is a Bachmann car based on an EBT prototype. When acquired it suffered from some of the same issues as their freight cars. The trucks were not only inset too far but also were very short in their wheel base and side frame height. The body also sat too high on the trucks. The trucks were a problem as there are no correctly scaled Vulcan style trucks available. Fortunately someone had uploaded correct scaled drawings to Shapeways and I bought a set of printed side frames from them. I still had to make bolster for them but that was fairly easy to do. Other than those issues the caboose is a reasonably close copy of the prototype with a nicely detailed interior. I added interior lighting and illuminated marker lamps both powered by an on board rechargeable 9V lithium battery.

The Paiute Lumber Company is an independent lumber company whose rail line connects to the RC&G at Paiute Junction. It pays homage to a fallen fellow model railroader who was a regular chatter on LSC. He suffered from MS and it eventually claimed him. The Paiute Lumber Company was one of his modeling monikers and his logo is a direct copy of one he designed. They operate their own mill and ship out finished lumber which is used both by online customers like the cooperage and off line customers via the standard gauge connection at Union or packet ship at Bucks Landing. It also supplies the tannery at Union with tan bark. It depends on the RC&G to supply cars for outbound shipments but has it's own rolling stock to haul logs to the mill. For the most part this operation will not be modeled except for the track work at Paiute Junction and a spur running off into the woods. Paiute Lumber has limited trackage rights on the RC&G and when utilized they need a caboose. The car started life as a Lionel product. I liked its proportions and thought it would be a good candidate for the job. I didn't take any photos of the car before but not all that much was changed. It originally had frosted windows to hide the lack of interior but I didn't like the look and installed clear glazing. It got the standard RC&G trucks and couplers, some additional handrails, new stirrup steps at the platforms and one for the side door, marker lights and a new paint job and lettering. The PLC logo was printed on my laser printer. I think it does a good job of representing a caboose an lumber company might use.