Model Railroading > Prototype or Completely Freelance?

This caboose was produced by Marx in HO in the 1960s. It's obviously not up to today's standards. The caboose was offered in a number of roadnames, and this happened to be the one in my first electric trainset at age 10.


In looking for a prototype, the closest I could find is a B&O I7, though the WP did have some bay window cabooses that were in the ball park. But did they ever paint them green?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/20 11:15 by wabash2800.

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There's that old military saying, "If it moves, salute it.  If it doesn't, paint it.)  Al Perlman painted everything that didn't move on the WP with that color.

Stephanie Ann

IMHO, it's too short to be a reasonable stand-in for a WP caboose. I'm not sure what the prototype is, if there is one.

I have in my possession (built by someone else), a Marx caboose kit bashed to approximate a Kaiser (Eagle Mountain Railroad) caboose. The overall look is right.

WP steel bay window cabooses were boxcar red until the rebuilds started in the late 70's which came out of the shop in bright red.

Thanks for the comments. Like I said, it's in the ballpark for a WP bay window caboose, which isn't close. I have never seen any photos of green WP bay window cabooses, though I know WP painted diesels green. 

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/20 17:32 by wabash2800.

As others have noted, WP had several bay windows that were steel but that’s where the similarities stop. However, that said, WP’s subsidiary Sacramento Northern DID have several composite bay windows that were painted green post 1970. I believe your Marx caboose was released several years before that? We will never know for sure but perhaps a case of life imitating art?

Ryan Barber
Stockton, CA

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WP steel caboose carbodies were all of welded construction, while that model represents riveted. Also, no WP rolling stock was ever painted with that hideous green paint that covered signals and structures. 

wpamtk Wrote:
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> WP steel caboose carbodies were all of welded
> construction, while that model represents riveted.
> Also, no WP rolling stock was ever painted with
> that hideous green paint that covered signals and
> structures. 

You don't like Turquoise Blue-Green?

Since I am of the  MARX era, my fire-sooted brain seems to recall rthat tis caboose was "based" on a B&O "prototype" paint scheme was a fantasy. 

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wpamtk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > WP steel caboose carbodies were all of welded
> > construction, while that model represents
> riveted.
> > Also, no WP rolling stock was ever painted with
> > that hideous green paint that covered signals
> and
> > structures. 
>
> You don't like Turquoise Blue-Green?

Always suggested stomach distress to me. Didn't help when riding an under-sprung U30B at 60mph. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/20 23:24 by wpamtk.

I think I may get another one of these and redo the end platforms (remove them completely and add new steps, plus add caboose trucks and Kadees), remove and replace the curved grabs, add ladders and new brake wheel, a headlight on one end (yes), and paint it box car red with safety stripes for my planned Eel River Traction Co. The crazy shop force may even add a steam engine pilot on the headlight end like they did with the 44 Tonner. (The road is 50% owned by the Wabash so has access to 2-6-0 pilots from scrapped locos at Decatur.) The New Haven had several cabooses that had a headlight for MOW service. This car could also be used in MOW service. 

It'll be used as a shoving platform on a long section of street trackage that has several industries. The ERTC is dieselized and doesn't use cabooses in road service. (The rivets really don't look as bad as the close-up photo suggests.) 

The story goes that the ERTC president's son, who is a brakie on the road, was riding the end of a long string of cars on street trackage one day and almost got killed by an errant motorist. A used equipment dealer offered the wrecked car at a price the ERTC couldn't refuse. And that was what came out of the car barn one day in glistening box car red paint with gaudy safety stripes...

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/20 13:06 by wabash2800.

I've always thought that was a representation of the Louisville & Nashville South Louisville shops - built cabooses. === === = === JLH

Slap  UP MOW decals on it and you have the similiar green UP uses for the MOW cars.
RB