Something from the Frisco System Era (1900-1905?), a Chicago and Eastern Illinois (C&EI) caboose. Photograph is courtesy of Christopher Gobert and was labeled "C&EI 134 Frisco St. Charles Mo ACF Factory about 1910". Looks pretty new in this photograph! Certainly, we need a good model to start with to reproduce this one at home! Edit from Chris Gobert: "David Forbes informs me he believes this unit was one of a ten caboose order in 1904 from AC&F, Terre Haute. It is reported in use in 1915 in the WWI valuation reports. Photograph is from the C&EI Historical Society archives."
For modeling, I am thinking of the American Model Builders (AMB) Gulf, Mobile and Ohio (GM&O) caboose kit with a modified cupola and tool box. Or exchange from the Frisco caboose kit, it comes with two versions of cupola. Also use arch bar trucks from Tahoe model works. http://www.laserkit.com/waycarho2.htm Bob T.
Bob, Thank you for posting the great photograph. For a starting point I would recommend using the American Model Builders (AMB) Nickel Plate Road Wood Caboose, kit 851. To my eye it has side windows mounted higher in the car body, that are more rectangular vertically to closer match the C&EI caboose photograph. In addition, it has a roof line that extends above the car body below the copula. In either starting point caboose case, it appears the roof will need to have a rounded radius verses an angled peek. The underframe will also need some changes to eliminate the truss rods. I could not find a similar enough wood copula and toolbox in the AMB line. The prototype windows on the copula ends are long in the horizontal axis, while on the sides long in the vertical axis. The AMB Frisco caboose kit optional copula with vertical sides features windows on the ends and sides that are long in the vertical axis. It might be easier to scratch build both a new copula and tool box to better match the prototype. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Thanks Mark! Excellent advice. I looked at that Nickle Plate model as well. I will pull out the cupolas I have from various sources and see if I can find anything close. A scratch build would not be too bad though. Going to have do some more research on this one, as I would have guessed truss rods associated with those blocks visible at the side above the tool box. Bob T.
David Forbes informs me he believes this unit was one of a ten caboose order in 1904 from AC&F, Terre Haute, IN. It is reported in use in 1915 in the WWI valuation reports. Photograph is from the Chicago and Eastern Illinois (C&EI) Historical Society archives.
Try the resin kit Funaro & Camerlengo Southern Ry caboose eBay. It looks really close to me. Ken McElreath
Ken, The Funaro & Camerlengo (F&C) Southern Wood Caboose, Single Pane Window, kit 506, is one possible starting point. However, it solves only the round radius arch roof issue. The vertical sides of the cupola remain an issue. Also, the Southern caboose introduces a cupola with center (three) end windows that will need to be corrected. In addition, the kit introduces a new complication challenge. Instead of standard inclined staircase type end platform steps, the F&C kit has vertical tender type corner steps. Please see http://fandckits.com/HO_Cabooses/506.html. Their home page is located at http://fandckits.com/index.html. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Since the F&C kit is resin, the changes to make it match the C&EI caboose are fairly easy. Fill in the center cupola window, and the rest are correct. Mount the cupola sides vertically, adding just a little filler as necessary (the curved cupola roof is wide enough to accommodate.). Remove the fascia from the top of the sides, and both the window vertical placements and the roofline of the sides will be proper. And since the steps are separate, go find some correct steps to put in their place. Ken McElreath
