I got a vintage (Kurtz Kraft) PS-1 boxcar kit from our own Paul Moore, that lends itself desirable for a wide vision (WV) caboose conversion project. I have questions; It seems the steps are wider that other WV cabooses, is that right? Also, are the cupolas longer as well? I understand the cupolas were home built from books and images. What size are the windows on the sides of the car body? And where can I find them in HO scale? Tichy? A 3D print does not seem to be in the works for HO scale, it may be time for me to dive into this. As I am many miles away from any SL-SF cabooses. I will need your input to help with this build. As always, any and all comments/discussion are most welcome. Thanks in advance for any help
I've been thinking about trying my hand at kit bashing on one of these for several years now, but haven't had the time for it yet. 1714 is on display in Lamar, MO. I can get measurements on that at some point if it would help, again another project I've intended to do but haven't had time for it. BTW, K4 has a set of caboose decals that look good. https://k4decals.com/products/slsf-...4&_sid=dc6c6193c&_ss=r&variant=36492690653343 I'm not sure if any of these parts will work for a 1700 series caboose, but there is someone 3d printing 1200 series caboose parts, and they even offer a full kit now. https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures?type=product&q=frisco
Tom for what it’s worth, when I built my 1/29th scale 1700 I could find very little dimensional information. I have thought about this as an HO project too like several of us but the work to reward ratio was low. HA. I came to grips it would take a lot of compromises. When I finish another couple hundred items on the list I may try it. Several of the Shapeways links Ethan shared are from Ryan Harris who is a member here and caboose modeler. His stuff is very nice, I always expected him to release a 1700 series caboose kit. Since he hasn’t still it makes me think there must not be much info around to make an accurate one. Tom, I assume you have all the normal Frisco book recourses?
Thanks Ethan, for the links and offer to measure, it would be much appreciated. Make sure to take a ladder with you LOL. The 3D guy, I asked to make his Z scale offering in HO over a year ago. I see he got too it. It has the right cupola but his model seems to be short for a 1700 to me. What do you think?
Hi Steve, I have all the books I can find on the subject, 7 in all, plus one that covers cabooses of the southwest, that covers Frisco cabooses better than any of the others but still no drawings. It would be so nice to have a 3D 1700 caboose, but like you say with only 25 of them it is a long in effort short on value type thing. Although most all other Frisco cabooses were/are available in brass. I dont recall seeing a SL-SF 1700 series caboose in brass.
Unfortunately, I think the 1700's are bigger than the 1200's. I think the only way to make a true scale model is going to be to kitbash/scratch build or hope that someone makes a 3D model of it.
Tom if a brass on exists my dad and I both have never seen one. Ethan, I agree they look bigger. But, Nick Molo’s book lists the 1200s as 30’1” IL. The 1700s as 29’ 9” IL. Maybe it’s an optical illusion with the cupola off center?
The 1700 (and 1400 series for that matter) just look longer than the 1200s. I haven't had time to dig too far in to it yet, but look at these photos from the archives for comparisons sake: http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...yer-Missouri-on-April-13-1979-R.R.-Taylor.jpg http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-conte...oose-1718-location-unknown-in-August-1976.jpg
Speaking of SLSF 1714 here is a Christmas Greeting pose from December 1977 eastbound through Kirkwood. Sorry, no dimensional data, but it looks good in the snow.
Even at an angle you can clearly see the 1776 is longer than the 1225. Counting the rooftop ribs we can place the cupola right on that 40' boxcar lid, also note the roof on the cupola, clearly rivets and ribs atop there as well. Some interesting further details not shown in pg125 of Marre-Sommers book showing welded roofs. 1700 on pg127 of same appears to simply use the cut out portion of the boxcar lid, for the cupola lid, (makes sense to me). Some had the left end windows blanked, a view I have seen also had all the side windows blanked, as per update rules. Some had frog eye markers, some red lights on the roof ends, some didn't have them at all. Another major modification was to move the bolsters inwards from the ends of the PS1, would be nice to know what that distance is, I hate to eyeball it but that may be the only way I can do it. I have a few of the Overland later run 12xx WV cabooses, they measure over the porches 37', door face to door face 30'6", cupola 7' long Atlas WV caboose other than the window placements, cupola and other details is almost exactly the same measurements. below from our archives. So an atlas WV caboose, a Kurtz 40 PS1 kit, and a SLSF cupola from Ryan, and I should be off to a decent start.
