I just kitbashed a NYC 19000 series wood caboose.I can't seem to find the black NYC oval decal that would have been on them.Is it made by anyone? Microscale is a no-go..Also,did any of these make it into PC? Were any painted green? [Just in case,LOL!!] Actually,if I really have to,I have red ovals..
CDS dry transfer set N-165 for boxcars has an oval herald with the white lettering on black background. It may be a bit larger than the one used on cabooses. https://www.tmrdistributing.com/presta/index.php?id_product=5042&controller=product
You know,I just noticed something,wish I saw it before I did this.I made this caboose by sectioning a pair of old Arnold Rapido wood hacks.The body looks okay,but the copula is the one from the Arnold..Okay looking,but far from perfect.. I didn't even bother looking at it before I started,because the caboose itself is huge,but I just looked at Hallmark NYC caboose I have,[The Christmas ornament,not Hallmark brass..LOL!!]and the copula on it is actually SMALLER than the Arnold!! I may have to start over,LOL!!!
My strategy is to wait and see if True Line Trains comes out with an N scale version of this: http://www.truelinetrains.ca/freight-cars/nyc-standard-caboose
Robert Ray used to sell custom decals with his NYC caboose kit. Dunno if the kits or decals are available anymore, but maybe worth checking out - http://raybob.boche.net/ Cheers, -Mark
The Microscale sheet for the Merchants' Despatch has the black herald, but I think it has only a large one for the refrigerator cars, it would be far too large for the caboose. However, the sheet may have a smaller herald, but I would have to get out the sheet and see. As Spookshow points out, Robert Ray sold a NYCS caboose kit that had decals (for P&LE, even). He might have some sheets around or about. The cupola on that thing has a really low profile. The Athearn/MDC wood caboose looks much like the Standard NYCS wood caboose, but with a cupola that is far too large.
Actually,still the wrong herald,and I think out of stock anyway.The hacks have a black herald with white lettering,those are clear with black lettering.I notice NYC hacks don't necessarily have heralds,some just have as little as "NYC" over the number.. That copula having a really low profile is it's saving grace for an N hack.It's so small compared to the ornament,it's the right size for an N caboose. On a side note,I went on Ebay to buy another one,I got one,but I'm waiting to get it before I do anything..Why? Anybody seen a red one before??? If it gets here and it's brown,I'll hack it up,LOL!! http://www.ebay.com/itm/301410017572
Oh, yes, I am familiar. I run P&LE equipment on my pike, so I am aware of the paint schemes. If I did not get the black herald from the Merchants' Despatch sheet, then I wonder where I did get it. It was not a CDS herald, although I am aware of those. I bought an Atlas forty foot "Steel Centers" P&LE box car with the Cigar Band herald. It is brown. I had never seen a photograph of a brown "Steel Centers" boxcar with a Cigar Band herald; Jade Green, yes, but never brown . Cigar Band is too late for my era, as is Jade Green, anyhow. Thus I found a black with white lettering herald, put it over the Cigar Band herald and applied the clearcoat of my choice. Now I must try to figure out where I got it. Funny, too, shortly after that, I found a photograph of a brown "Steel Centers" boxcar with a Cigar Band herald. I have never seen a red NYCS caboose. I have seen photographs of NYCS cabooses without the herald. Some of the P&E cabooses did have that herald. I have never seen a P&E herald in N scale, however.
Probably got it from an old Champ,Walthers,ETC,set..For now,I'm just gonna do it without the herald.If I find one later on Ebay in some old set,I'll put it on later.Actually,I did see a real one in red,190008..If you look at it,it's pretty faded,but where guys were touching it around the doors,it's a nice darker red: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc19008agd.jpg
Hmm..Actually,when you posted that yesterday,it said the site was closed for upgrades,and would be coming back soon..It's working now..
The Gothic style System herald began to be applied to cabooses September 7, 1955. The oval size was 29"x19-3/8" with a black background. Prior to that, no herald was specified for cabooses. That box car herald looks much too big for the caboose. The oval size for box cars in that period was 54-3/8"x37-3/4" with a black background. Also the color balance in the linked photo looks abnormal. Freight car brown was the official color - it did not look very red. As far as I can tell, all the wood cabooses were scrapped - none made it into Penn Central. Probably best to forget the herald and just use NYC with the car number.
I'm modeling mostly '65 to '73, but since I'm only very limited on my NYC modeling,I may just forget the herald.I only have 5-6 NYC units,but they're all PC numbered..I'm on somewhat of a caboose"ripper" at the moment,building & painting a lot of stuff from any railroad I model,the NYC was just too cool to pass up.I'm working on anything from the CR roads,I'm up to 60 hacks,LOL!!I only have pics of one case at the moment,I have a second almost filled,most of the really cool scratchbuilt stuff is in that one..
Well if you are modeling 1965 to 1973, you might consider that the NYC adopted the "cigar band" style herald in 1959. I haven't seen photographic evidence that this was applied to the wooden cabooses, but here is what was adopted: Effective December 26, 1962, oval size 84"x37" used on 125 pressure differential covered hoppers, cabooses and new built box cars. Effective May 6, 1961, oval size 52"x24" ScotchCal decal used on cabooses and box cars. I have seen these on steel bay window cabooses, but wooden cabooses....?
The NYC Harlem Division was running wooden red cabooses until the last train from Chatham, NY to North White Plains on March 3, 1976, eight years after PC merger and takeover. Of course the Harlem had very little freight revenue after the Rutland went belly-up and the twice daily Rut-Milk ceased in 1953. So NYCS management saw little need to upgrade the Harlem's caboose fleet, if they even knew of its existence. The Harlem was chartered in 1831 as a people hauling system, and continues to this day under the MTA. Though I still cry for the K-11s, K-14s, and B&A J-2s that I rode behind in my youth...:crying:
