Paul - Did you body mount couplers on these or replace the trucks altogether? Just about to get busy on a bash of my own. What did you use?
Ok well it depends what the original caboose had installed. Where they were rapido couplers I replaced the whole truck with MTL 1003 trucks and couplers. The original short bay window cabeese have body mounted couplers on them, think they are 1016's Hope you can post some pics of your progress.
Today I started Caboose 13506 which is pictured below Here is the original microtrains caboose before I started Here is the shell after the windows have been filled ready for painting. All being well I well paint the caboose tomorrow.
Colonel: I glued styrene over the windows and sanded that back to make a smooth side with no windows. It didn't work, so I put .005 sheet styrene over the sides to make a smooth side steel side caboose with no windows. That did work. The Humbrol filler doesn't shrink like Squadron Green or Squadron White? Also, to be sure I understand, you just fill the windows and let it dry. Then you sand the sides, sanding all the "wood" groves off. This gives you a smooth side steel caboose? Your cabooses have really smooth sides that I can't construct using my methods. My cabooses have slight bulges at the covered windows. Thanks.
Flash, That is correct I use the humbrol filler and allow to dry. You do get shrinkage so I usually fill two or three times. For the smoothe side I use a file at first then wet and dry sanding paper to finish it off.
Here is the latest progress, caboose has been painted. All going well I will add window glass and decal later this evening.
Paul: You really keep turning out those cabeese. This project is coming along very nicely. Stay cool and run steam.....
I finished the latest caboose this afternoon, I'm pretty pleased with the results. I now have a total of 8 MoPac cabeese.
You are getting so good at this! Why not just strip the two production cabooses, add some details and then you can say you kitbashed all of them? Besides, that way, you will use up the rest of the decals. At least change the numbers on those production cabooses. Make them repaints or something. No one will know!
Paul; I have really enjoyed all your caboose projects, lots of great ideas. I to am working on a long Bay Window caboose, almost completed (needs paint, decals and couplers). I used one from "Model Power" because the bay looked right, but I have found out that the roof is wrong (to bad). I hope you found another "Walthers" Bay Window. Does anyone know which coupler I should use for the "Model Power" caboose, their web site is being updated. Thanks Keep on modelling MoPac MOPHEAD
Notice that the MoPac caboose in the picture posted by David Leonard uses coil spring trucks. Most caboose trucks used leaf springs. Which were better/cheaper and which roads used which? Seems to me coil spring trucks would be desirable because of common parts with freight car trucks. Maybe coil springs gave a rougher ride. Al [ January 14, 2006, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: alhoop ]
From what I've read, the leaf springs did (do?) provide a better ride quality, especially since the weight of a caboose is very small compared to a freight car.
Great cabeese Colonel. I did a Mopac in the LL northeast style caboose, it looks good. A LHS by me has model power bay windows for $ 2.50 each. I'm gonna cut one up into the 1st Mopac you did.
Excellent TJ be sure to post some pics. Be sure to track down the correct decals as they are hard to come by.
Here is the next caboose to go to the paint shop, this one was purchased from Verne Niner so it will be varied slightly from the other cabeese I have painted.
Here are shots of the finished caboose The next shot is of the two different styles using the same model
