I have recently inherited a good bit of HO scale equipment - sadly my father passed away and this equipment was his. I plan to keep it and run it as I can. I model in N scale, but now will add HO to my efforts as well. Digging through so of the HO equipment I inherited, I found a northeastern caboose for Western Maryland. It was made by Life Like. I haven't examined it in extreme detail, but in general it seems pretty nice. The question I have here is, can anyone say how it would compare to the Rapido model. I am well versed in the N scale line of products, but haven't dealt with HO in decades, so any input is welcome. Thanks!
The Proto 2000 Northeastern caboose is pretty nice. The Rapido model is most likely better, but the issue is deciding how much you are willing to pay for 'better'. Rapido got some flak for the chunky end cages/ladders and plastic grab irons. This was their opportunity to blow the Proto model out of the water, but they dropped the ball. The Rapido model comes with interior lighting. Some of the Proto 2000 ones did too, but not all of them. I think some of the pre-assembled ones did, not the kits. Rapido modeled some specific variations of the car, so if you are modeling a certain railroad or need a detail option not offered by Proto, Rapido is your best choice, but if you already have the Proto model and are happy to use it, upgrading to the Rapido model is not worth it. I can think of plenty of other models I would rather buy at that point. It's an expensive model with only marginal upgrades over the one you already have.
Thanks! I'll probably stick with the Proto 2000 model. It seems pretty nice - if I didn't know the Rapido model was available, I'd have been happy with it without a second thought. So based on the feedback here, I think sticking with the Proto model is probably the best choice right now. It also has a sentimental value from having been my dad's. It needs a good cleaning, mainly just get the dust off, but otherwise looks like new. Instead of the Rapido model, I will go ahead with a Tangent model of a B&O caboose. The only other similar one my dad had was an older Athearn blue box model, and the Tangent model looks to be MUCH nicer.
I got the Tangent caboose this weekend. Very nice! I am going to have to be super careful with those window screens, those look very delicate and seem like they could easily be broken off. Really glad I got it, dad would have been pleased with it. I'll enjoy it for him and think of him often when I have the chance to run it.
I'm really hoping Tangent offers an ICC Extended Vision Rio Grande caboose. I've managed a decent roster of the shop built cabooses in brass but still don't have any painted EV cabooses. To me having watched trains since the 60's, they just look incomplete without a caboose, which is one of the major reasons I decided to stick with late caboose era modeling. For years I could not afford to buy correct brass D&RGW cabooses, but eventually I managed to afford a small fleet and now have seven painted brass D&RGW offset cupola cabooses. They sell for nutty prices past couple years. All are Overland except for a single Division Point. I have a couple unpainted as well, and one is with a painter for quite a while now. Not sure when I'll get it back. Reportedly Athearn is planning, some day, to do Genesis International Car Company EV D&RGW cabooses. So far none announced yet.
That is a nice looking collection of cabooses! I can appreciate sticking to the era. I have settled on the 70's as the very latest for me. The more modern we get the less interesting it gets for me personally.
Tangent makes a beautiful caboose, I own several. Athearn Genesis is also another that is based on the prototype, I have a few of those as well. Both brands focus on number specific prototypes, something that wasn't done as much when Life Like came out with their caboose. That said, the old Life Like is still a nice caboose and can be fine-tuned to look just as good as modern offerings with some work. And yes, Athearn will be coming out with an ICC D&RGW caboose - stay tuned!
Tangent does make nice cabooses. If I were modeling Denver, I could justify one or two, but Grand Junction CO and west into Utah, not so much. I don't think BN or BNSF got trackage rights across the old D&RGW until long after cabooses were discontinued. I agree, the LifeLike Proto2000 models have always been pretty nice and have fine details. I have a number of Proto2000 freight cars including the 50' boxcars, 4427 covered hoppers and the nice gondolas. The boxcars are really too early for mid-late 1970's as they represent cars built in the 1040's. The gondolas as well but I'll use-em anyway. The covered hoppers are quite nice actually. Yes, the Tangent version beats them, but so far they haven't offered D&RGW so my Proto's remain. As it is I have more freight cars than I will probably run so I am looking to slim the collection down a bit and minimize future purchases. @Jim Wiggin, that's good news news about Athearns plans for D&RGW. I recall being told by one of the Athearn guys 2-3 years ago that Athearn planned to offer a D&RGW ICC caboose, and well, I'm not getting any younger! Even if it is announced in the next few months it will not ship until late 2025, but I do hope it is finally coming. I watch every announcement with hope!
