# Caboose bashing



## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I picked up this cheap Caboose online. I believe it was a buddy L Caboose.










Needless to say I have to do something with it. So I took it all apart and began forming my own hand rails with copper wire.










I plan on painting it and I am looking for ideas on what I can do with this thing. I may want to hand make some added peices to make it more interesting and original.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

My first thought was to remove the coupola and make an 1870s style caboose.

I've done a couple similar bashes in HO scale on Bachmann bobbers. With a little imagination, bobbers make neat models in any scale.









The cab on the right is more or less stock, other than being converted from standard to narrow gauge. The one on the left, also HOn3, was slightly more extensively kitbashed. Both started out identical.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

oops.. I accidentally double posted - second post deleted.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I was not happy with the cheap plastic rails and ladder so I made replacements with copper wire and soldered together. Latter I will paint them and it will be much stronger.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I have been searching the internet on a color scheme for my caboose and noticed that just about all are red or yellow. Would anyone have a logical reason why this is?

I am thinking of steering away from this and go with green. The same color green as my Pacific. With a black trim and roof and paint the wood texture a light brown. Input please I would love to hear what you all think.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

There was a reather inteesting discussion about caboose color on one of the e-mail lists to which I belong (Southern Ry. Modelers, I believe). The upsot of it was that railrads tended to use either the same boxcar (iron oxide) red paint they used for the rest of their freight cars, or something highly visible like yellow or even white. Also, it was mentioned that red has more or less always been the color of a rear marker, and thus the logical color for the last car in a train. 

Of course, there were exceptions. It seems to me, however that in the steam era most cabooses were red. The more colorful schemes seemes to come along with (and tended to match) the diesels. Now, it's your railroad, and you're more than welcome and justified in doing what you like. If you want my opinion, though, a caboose painted to match a passenger consist would look odd, although if would probably look quite good, given the quality of your work.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Here's a caboose that dovwatsonva built. It might give you some ideas for your own.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I finished up some painted and added a wood steps and platform. I also added some gold grommets for cable markers which added a nice touch to the rails.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Looking good! It's amazing what you can do with a little time and paint, isn't it?


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## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

This isn't all red!










http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures\8597\Naug OD3.jpg


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I love your copper railings!


The red color was common 'cause the pigment, iron oxide, was cheap and very durable. That's funny, actually, 'cause it's very hard to get a red pigment that doesn't fade.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice Navytech! 

I took the cupola off my Bloody L caboose, added some sheet styrene and a roof walf from another frieght car and made myself a low budget version of Accucrafts Waycar.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

The next task is to add glass window inside and begin to weather it a little bit. I am not very good at weathering. Sure could use some techniques on this matter....back to the archives I go I guess.


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## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

It came out great!


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I am now making up plexi glass windows and attempting to weather the side walls of the caboose. I am surprised I have gotten little response as to how to weather...What colors are best to use ? how to blend into paint job? and so on....


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Weathering is a very subjective art. There are as many techniques as there are modelers. Here are some guidlines, though: 

For a basic color, think about what would get on the car. Start with the color of the dirt in the area. Light sandy soils give light weathering. Dark earthy soils give dark weathering. Red clay gives a reddish tint, and so on. Next look at other environmental factors. Coal roads usually had coal dust everywhere, and thus dark weathering. Soot and cinders give a dark patina to the tops of steam-era cars. 

Then there are the effects of age and wear on the cars and their paint. Steel cars rust, wooden cars peel and grey with age. The salt air of a coastal road encourages corrosion, while southwestern roads see more sun damage but relatively little corrosion from moisture. 

Neglect and abuse are more prevalent on poorer roads, so weathering would be more pronounced than on a wealthy road. Passenger equipment was maintened much better than freight, and cabooses usually fell somewhere in between. 

As far as methods and materials, you have a broad choice. 

Some like pastel chalks. Simply scrape a blade across them to make powder, and dust it on like makeup. You can leave it as-is, or apply a clear coat to seal it, though that tends to reduce the impact of the chalks somewhat. 

Another popular choice is dry-brushing. Apply a miniscule amount of paint (usually a highlight color) to a brush, then wipe the brush almost dry. Lightly streak it over the surface to pick out the high spots, and also to leave convincing rust and grime streaks. 

Still another method is using an airbrush to apply a very thin layer of color. This is particularly effective for simulating the dist and grime that accumulates around the bottoms of cars as they roll along, kicking up dust. 

A fourth method involves using very thin washes of paint or stain, applied over all or a portion of the model, then wiped off and/or left to settle into the cracks. 

The very best weathering jobs I've seen involved careful and artful use of all these. Weathering should be just subtle enough to knock off the "new" look of a model, but not so overdone that that's all you notice. Weathering enhances a model, not overpowers it.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

Now that there is windows and a bit of weathering done I am very happy with the turn out. I darkened the wood deck on the roof and stained the wood steps. I am considering adding marker lights later and perhaps lights inside.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

I love it! To me, it has a sort of pre-war Lionel tinplate quality. It's looking great.


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## trainbuffjr (Jan 11, 2008)

The caboose looks great, and so does the weathering! I may have to try something like this on my bobber caboose. Thanks for posting.


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