B&O I-5 This B&O I-5 was imported by Southwind Models in 1994. It is factory painted new and not weathered at this point. I was very happy to see that it had the prototypical looking draft gear with a Kadee 802 coupler in it right out of the box! B&O I-12 The B&O Wagontops are my favorite Non-PRR Cabooses. I have 3 total including 1 that was a paint job for someone else. I bought it back about 5 years later. They look great running behind my EM-1 and other B&O power! This was my first attempt at putting the Kadee 802 coupler into a prototypical looking draft gear. This model came with a nice draft gear casting and dummy brass coupler. If you wanted to put an 802 in it to run, you had to throw the whole dummy coupler and draft gear away. I thought that to be a waste of a nice casting. I just got my Unimat so I put it to work milling the draft gear casting out. I think it greatly added to the model and helped set the standard for my future modeling. I also had to move the steps outward slightly to clear the trucks. I added the step braces, cut lever and hose chains, new cut levers, and additional window rain gutters. It is a decal bash from many different sources.

Chessie I-12

I used a Mainline Modeler article on the Chessie I-12 as a detail reference to finish the B&O I-12. Looking at the article made me decide what to do with the second I-12 I had to paint. While I did NOT paint this model, I did all the “modernization” detail work beforehand. Most of the work involved changing window frames and adding the window “rock guards”.

Conrail N-7 Bay Window Caboose

Added 9-7-20

I painted this for my friend Don Thompson. It was imported by River Raisin in 1992 as a New York Central car. Apparently the real 21692 still exists in tourist service painted as New York Central.

Conrail N-20 Extended Vision Caboose

Added 12-14-19

This is a brass caboose made by Overland and imported by Modern Models in 1987. There were various subversions. I also painted this for my friend Don Thompson. It is a bit unique that the partial car number on the cupola. Also note the Reading lineage of car number 94106. I wondered where it went for many years but became mine on 12-14-19. The last photo is comparing the brass car to the plastic S Helper Service caboose. On 12-24-19 I opened it up to replace some popped windows and saw I dated it as done on 6-28-96. Note that Don made Reading 94106 years later as S Helper Service.

Norfolk Southern Cabooses

Added 3-25-20

When going off into a new railroad followed I like to have a caboose matching to the new locomotive. With Norfolk Southern that is a bit difficult. I saw the modified Extended Vision cabooses last year on Facebook and asked if more could be made. I later saw the bay window and added that to the project. These actually exist as Norfolk Southern cabooses. They are modified S Helper Service and American Models cars. Note the SHS car had the copula narrowed. The American Models car had the roofwalk removed and all new end rails made. Killer job!

Reading Northeast Caboose Class NM

This is an Overland Models Northeast caboose. I bought it in March 2009 as is to run with my Reading I-10sa and Reading Camelback and possibly in some mixed PRSL service.

Added 5-30-14

Revised 11-26-17

Reading Northeast Caboose Class NMn

This is also an Overland Models Northeast caboose. I painted it for my friend Ken Davis in May 2014 as if it was mine, with a much more involved paint job than he asked for of added draft gear and marker lights, hoping it would come back to me at some point. It was a very involved 4 color paint job. 11-26-17 was the day it became mine as Ken divested his trains. We have been friends since about 1991. Ken passed in May 2019. I am glad to have painted this for him.

Reading NMa Bobber Caboose

Added 5-16-20

This is a caboose built by Frank Titman. I do not know what Frank used as a starting point or kit. It is completely unchanged as Frank built it. I bought it in 2013 when Frank’s collection was sold.

Freelance Bobber Caboose

Added 7-23-12

This is my Bobber Caboose I made in July 2012 for my logging train. It is my first freelance project. Bobber cabooses are very rare in S Scale.

Logging Bobber Caboose

Added 10-3-17

Completely 3D designed and printed

Drovers Caboose

On April 30^th 2013 there was an estate auction for John Bortz’s S Scale Empire. I called John the #2 God of S Scale. I won this caboose at the auction. I have wanted a Drovers caboose since I was 13 and first saw it in S Gauge Herald. I don’t know if it actually exists anywhere on a real railroad. It was built from an Old School wood kit and is such an odd looking car.  I have been told it was built by Frank Titman for his first layout. There is some portion of an American Flyer baggage car (I think) hidden in the car someplace. Frank wrapped a new car around the A F car. That is what I see when I turn it upside down. There is NO chance I would buy a kit and assemble it myself so I jumped all over it to win. I did some TLC to it by taking off the truck mounted couplers and added my body mounted draft gear with Kadee couplers. I repainted the roof.

Added 4-19-17

S Helper Service Cabooses

After about 6 months of some rather obsessive eBay searching, sometimes 3-4 times a day, a Conrail S Helper Service caboose finally appeared. I now have the 3 SHS cabooses I want. My set is complete.

Added 10-12-18

The Seaboard caboose got my attention so I now have 4 SHS cabooses. There was 2 numbers of each scheme. I THINK 1 of each is good enough!

Added 6-23-19

I now have both Reading numbers

Y4 Scale Test Car

Since the Scale Test car ran at the end of the train, I put it here.

This was made by Southwind Models in the early 1990s.

Updated 9-7-20

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