any new product caboose rumors?

[Albert in N]

The premium cabeese (like Atlas extended vision and Athearn SP bay window) are getting scarce.  Also the nice, but too short Kato modular caboose comes only with the beginner sets.  Sure, all the modern freights are cabooseless with FREDs or red flags.  However, many of us model prior to 1990s and need cabeese.  Does anyone know of any new ones in the works?

[jagged ben]

You didn't mention Intermountain's Santa Fe rebuilt cabeese, which have been run two or three times now.   Then again, they probably only interest those who model ...  Santa Fe.

[draskouasshat]

Didn't I read somewhere that IM was going to do a non-modernized santa fe caboose?

[nkalanaga]

Fox Valley seems to rerun their MILW ribbed caboose regularly, but unless you model the MILW, that one would probably look a little out of place.

[loyalton]

Just saw these in the Atlas paper catalog,:
http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nevcaboose5.htm
http://www.atlastrainman.com/NFreight/tmncupcab.htm
with releases due 2nd quarter of this year
 
and
http://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_023.htm

[wm-webb]

Just saw these in the Atlas paper catalog,:
http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nevcaboose5.htm
http://www.atlastrainman.com/NFreight/tmncupcab.htm
with releases due 2nd quarter of this year

Thanks for the heads-up.

[jimmo]

Just saw these in the Atlas paper catalog,:
http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nevcaboose5.htm
http://www.atlastrainman.com/NFreight/tmncupcab.htm
with releases due 2nd quarter of this year
 
and
http://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_023.htm

That Trainman caboose is the same old body that has been with us from the bad old days. It still has the cupola that has no detail on one end. Unbelievable.

IMO it's time for some new tooling--at least for the cupola.

[sdodge]

You didn't mention Intermountain's Santa Fe rebuilt cabeese, which have been run two or three times now.   Then again, they probably only interest those who model ...  Santa Fe.

Or.....The Central California Traction. 

[jmlaboda]

Eastern Seaboard Models is working to bring a wood Lackawanna caboose out by Summer.  A lot of shortlines bought cabs from the DL&W (three fairly near me) as they were retired... definitely a suitable cab for a shortline operation!!!

[brokemoto]

Or.....The Central California Traction. 

You didn't mention Intermountain's Santa Fe rebuilt cabeese, which have been run two or three times now.   Then again, they probably only interest those who model ...  Santa Fe.

.....or IHB................

[Albert in N]

My dream (N scale model RR) caboose is one similar to Atlas wide vision, Athearn bay window, or Intermountain equipped with red end light.  I saw one for $100 at a Richmond Controls display at an area train show last Fall, but the light was too bright.  I think it was an Intermountain with Fox Valley trucks and Richmond LED lighting.  All of the electronic caboose lights and FREDs (on box or hopper cars) that I have seen are almost as bright as laser pointers.  A simple red lens (or fiber optic lens) on a lighted Kato caboose would be ideal; except the Kato caboose is too short to be of use.  Athearn (and possibly others) has offered nice lighted cabeese in HO.  Right now, I simply stick on MV red lens or small red stick-on jewels from the scrapbooking section of so-called hobby stores.  Who knows, maybe Rapido will do an outstanding lighted N scale caboose in the future?

[randgust]

I've now installed....hmmmm.... about eight Richmond Controls lighting packages in cabooses.   I'm modeling ATSF, and this is part of the 'upgrade program' away from the vintage rebuilt Trix cabooses I've had for decades.

Right now I've got four variations...this may actually help.   

The beauty of the RC system is a rather nice capacitor design that eliminates all flickering.  They aren't cheap, but they really, really work.  The end result isn't fussy at all on the sometimes-erratic pickup of cabooses.

1)  Did a full rebuild on a BACHMANN (not Atlas) extended vision caboose, which is shorter than the Atlas and closer to the 538-class Ce-8's.  I put the Richmond Controls lighting package in it (DC)  that does one interior light LED and one end red marker up under the roof edge where it belongs.     I replaced the Bachmann trucks with MT roller-bearing, and then put the Richmond Controls supplied metal wheels and axle wipers in it to power it.   Works great.   http://www.randgust.com/999538%20caboose%202.jpg

2)  Did several Intermountain caboose rebuilds with Kato caboose frames, basically splicing the bolster areas around the Intermountain center frame so that I had end-axle pickups and wipers (and 8x8 pickup instead of 8x4 with axle wipers).   Lot of work that you couldn't see.   Same lighting package, same great results:  http://www.randgust.com/999335_flagstaff.jpg

3)  The success of the Ce-8 with just 8x4 let me try the 'stock' RC package, which is just changing out to metal wheels and putting axle wipers on it.   The fact that I had to still use retaining springs to cut down on the 'slinky' problem sort of defeated the end-axles on the Kato caboose, they rolled too well.  So the next pair were stock installs and are just as good as the 8x8 on the Kato frame.

4)  Pretty much same as #2, only for a local Ce-3 caboose that runs both ways, I wanted two marker lights to work depending on direction of travel.  Jim custom-built the circuit for me, it's on a Kato frame as it runs through lots of grimy yard and industrial track.  http://www.randgust.com/99962108.jpg

Overall, I'm very happy with these lighting kits.   I'm evolving toward full night switching operations at least in the yard, and it's really, really nice to make sure the tail end of the train is still with you.   And as you can see in the photos, they are visible, but I wouldn't call them laser-pointer bright at all, and the interior is anything but too bright.   May be DC as I'm running things no move than 5v most of the time. 
http://www.randgust.com/99962107.jpg

This isn't a diss in any way on Rapido's stuff, I've done my entire passenger train in easy-peasy conversions after I ripped out all the Kato lighting.  Their passenger car boards can be cut down a little, but not all that much.   I do think there would be a market for a 'caboose board' but it would have to have some provisions for various tap-outs for markers, end lights, etc.    One thing I have to be very careful of is accidentally leaving the Rapido boards turned on.  It's hard enough to pull the car apart to change batteries if you leave them on, with a caboose with all the ladders and fine details it could be a catastrophe.

[jmlaboda]

Randgust, those are some mighty perdy pix... thanks for sharing them!!!

[Puddington]

I wonder if there'd be anyone interested in an N scale CP Rail Angus van.....???? Probably not... might as well forget about it..........

[trainforfun]

I wonder if there'd be anyone interested in an N scale CP Rail Angus van.....???? Probably not... might as well forget about it..........

I am !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought the CN Pte StCharles caboose made by Rapido but sold by somebody else , it's a beauty but a bit too much as per underframe details . Would be nice to see some CP Rail caboose now .