I finally finished my first attempt at creating a UP CA-1 caboose from two MTL "Wood" cabooses. I've been running this as an incomplete model for at least a decade...or two (?) never having put windows in it, not getting the marker lamps permanently attached, and messing with different couplers and trucks. Still looked pretty good, but the windows made a huge difference, as did the correct "Q" trucks, rather than modified Bachmann "Old-Timer" trucks. Frankly, I like using .005" clear Styrene much more than the ultra-thick injection molded MTL windows...even though it's a lot more work.
Photo (1) - Finished CA-1 made from two MTL "Wood" Cabooses viewed from the right side:
This was a fairly involved project even though the MTL "Wood" Caboose, being a pretty accurate model of an SP C-30/UP CA Harriman Era caboose, is close in several ways to the later UP CA-1 cabooses first manufactured in 1914.
The main cosmetic differences between the CA and the CA-1 are (1) the CA-1's cupola is located with its rear face centered on the car body (2) the CA-1 has three windows on each side as opposed to the CA's four windows (3) The CA-1 generally has two end windows on both ends as opposed to the CA's one window on either end (4) the CA-1's smokejack is on the right side of the carbody and (5) to fit my 1947 thru 1956 era, the original 3-step end platform stairways (which are on the white metal cast MTL underbody) were changed to lower-hanging, safer 5 step end-platform stairways.
Only relocating the smokejack was going to be easy. Moving the cupola meant both precision cutting of the roof, then filling and finishing where the previous cupola roof opening was, eliminating one window on either side meant cutting it out, then replacing part of the car's side with appropriate Evergreen Styrene scribed siding, precisely cut and positioned so the seams were as invisible as I could make them, and the creation of the two extra end windows meant precise measurement, cutting drilling & filing to get everything on those windows as identical as possible to the cast-on end windows.
The cupola needed to be modified by removing the cast-on cupola grab iron on the top and plugging the center window...the adding a wire grab to the top.
The carbody needed to have all of the cast-on grab irons chiseled off and replaced with separate formed wire replacements.
Photo (2) - Left side of finished CA-1:
The running boards needed to be thinned, one side shortened and one side lengthened along with formed wire running board end supports.
I thought it would be a good idea to mill off the cast-on underbody brake equipment and replace the reservoir, proportioning valve, air cylinder and end brake hoses with Preciaion Scale investment cast brass items.
Further cupola/roof details would be wire cupola braces on both ends of the cupola
When I started the project, the very nice Panamint Models Shapeways "Q" trucks weren't created yet, so I was going to use a spare pair of Overland "Q" trucks or modified Bachmann Old Timer trucks...both of which I mounted with dissatisfaction for a time, then the Panamint Models trucks came to my attention, and I've been pretty happy with these superdetailed trucks in spite of the early Shapeways FUD material layer lines. Now that Shapeways is reorganizing in Europe, I'm not sure that Panamint Models stuff will be available, so I'm having new UP "Q" trucks modeled from prototype photos and drawings, and I'll be 3D printing them myself and using them on any future N-scale UP cabooses that I have or produce.
For the five-step end platform stairways, the original MTL underbody integrally cast 3 step stairways needed to be milled off and the platform's "wood" middle portion narrowed. I did this with my Sherline vertical mill, then replaced the stairways with GMM Heavyweight Etched Stairways...which are pretty close to the prototype late CA and CA-1 UP 5 step end platform stairways.
The stock MTL smokejack very close to the late version used on the CA-1 in the era I'm modeling, and to brace it, I used my usual .003" 6-0 suture silk.
I decided to not use the stock MTL thick injection molded windows because their surface is noticeably not very flat and reflective, so I used .005" clear Evergreen Styrene sheet cut and stuck to the inside of the body with canopy cement.
For marker lamps, I used my own investment cast versions, with red & green MV lenses from my stash.
Photo (3) - Rear of finished CA-1 showing GMM Heavyweight etched brass stairways, extra scratchbuilt end window, marker lamps with MV lenses, Precision Scale brass brake hose and brown MTL long-shank True Scale Coupler in a 3D printed coupler pocket:
I used Scalecoat 2 UP Yellow, Mineral Red, Signal Red and Polly Scale Steam Power Black for the main body colors, additionally using Polly Scale Dust, Roof Brown, Stainless Steel and Grimy Black for weathering and a few details.
Nice to finally get finished with this project!
Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore
