Material for scratch building n scale cabooses

[jargonlet]

I have the need to scratch build a few wood side cabooses. I don't particularly like to build in styrene if I can help it. For those of you scratch builders out there: Where would be a good place to buy scale wood that would be suitable for caboose wood siding? Also if you could include which size/spacing that would be great.

[bbussey]

Unless you're having your own wood parts laser cut, your better off using styrene.

[chessie system fan]

I concur about styrene.

Which wooden cabooses?

[garethashenden]

Another option would be to draw them up and have them etched. Styrene would be easier, especially if you only need a couple.

[jargonlet]

Thanks for the replies. I need to make a Lehigh Valley and one or two D&LW wood cabooses for my Interstate layout. Also I need some Erie cabooses as I have started to model the Erie. Most of their caboose fleet were purchased secondhand. I have the RMC with the Lehigh caboose drawings but have not found a drawing for the wood Lackawanna cab yet. I would also like to do a B&O and possibly a couple NYC.

@bbussey How close is the Keyser Valley caboose to the wooden one other than window placement and being steel? Weren't you working on a wooden version?

[bbussey]

The steel and wood versions are very different. The current plan is to issue the DL&W caboose kit by the end of the year. It is second in line, behind the acid tank. Trying to secure the pro typically correct T-frame trucks from Bachmann has been problematic.

[jmlaboda]

Thanks for the replies. I need to make a Lehigh Valley and one or two D&LW wood cabooses for my Interstate layout.

Looking forward to seeing what you do... have long loved the Interstate and will be interesting to see how these projects turn out!!!

[mmagliaro]

Here's the thing... while it seems more "purist" to make a wooden caboose out of wood, it is in fact very hard to
make board scribes that are really in scale in wood.

You can get the really narrow board Evergreen siding and it will look better.  It might be a little trick distressing the surface a bit so it looks more like wood after you paint it, but overall, I think the results will be better.  That's why I used styrene when I made the replacement ends on this car.  It's just plain easier to work with, the scribes are not too deep.

[chessie system fan]

Yes, keep us updated on your scratch building efforts.  FWIW, I designed a B&O I-5 styrene kit on my Silhouette cutter a while back and am currently slowly building a master from it to resin cast.  I'll eventually need a bunch of them.

[nkalanaga]

Styrene vs wood also depends on how old your prototype is.  New, or freshly painted, wood cars show little, if any, grain, making styrene the better choice in N scale.  If your prototype is badly in need of shopping, wood is certainly the way to go.

Most scale lumber has too much grain for N scale smooth boards.

If you really want wood, Kapler Mill and Lumber Co. has a good selection of both dimensional and N scale:
http://www.kapplerusa.com/y2k/kp-main.htm
I've never bought from them, but have used their products.  I like the disclaimer on their home page, in bright red letters:
"Please note that we are not a supplier of lumber for the building industry, so if you are looking for cedar decking to finish your home project, we are not the ones to call."