#505
In 2002 I built this caboose in 22.5 to run with my 22.5 locos and cars. I began a kit-bashing project that turned into a kit-bash with a scratch built frame and cupola. The body and roof are from two Bachmann East Broad Top cabooses (cabeese?) I spliced the two bodies together raising the window to the correct height. Since the EBT cabooses had steel frames, I scratch built a new frame including the used truss rods (why they were bent wrong on the prototype) and a tool box. The cupola is also scratch built using Evergreen siding and styrene. The window glazing is clear styrene cut exactly to size and glued in the gloss medium. I added leaf spring castings to Bachmann freight trucks by grinding off the coil springs. The ladders, curved grabs, and platform railings are from one of the donor the EBT cabooses. Full brake detail, some of which I had to remove for operation, was added. I painted the caboose with Floquil caboose red with a little engine black to darken the red a bit painting the caboose according to the article.
After years of running, the caboose was starting to look worse for wear and I decided it was time to do some maintenance. After touching up the paint, I repainted the roof black (I found out the roofs were painted black not red). The roof walks were painted to look like unpainted and weathered wood. I weathered the couplers to a more prototypical unpainted appearance using Vallejo rust colored paints, washes and dusted them with Hunterline and Monroe Models weathering powders. Chains were added to the cut levers and brake hoses. I weathered the roof using Pan Pastels and the rest of the caboose with AK Interactive weathering pencils.
#205
Years ago, I painted and relettered a Bachmann 4-wheel bobber caboose ET&WNC 205. Bachmann designed the caboose from the ET&WNC prototype but for some reason did not model the steps correctly. It’s been bugging me for years and I finally did something about it. I removed the steps, drew and 3-D printed the correct steps and brackets.
I painted the caboose using Floquil and later Model Master boxcar red paint. The decal came from Walters.
Additionally, I added lift bars, safety chains, and brake hoses, body-mounted Kadee couplers.
I weathered the caboose using an airbrush, pin washes, pan pastels, paints, and crushed coal for the cinders.