Two New Cabooses Join the Fleet

Greetings All,

The NYCTL recently put two new cabooses into service. The first is a Penn Central N9 transfer caboose from Bluford Shops. The second is my poor man's version of a Penn Central N5G caboose.

New caboose number one, Penn Central N9 caboose #18227, arrives at Terminal Yard. The PC N9 caboose was part of a 160 car order built by Despatch Shops at East Rochester NY from June 1968 thru November 1968. The N9s used the underframes of retired 40' boxcars. 

The 18227 was built in July 1968 and assigned to East Columbus, Ohio. The N9s and the 18227 came with propane tanks for heat as seen here. They were reportedly later removed in favor of kerosene fueled heating. Like most cars that came out of the Despatch Shops these cabooses utilized NYC style numbers and reporting marks.

PC #18227 joins NYC transfer caboose #18087, also from Bluford Shops, bringing my transfer caboose total to two. Both of these models were truly ready to run out of the box. Both came equipped with Kadee couplers at the proper height and metal wheels. They ain't cheap but they are well made and I like them both .

The new N9 is on the caboose track and getting the once over from some 1/87th scale NYCTL trainmen. They might not be as cozy as our other cabooses but they are solid, clean and better than a FRED! (Flashing Rear End Device).

Caboose number two, PC #18417, is my version of a poor man's N5G. This is an old Life Like product that was originally painted in D&H locomotive colors and came my way in a box of train goodies from 1:1 Sir Neal. 

The caboose has been stripped and rattle can painted with Krylon sea glass green and flat black. The decals are a combination of Microscale and K4 Pacific Products.The large off center Penn Central lettering, PC herald placement and yellow stripe on the lower step are taken from this prototype photo. The reporting marks and numbers are slightly larger than the prototype.

PC #18417 joins three other home built PC N5Gs. All cars are old Life Like products and have received body mounted Kadee couplers and Intermountain metal wheels. The varying paint jobs are not far from their 1:1 counterparts. From left to right 18423, 18418, 18417 and 18401.

The Penn Central N5G class consisted of  sixteen cabooses purchased in 1968 from subsidiary Lehigh Valley mostly likely to relieve a caboose shortage. The cabooses were lettered and painted in three batches 18400 - 18405 and 18417 - 18426 and assigned to yard service

Penn Central N5G #18417 was built by the Lehigh Valley May 10, 1941 as LV #95001. This caboose along with four others were sold to the PC on May 19, 1968 and it was renumbered to PC 18417.

''They're torturing me this week'' laments 1/87th scale Big Mike. First a new transfer caboose and now another ex Lehigh Valley caboose painted into PC colors! Ugh...I'm taking back all the nice things I said about working on this layout!

The 18417 made it to the Conrail roster being renumbered to CR 18607. No further information other than it was retired by Conrail.

Some of the above information was gathered from Hebner's Caboose Archive and Morning Suns books Penn Central Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by James Kinkaid which is now available in digital form from Morning Sun Books. 

Thanks for reading!!!

See ya Soon!!!