Greetings All,
"I need another caboose like I need a hole in the head" was a recent statement I made to my friend PC Ralph. This was after "innocently scrolling thru ebay"(a PC Ralph phrase) and purchasing two caboose kits at prices that I just couldn't pass up.
Which brings to mind the well used "Hello, my name is John and I'm a trainaholic..." This is a phrase coined by my friend Sir Neal ("Hello, my name is Neal and I'm a trainaholic") that he uses as the opening in some of our email correspondence.
It's obvious that with friends like these I'm gonna need a bigger bank account! But without any buyer's remorse I present my two newest cabooses.
First up is this Bowser PC N-5 caboose #19153 kit.
According to Hebner's caboose page the PRR N-5 was designed and built between 1914 and 1917 and was the first all steel cabin car. The PRR built 925 N-5 cabooses that were numbered 476694 - 477619. They were renumbered into the PC 19000 series but were not consecutively numbered.
The N-5, which we learned was the first all steel cabin car, shows it was designed for the mountainous helper operations that the PRR was famous for.
PC N5 #19153 ready for its first revenue run on the layout. Can non revenue equipment make a revenue run? 😉 Prototypically speaking this N5 caboose was 50 plus years old during the PC era!
The next caboose is a Bowser undecorated N-5C that I've painted as Penn Central #23011 as seen in this June 1969 photo. This was one of those I've got the paint, I've got the decals, all I need is the model purchases. You model railroaders can understand that... Right?
Hi! My name is Neal and I'm a trainaholic. My last EBAY purchase was one day ago...! Those are some great looking cabooses (cabeese) that you added to the railroad. Just think, that's two more trains you can run that will have protection on the end! The Bowser kits are nice and it is fun to not only build a train kit, but to paint one as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments Sir Neal!! And thanks for being a bad influence. It's much appreciated!!
DeleteThe variety of cabooses of Pennsy and NYC heritage is just one more reason to enjoy modeling the Penn Central. Both new cabooses look fantastic! Those sturdy former cabin cars are ready for helper sets to safely shove them from behind! I've never built a Bowser kit. Did the neat looking silver window trim on #23011's cupola come as part of the kit or did you create that somehow? Two new great additions to the caboose roster that were very nicely done! Hmmm...am I enabling your trainaholicism?!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments Ralph the Enabler!! I hand painted the silver trim on the 23011 after seeing the prototype had a silver metal around those windows. The Bowser caboose kits pretty straight forward but be careful of the steps and railings as they are very delicate. The freight car kits are well done but will need additional weight.
Delete"But I was just looking on ebay honey, I swear it!" Hello John! I really like both of these cabooses / cabeese. Great paint and detail work! I also like the protypes of both of these. Like Ralph said: "Sturdy." I'm guessing the crews didn't mind riding them when they were being shoved against a train. This got me to thinking about the slang words train crews used to identify their particular caboose or cabin car. Slang names such as: Hack, crumb box, crummy, doghouse. Those are the only ones that come to mind at the moment. What other slang names have you guys heard?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how that train ended up here! Thanks for the compliments Robert! I agree the N5 series including the N5C really were some good looking and well built cabooses.
DeleteI've heard caboose / cabin from the NYC and PRR. A fellow at the Southeastern Railway Museum called our Clinchfield caboose a crummy. I've heard 'hack' and that's about it.
Come to think of it cabooses have more names than mobsters!