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USA Trains New Center Cupola Caboose

12K views 42 replies 15 participants last post by  markoles 
#1 ·
#28 ·
Mark, the USAT ore cars are completely new and 1:29, and not 1:32 as the MDC. I have both and I can tell you the USAT ones are larger, heavier, and have much better trucks, the MDC was famous for cracked sideframes.

In fact, anyone in San Diego that wants some MTH cars cheap, come by. I wanted ore cars, and did not want to pay the LGB prices. Now it turns out, to my dismay, that Santa Fe NEVER had those cute little ore cars. Drat.

Regards, Greg
 
#30 ·
Posted By Greg Elmassian on 10/25/2008 9:14 PM
Mark, the USAT ore cars are completely new and 1:29, and not 1:32 as the MDC. I have both and I can tell you the USAT ones are larger, heavier, and have much better trucks, the MDC was famous for cracked sideframes.

In fact, anyone in San Diego that wants some MTH cars cheap, come by. I wanted ore cars, and did not want to pay the LGB prices. Now it turns out, to my dismay, that Santa Fe NEVER had those cute little ore cars. Drat.

Regards, Greg


Hi Gregg, I figure you meant to say MDC ore cars?? If you've got MTH cars for sale let me know and I'll figure a way out (friend in the area) to get them.
 
G
#32 ·
Posted By Jerry Barnes on 10/26/2008 10:49 AM
Here's a shot of a UP Caboose in Cozad, NE, parked at the old train station.

Closeup of the Trucks




im no caboose expert or nothin but this caboose looks an alful lot alike the one USA offers now no???? in mean the trucks look different but on the whole looks good to me no...
Nick..
 
#33 ·
Posted By nick s. on 10/26/2008 10:58 AM

im no caboose expert or nothin but this caboose looks an alful lot alike the one USA offers now no???? in mean the trucks look different but on the whole looks good to me no...
Nick..



It's close, but there are some major differences. One obvious difference is the cupola. It's not flush to the sides on the USA caboose. This is the USA caboose I believe you're referring to:


But I don't expect USA, or any manufacturer in large scale to model a specific UP prototype. While there may be enough demand in HO and other scales, I doubt there is enough in large scale. The extended vision is a very common late era caboose and is appropriate for many railroads. Although I didn't find any photos of a UP prototype.


However the USA bay window caboose is pretty close to real UP bay window cabeese:



UP Bay Window Caboose
 
#34 ·
I plan to make the UP caboose that is in Cozad, per the pix I took. I found these plans in an old decal book I got off ebay:

I adjusted the above plan to a size/look that fits in good with the MDC cars I use in my freight trains. I have the USA UP caboose with the larger cupola on top but want to get away from it. Figured to alter some trucks to get close to the ones on the Cozad caboose.
 
#35 ·
Enginear, you are right, meant to say MDC, not MTH... Chuck is getting to me ha ha!

Paul, I think they are new cars, they do not look the same as the lionel. I have two the the USAT cars so have seen them in person, and have seen several pictures of the lionels.

(Why is everyone so focused on believing USAT did not design these from scratch?)

They are definitely not MDC cars, I have these side by side at home. I seriously doubt that USAT bought the molds from lionel.

I'll look up more pictures of the lionel... and see if I can post the photos. The USAT site only had drawings last time I was there.

Regards, Greg
 
#36 ·
The New Haven version will DEFINITELY be going on my "MUST-BUY LIST"
- should go perfect with the Aristo RS-3 (if they ever get around to producing the New Haven paint scheme
they were talking about for this year!). Need a New Haven freight train to complement my PA-powered USA Trains "Merchant's Limited" streamliner!
(For days when I wanted to play "mainline standard gauge" vs. (mostly Shay-powered)
"narrow-gauge logging / mining railroad!). I was actually contemplating kitbashing / scratchbuilding a caboose along these lines, since nothing else on the market remotely resembles them.


Mark, the non-McGinnis paint scheme you suggested would be nice to see as well; I'd settle for either one (judging by the line drawing on the USA Trains site, though, looks like they're planning on doing the McGinnis scheme) . The modernistic block "NH" scheme was maybe the ONLY good thing that incompetent crook McGinnis did
while he ran the rest of the New Haven into the ground.


Tom
 
#39 ·
" Tom,

Why wait for the green/orange RS-3? There are a lot of NH road units out there, inlcuding protoypical FA-FB, GP-9, 44 ton switcher, and U-25-B!!"

Mark, I was after the one of the RS-3's specifically because I remember watching them switch the former Bay Street yard (now long gone
other than overgrown mainline track that used to run down to Newport RI) back when I was maybe 4 ~ 5 years old.
I got lucky & picked one of the McGinnis - schemed ones off of eBay about a month or so ago.
I'll still go for one of the Alpert-schemed ones if Aristo ever gets around to producing it.
By the way - it makes for a NICE-looking
New Haven commuter train at the head of a couple of USA streamlined coaches!



(I've got pictures, just haven't downloaded them from the camera yet).





Tom
 
#40 ·
Tom,

I know what you mean. My friend Chris has a Alpert schemed RS-3, #529. Combining aristo and usa passenger equipment affords a realistic looking New Haven train, minus broken windows and road grime.

I had to let my membership lapse, otherwise, I'd be able to show you the pictures! Here's Jim's video, which contains some footage of that train:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUPosrgEjJs

George told me that no RS-3s are scheduled for this year. Oh well, whatever.


Mark
 
#41 ·
Mark, here's the pictures for you...




This one's slightly blurry
-



- Both shots were taken with the cell phone camera (Apple iPhone 3G), & the cloudiness made for slow shutter speeds (& this was a try at an "action" shot
). I added some lead weights to RS-3's fuel tank to enable it to get 2 or 3 of those HEAVY
USAT coaches up the 3% grade. Too bad on the news on the availability (or more accurately, the lack thereof!
) on the Alpert - schemed RS-3's.
(Hope USA is better on the new caboose!).
Tom
 
#42 ·
I asked USA Trains about availability and just got an email:

"Mid to late summer

USA TRAINS
P.O. Box 100
Malden, MA 02148
781-322-6084


-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 6:51 AM
To: info@usatrains.com
Subject: center cupola caboose

Dear USAT:

When do you expect that center cupola caboose to be released? I've
got a couple perfect spots for it."



I was hoping to pick one up at the ECLSTS. I'm guessing mid to late summer will turn out to mean something more like a year from now
 
#43 ·
Tom,

I don't think they ever planned an Alpert schemed version. Just the green and orange scheme, most likely the hot dog scheme. That's the one I like the best. My buddy Chris has a custom built RS-1 (S-4 shells, boards, and aristo trucks) in the hot dog scheme and it is a beautiful scheme. He also has one of the NH RS-3s like yours that he just retrucked and reboarded. I think he even painted the brass handrails orange. Looking forward to seeing the pair run together at some point.


Nice pictures, by the way. Those streamliners are great!!

Mike - I'd guess you are right on the delivery!!

Mark
 
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