Caboose Recomendations

[tadowler]

Hi All,

I am hoping if you could give me some ideas on a caboose. I got back into the hobby when I retrieved my post-war Lionel trains from my parents attic over Christmas. I like the look of post-war, however I also like the features that are available on new items. I am planning to buy a Williams Golden Memories series diesel this summer.

I have an original 6464 box car but prefer the heft and features of the newer 6565 heavies (same size as 6464 but with a die-cast frame and die-cast metal sprung trucks). I now have 10 of the 6565s and love them.

I am looking for a caboose that has some heft and is lighted. Do you know of a caboose that fits into this category? Many of the cabooses I have looked at are "scale O" which I am trying to avoid. I want to stay with the look of my traditional toy trains.

Thanks!

- Todd

[Anonymous]

[#welcome]
Hello Todd,
You might concider using one of the MTH Railking cabooses' or cabeese. In my opinion they're well made and nicely detailed. There size fits well with semi-scale and not badly with scale cars.
Best to Ya,
Dave

[Frank53]

if you want to saty post war - the Lionel 2457 is a pretty good one. It is tin plate and has some heft. They are red with black window frames and celluloid windows.

[SPFan]

You could also consider the 6517 Bay Window caboose. They are longer and heavier than either the SP or PRR type cabeese. As far as I know none or the original post war items had cast frames, though.

Pete

[TonyGG1]

Williams makes a nice copy of Lionel's N5c caboose in many roadnames and are very reasonably priced.


Tony Sincius

[cnw1995]

Todd, I'd echo what Tony says - in fact, if you're planning on buying a Wiliams engine, they have a 'club' that allows you to get that portholed caboose in one of a blizzard of liveries for $25 - then you get their catalogs, etc. Personally, I love the look of one of those blue Lionel Lines bay window cabooses.

[tadowler]

Thanks everyone for the nice replies - I will definitely look into your recommendations. Williams seems to have an excellent reputation and I could get a free caboose if I joined the club.

I also like the MTH Railking line and see that they have a bunch of die-cast stuff. I hear that K-Line made some die-cast rolling stock. Aside for the "heft", is there any advantages to die-cast? How about disadvantages? I was thinking a scratch would be much more noticable on a die-cast car than on plastic.

Thanks Again!

- Todd