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LGB Drovers Caboose

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LGB Drovers Caboose
Posted by Mr_Ash on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 8:26 PM

Bit the bullet and finally picked one up off ebay for $100 and some change Blush [:I] (changed my mind about bashing one for now, my sisters kid likes the aristo caboose to much lol)

Size wise compared to the Bachmann car's there about the same, one looks taller because the roof's arnt the same and I get what people were sayen that they dont look quite right next to each other hehe I think i will only be using this one at the end of my freight train Smile [:)]

I stole the trucks and wheels from the "North Star" D&S (Bachmann) passenger car for now untill I can find a spare set. The trucks are pretty much the same as the LGB ones, the LGB ones had plastic wheels plus the only couplers included are the ones pictured and the LGB ones dont have that tab for the plastic spring thingy on the bachmann couplers so... Dead [xx(]

I think I like the LGB car's better then the Bachmann ones now lol, except for the roof's! I really wouldnt mind getting a couple of the LGB car's with the closed vestibules. Now THOSE I really like! Big Smile [:D]

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Posted by vsmith on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 10:09 PM
 Mr_Ash wrote:

I think I like the LGB car's better then the Bachmann ones now lol, except for the roof's! I really wouldnt mind getting a couple of the LGB car's with the closed vestibules. Now THOSE I really like! Big Smile [:D]

ya mean thesen's???

...there still out there, I gots these used swap meet likeBig Smile [:D]

 

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Posted by Mr_Ash on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 10:17 PM
 vsmith wrote:
 Mr_Ash wrote:

I think I like the LGB car's better then the Bachmann ones now lol, except for the roof's! I really wouldnt mind getting a couple of the LGB car's with the closed vestibules. Now THOSE I really like! Big Smile [:D]

ya mean thesen's???

...there still out there, I gots these used swap meet likeBig Smile [:D]

 

Mmmmmmmmmm...Dinner [dinner]

I just need to keep an eye on ebay I see one or two pop up every few weeks, they seem to be more rare than the drovers caboose Dead [xx(]

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Posted by S&G Rute of the Silver River on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 2:41 PM

What about the risto?

A bit O paint and its not half bad

"I'm as alive and awake as the dead without it" Patrick, Snoqualmie WA. Member of North West Railway Museum Caffinallics Anomus (Me)
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Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 3:10 PM

Personally I think the A/Cs look fine, but D&RGW never ran cars like that, they look closer to Sierra type passenger cars but with the partially enclosed vesibule. They look fine on any freelance narrow gauge layout, they are fairly close to 1/22.5, I know they still looked large when being pulled by the smallish 1/24 A/C C-16. In reality these cars were very quickly converted into the full vestibule type cars.

What I really like about my closed vestibule cars is that they look very close to the cars still in operation on the Durango & Silverton RR, and they look like the closed vestibule cars Accucraft has been offering for a scarey price! The irony is that when these first came out in the early 90's, no one bought them, so they only lasted a couple years and were then removed from the catalog, now that a whole lot more scale geeks from HO and O have migrated to G, now they want the closed vestibule types and are willing to shell out the Accucraft price for them. Thats why when I got the chance at this set, even though it was more than I wanted to spend, I grabbed them. Keep looking around they seem to average about $75-$100 on evilbay, not too bad, beats $600 each for the Accu's, shouldnt take too long to get a string of three of them, they look real nice behind an Annie Bumblebee.

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 3:18 PM

Good for you!

I knew you'd like the LGB cars better once you got one Wink [;)]

Your other hunt might be harder, the closed vestibule coaches are rare and usually more expensive then the drovers.  As far as I can remember they were only made for 1 or 2 years (early 90s?).  Of course when I wanted some they were long out of production.  And what's worse, after spending a bundle to get two 3082s (3082 is the vestibule coach, and 3083 is the vestibule combine)...I painted mine Shock [:O] 

But the end result was worth it, I think:

 

 

You'll notice the third car is a standard 3082, just repainted.  The parlor car (last car) was a mix of parts from a 3082, and a 3080 (3080 is an open vestibule coach).  But I was able to get two parlors by using one 3082 and one 3080.  The baggage was the easiest to get (LGB 30845).  The RPO was found at a train show (two combine 3081s cut into one car).  See how much fun you can have with LGB coaches Big Smile [:D]

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
Click Here for my model train photo website

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Posted by MRH044 on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 8:04 PM

  Congrats on the LGB caboose. You can never go wrong with them. I hope you find what you are looking for!!

 This is what I did to one of mine. It is a MOW caboose which has been detailed, weathered, and painted.

http://www.haworthengineering.com/

~Excellency in the Details ~

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Posted by Mr_Ash on Thursday, December 6, 2007 12:30 AM
S&G Rute of the Silver River - Like what vsmith said they just dont look like anything the DRG ran Black Eye [B)]

vsmith - I fully agree with everything you said Big Smile [:D]

Southwest Chief - WOW Shock [:O] Thats a beautiful trainset! I love the parlor car! ( compare to Accucraft )What do you have pulling them in that last pic? (BTW i stole that last pic for this weeks desktop on my work computer Wink [;)] )

MRH044 - Very nice MOW caboose, give me idea's Smile [:)]

Oh yeah... slightly off topic kinda sorta not really....... Durango & Silverton coach 212 used to be a drovers caboose Shock [:O]Wow!! [wow]

They should restore it!

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Thursday, December 6, 2007 10:21 AM
 Mr_Ash wrote:
Southwest Chief - WOW Shock [:O] Thats a beautiful trainset! I love the parlor car! ( compare to Accucraft )What do you have pulling them in that last pic? (BTW i stole that last pic for this weeks desktop on my work computer Wink [;)] )

Thanks.  The power is an Accucraft C-16 #278.  Since the C-16 is a small locomotive, the 1:20.3 scale doesn't look all that bad with LGB 1:22.5 coaches.  But normal power is an LGB mogul.  And I'm hoping one day for either a plastic K-28 or K-27 to pull the train (has to be 1:22.5 scale to match the coaches).  My best bet at this point is to modify my Bachmann 2-8-0 into a K-27.

 Mr_Ash wrote:

Oh yeah... slightly off topic kinda sorta not really....... Durango & Silverton coach 212 used to be a drovers caboose Shock [:O]Wow!! [wow]

They should restore it!

I'd love to see 212 return as a combine, maybe as a drovers too.  Unlikely though as they built from scratch combine 213 (Home Ranch) in the 80s.  BTW, Home Ranch is my favorite regular fare car to ride in.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
Click Here for my model train photo website

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Posted by S&G Rute of the Silver River on Thursday, December 6, 2007 2:40 PM
Ya, that and there not all that great (my opinion) but there cheep! Which in my book makes them allright. Espically sence the'd end up being turned into somethin else. If I didn't build it it aint mine.
"I'm as alive and awake as the dead without it" Patrick, Snoqualmie WA. Member of North West Railway Museum Caffinallics Anomus (Me)
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Posted by Mr_Ash on Saturday, December 8, 2007 8:45 AM
 Southwest Chief wrote:
 Mr_Ash wrote:
Southwest Chief - WOW Shock [:O] Thats a beautiful trainset! I love the parlor car! ( compare to Accucraft )What do you have pulling them in that last pic? (BTW i stole that last pic for this weeks desktop on my work computer Wink [;)] )

Thanks.  The power is an Accucraft C-16 #278.  Since the C-16 is a small locomotive, the 1:20.3 scale doesn't look all that bad with LGB 1:22.5 coaches.  But normal power is an LGB mogul.  And I'm hoping one day for either a plastic K-28 or K-27 to pull the train (has to be 1:22.5 scale to match the coaches).  My best bet at this point is to modify my Bachmann 2-8-0 into a K-27.

 Mr_Ash wrote:

Oh yeah... slightly off topic kinda sorta not really....... Durango & Silverton coach 212 used to be a drovers caboose Shock [:O]Wow!! [wow]

They should restore it!

I'd love to see 212 return as a combine, maybe as a drovers too.  Unlikely though as they built from scratch combine 213 (Home Ranch) in the 80s.  BTW, Home Ranch is my favorite regular fare car to ride in.

that 2-8-0 bash has been bouncing around in my head too, found a good place to read up on doing it too Dinner [dinner]

http://4largescale.com/fletch/d3d.htm

http://4largescale.com/fletch/d3c.htm 

As for the D&SNG car's, Home Ranch is nice but I think a Drovers combine would be nicer Tongue [:P]

They could use it insted of the parlor car's and charge a few extra bucks to ride in it, you know everyones going to want to Big Smile [:D] Sorry I have caboose issues, I think they are the coolest part of the train next to the engine and the drovers is by far IMO the coolest caboose Blush [:I]

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Posted by Mr_Ash on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:02 AM

Been a few months but I finall won an ebay auction for some closed vestibule D&RGW cars! Okay I cheated and used buy it now but all the single car's I have bid on went for more than $100 so I figure what the heck lol plus now that my Bachmann engine has a plow and I have the Drovers caboose I can run the train in my sig around my living room soon lol Tongue [:P]

$300 for all 3

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Posted by GearDrivenSteam on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 7:41 AM
From the looks of it, you'll need to add a car to the train in your siggy.
It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.
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Posted by Mr_Ash on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 8:10 AM
Yeah guess I'll have to add a baggage car now Smile [:)]
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Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:28 PM

Very cool, yours look in better condition than mine, of course the condition mine are in I wont have to weather themLaugh [(-D]

FYI, keep an eye on the couplers, these cars are prone to the coupler tang drooping over time from heat and exposure, 2 of mine have this issue, had to order replacement trucks to solve it, I'll just change out all 3 car trucks .

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by Mr_Ash on Monday, February 18, 2008 7:32 PM

Well the box containing the 3 car's I won off ebay arrived this morning UPS

All 3 are in VERY good condition as are the trucks, They really dont look like they were run very much. I have already installed Kadee couplers and I will have to order some metal wheels as all 3 have plastic. Im very happy with them though and I dont think I have been so excited opening somthing since christmas time as a kid lol Big Smile [:D]

I was a little worried about the Kadee's clearing the diaphragm's but they do fine (with hardly any room to spare!) only thing Im not thrilled about is the side/end doors, they dont seem to like to stay closed! Since they dont look very good open i might just end up gluing the latches IDK yet.

Here's a few pictures I snapped with my cellphone Smile [:)]

 

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Posted by Loco Larry on Monday, February 18, 2008 8:50 PM

Matt! ... That's a BEAUTIFUL setup you have there! ...

 'LOVE your website! ...

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Monday, February 18, 2008 9:19 PM

Nice looking cars you got there Mr_Ash.  They look to be in perfect condition.

Those closed vestibule doors sure can be a pain to keep closed.  The best way I've found to keep them closed is to pull the door closed with a finger (try to fit it under the door by the steps) and then turn the little knob until it seems to "lock".  But even then they sometimes don't always stay shut.

But again, nice looking cars.  Don't you just want to paint them green Mischief [:-,]

That 3083 has always intrigued me.  If I ever got one I'd make one platform open and paint it as business car B-1 Whistling [:-^]

 

Oh, and thanks Loco Larry Blush [:I]

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Mr_Ash on Monday, February 18, 2008 10:46 PM

Actually I was thinking about painting a couple of the Bachmann car's green but there are hardly any hobby shops in my area so IDK where I'm going to get a spray can of pullman green from. Tongue [:P]

As for bashing the combine into B-1... If I can find another one I think I might! That's a nice looking parlor car Smile [:)]

http://www.drgw.org/data/passenger/folios/pages/p130.htm (Doh! I didnt notice you included this link took me 30 min to track it down lol)

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