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BRC Caboose in 1925 - 1930

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  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Germany
  • 524 posts
Posted by faraway on Thursday, July 30, 2009 8:10 AM

wjstix

faraway

How is the lettering of the bobber in the book? The Microscale decal set has no "Belt Railway of Chicago" string but the round herald only.

It turns out it's both!!...

 

Thank you very much. That is a good starting point für a BRC bobber caboose.

Reinhard

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, July 30, 2009 7:55 AM

faraway

How is the lettering of the bobber in the book? The Microscale decal set has no "Belt Railway of Chicago" string but the round herald only.

It turns out it's both!! It has the herald in the same place as the MTH one does, but on the top of the caboose where the letter board would normally go it says "BELT RAILWAY CO." and then along the bottom of the car it says "OF CHICAGO". The photo is undated so hard to say, it could be as far back as the 1890-1910 time. It could be by your time it just had the herald?? Plus sometimes back then it seems like cars and engines that were photographed by the builder or by the railroad at the time they first were received had more elaborate lettering than what they used in everyday use, maybe with the thought that they might use the photos in advertising or something??

If I were doing it, I'd probably just do it with the herald. If you find definite proof that it had the lettering too during 1925-30 it would be easier to add the additional lettering than it would be to remove lettering if it turns out the name being spelled out is wrong for your time.

Stix
  • Member since
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  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:59 PM

faraway

wjstix

...Knapke's "The Railroad Caboose" book ...

 

I did order the book a minute ago. Found a dealer in UK. That saves time and shipping cost to Gernany, 

It's a good book, you'll enjoy it. Written in the 1960's by a former railroader then in his nineties !!

Stix
  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Germany
  • 524 posts
Posted by faraway on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:35 PM

wjstix

...Knapke's "The Railroad Caboose" book ...

 

I did order the book a minute ago. Found a dealer in UK. That saves time and shipping cost to Gernany, 

Reinhard

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:23 PM

faraway

How is the lettering of the bobber in the book? The Microscale decal set has no "Belt Railway of Chicago" string but the round herald only.

I'd have to check the book again, but I think it was written out.

Stix
  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Germany
  • 524 posts
Posted by faraway on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:08 PM

 Thank you ver y much!

I have some pictures of Milw bobbers and Bachmann sells a very generic one. I can use it as a starting point.

 

How is the lettering of the bobber in the book? The Microscale decal set has no "Belt Railway of Chicago" string but the round herald only.

Reinhard

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 8:08 AM

I had a feeling that Knapke's "The Railroad Caboose" book had a pic of a BRC caboose in it, so I dug it out last night. I was right, it does show a BRC wood "bobber" caboose. However unlike the one in the pic of the MTH car above, it had a small bay window rather than a cupola. You could probably get a plastic bobber and re-do the roof to remove the cupola, or start with a Ye Olde Huff-and-Puff non-cupola bobber craftsman's kit.

Stix
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 4:01 PM

I think you'd be right about it being wood, steel cabooses didn't really start to be seen much until after WW2, and then some roads used woodies into the sixties-seventies.

Some railroads used heralds on their cabooses 100+ years ago though, so they might have been using the Belt Line herald in the twenties.

I know MTH makes a four-wheel wood "bobber" caboose decorated for BRC. I don't know if it's remotely accurate or not, though it does seem to stick in my head that they did have bobbers at least early on...but I'm sure they wouldn't have worn this paint scheme back in steam days:

http://www.mth-railking.com/detail.asp?item=30-77068

Stix
  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Germany
  • 524 posts
BRC Caboose in 1925 - 1930
Posted by faraway on Monday, July 27, 2009 7:12 PM

 I can't find any pictures or drawings of caboose used by the Belt Railway of Chicago in the time frame from1925 to 1930.

There are plenty of pictures but all cabs are steal and much younger. I assume in that time frame wood cabs have been still in use.

An other topic is the lettering. I'm in doubt if the round BRC herald was used so early. My guess is lettering just below the roof as is was used together with the herald for a long time.

 I would be very thankfull for some pointers to information. 

Reinhard

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