Two+ questions here: first, what is proper location and the best way to put the markers on the rib-sided cabooses?
Second, these were welded steel cars. As such was the roof made of welded steel, or was it covered with tar paper? Did they show paint deterioration and rusting over time?
RicZ
According to the soft cover book Milwaukee Road's Rib Sided Cabooses by Jeff Kehoe, "about a dozen plain steel sheets were welded into a peaked design to form the roof." However, be aware that there was a 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1948 and 1951 series for the rib sided cabooses and each series had some detail differences. The 1948 series had a change in the roof construction: the steel sheets were welded lengthwise rather than crosswise. The book doesn't say so but I assume that change was carried over to the 1951 cars, which by the way had rivets. (No mention of rivets on the roof however).
Early on the roofs were painted silver to reflect the heat of the summer sun. Soon however they applied a coat of a tar like substance to prevent corrosion and leaks. But the cover appears to show a roof painted orange, albeit very dirty.
Markers. Here the Kehoe book is rather silent, other than to mention that most cabooses used metal paddle boards with reflectors stuck on then. There is a photo of one rib sided caboose with metal "paddle" type markers mounted on small brackets right at the upper body corner. There are also wind deflectors above the corner windows which the text says were intended to prevent the wind from blowing out kerosene marker lamps. So that caboose at least seems to have the brackets for paddles or lanterns in a fairly traditional caboose location.
But photos on the book appear to show more cabooses that had the brackets for the reflective paddles mounted near the top of a verticle post going to the edge of the roof from the end railing. Whether lanterns would or could have been mounted on those brackets seems unlikely to me.
Some cars had red warning lights at the end of the car. On some there was a clear lens track light mounted on the end near the running board. That red warning light may have eliminated the need for markers.
I suggest obtaining the Kehoe book for its wealth of photos of the rib sided cabooses (the publisher is the Milwaukee Road Historical Association and they have published similar books for Milwaukee Road non-ribbed bay window, steel, and wood cabooses.
Dave Nelson
The brackets to hold the marker lamps on the rib side cabooses was on the vertical stanchion at the end of the car. The rivet side cabooses had the bracket mounted on the end of the car body(and that 45° visor was meant to keep the kerosene lamps from being blown out).
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Was there a specific location for the red light on the rear? I am modeling an early version of a horizontal rib side, 1939-1940s, but as of 1959.
I sort of doubt that they would have had the single red lamp in 1959. IIRC, that rule was about 1974. It was centered under the roof...
Jim
Dave, is this same book I need to get for the transfer caboose I want to build ? which was suppossedly buildt from a tender. When I looked early, after my original post on this subject, MRHS no longer had this book, and now, it appears they have.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/255222/2860417.aspx#2860417
Mike.
Edit: the link didn't turn out to be "live", I guess you have to copy and paste.
My You Tube
Mike there were 3 separate books for rib-sided cabooses, wood cabooses, and steel cabooses. The transfer cabooses built on steam loco tender platforms are in the steel caboose book.
Based on the MRHA website
https://www.mrha.com/store/category.aspx?Category=46&Name=Caboose+Series
it appears the rib side caboose book has been reissued and revised and the wood caboose book is still available. No mention of the steel caboose book so I assume they are out. But you do see them (all three books in fact, as well as the MRHA's Beer Line book) at swap meets and from used book dealers.