I'm working on my MILW tranfer caboose build, and I'm going to include break gear, rods, and piping.
MILW made these caboose from retired tenders, and the rebuild included adding a break wheel and a air release valve on each end.
I believe a regular caboose would be set up the same way.
I have found some pictures on the net, just wondering what additional piping or rods would be in place that a normal freight car wouldn't have.
Of all the pictures I took, while laying on my back, under this caboose, I failed to get clear images of the break piping and rod configuration.
The images I got, were from the images I took of the bolsters, and the frame.
Talk about built! Lots of heavy thick iron under there, after all, these were originally built as tenders.
Thanks for any and all info you can share with me.
Mike.
My You Tube
Heh - I suspect you'd have to tip the caboose over on its side to get comprehensible pics of the brake piping and rods. Not recommended! Not specific to these transfer cabooses but MR did have an article with drawings showing the special version of piping and rods for cabooses, BUT I think it was in an old MR "Clinic" column, meaning it does not get picked up as a topic by the index. If I find it by accident I will try to remember this thread and update it
Meanwhile the Milwaukee Road Historical Society's book on rib sided cabooses DOES have an under side drawing (which their books on steel and wood cabooses lack, but the piping and rod work should be similar for the transfer cabooses) on page 10. However the drawing is for a caboose equipped with the old K brake system (where the cylinder and reservoir are attached to each other), not the later AB brake system. I don't know what the transfer cabooses had - not being in interchange the K would not have been prohibited.
Dave Nelson
I'll have to check that out Dave, thanks. It is the AB system.
Two years ago this week, I took a bunch of pictures of the caboose, including the underside and frame, in anticipation of this build.
The ETERR keeps this caboose in their car barn, about two blocks from me. I might have to wait until a weekend when some of the guys are woring there, to get access again.
Like an idiot I didn't take any specifically showing the brake system, so the pictures I have to work with are what show up in the pictures of the frame.
EDIT: While searching around, I just found the conversation in here, we had about this caboose, and Jeff Wilson's book, in 2016.
Here's a diagram of the AB caboose brake system on an HO Santa Fe model project from the ATSF Historical Society website. This arrangement is probably standard for most roads with some variations. Scroll down to page 5 for the diagram. I'm using this as a guide for reinstalling the brake rigging on my Erie steel caboose.
https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A1fc40a7a-16ae-4f36-bd69-16e2140be508
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
I don't think that the set-up for caboose brakes is all that different from most freight cars, other than accommodating having a brake wheel at both ends of some cabooses.
While I usually add brake rigging to many of my cars, I usually don't bother with too much of the piping, as most of it isn't all that visible unless you regularly experience derailments which include roll-overs.
Here's an Athearn bay window caboose to which I added some brake detail...
...and, as you can see (or can't see) there's not too much of it showing from a trackside view.
Here's a look at the brake gear, and, as is my usual practice, there's a limited amount of piping, and no trainline at all...
The double-ended brake cylinder was from my "parts department" and may have been from a Red Caboose X-29 boxcar, and most of the rest of the components were likewise from parts amassed over the years.
I neglected to add the lever set-up for reversing the motion of the rods for the left end of the car when the brakes are set manually from the right end, but I did add the release levers from the AB valve to both sidesills.
Here's the painted version...
As you can see, all of the brake actuating rods move towards the centresill as they near the trucks - not prototypical in most cases, but you need to keep them clear of the wheels and truck bolsters, especially if you have tight curves. Seen from below, not very prototypical, but seen from trackside, with sufficent lighting, certainly passable enough for my tastes.
I did include the valves on the platform railings, found again in the "parts department", but have no idea of their origin. If I did, I'd buy enough to do the 10 or 12 wooden cabooses I hope to scratchbuild one of these days. The scratchbuilt screen doors used silk-screen material for the screen, coloured with a black marker...
The ladders are scratchbuilt, as are the handrails, and the end gate originally worked, but because I didn't feel like creating latches for them, they're now fixed in-place....
To better illustrate things, I paused after the above, and took a few more photos.
Here's a trackside view under reasonably good lighting, but not enhanced by adjusting the camera to better-illuminate the underbody detail...
...and a somewhat enhanced view of the underbody details...
...you can see the release lever at the sidesill, just below the AB valve along with some of the other components. While my layout is rather well-lit, even if this caboose were on the high bridge, pictured below, it's doubtful that you'd see much of that detail, as a camera adjustment for light will allow the camera to see more than will your eyes...
Here's the release handle on the other side, visible just to the left of the air reservoir...
...and, as you can see here, I've replaced the original Kadee couplers with the ones with "scale" heads...
In my opinion, adding full brake detail (or as full as you can make it) is mostly an exercise in self-satisfaction, unless you're planning to enter it in a contest. I prefer my contests to be kept to myself, but do add at least the brake rigging to most of my house cars, cabooses, and passenger equipment. For flatcars and gondolas with drop-style sidesills, it's wasted effort in my opinion, but I would like to add better brake components to my hoppers - some currently under construction will definitely get upgraded, but for the other 60-or-so, not so likely.
Wayne
Thanks Russ, trying to figure out how to print, I guess I'll just save, and then print. Thanks!
Thanks Wayne. Your second picture showed up on an internet search for caboose brake piping, and I've been referring to it.
This is the first time I've completely scratch built a car, following a prototype, and just for me, I'm trying to get all I can right.
I normally don't mess with brake at all, just the visible stuff.
Are you trying to build a transfer caboose like the Blueford Shops model?
If so, maybe someone who has one of these can post a photo of the underside. That should be close enough to prototype to make you happy.
maxmanAre you trying to build a transfer caboose like the Blueford Shops model?
Yes, they do make a transfer caboose for the MILW. I'm scratch building a particular one the ETERR has.
It's MILW. 1738.
Mike, the piping on this scratchbuilt 1932 ARA boxcar is more completely modelled than that on the caboose, even including the 1/8" pipe to the retainer...
...however, it doesn't include the levers needed if your transfer caboose has a brakewheel at both ends. I'm not even sure of what the layout would be for that.
Oh yea, retainers. I didn't see any of that on this caboose.
I have it pretty well figured out, from what I got from the pictures I took, and piecing in the missing parts from info I have been given, so far.
My main thing was getting the bars, or levers right for the brake wheel on each end, and there is also an air valve on each end, where a brakeman could easily get at it, which I have figured out how to model.
I wonder if the good folks at the East Troy Electric Railroad would haul that old transfer caboose into their new shop building with the inspection pit and let you retake the photos and make some notes? When our chapter of the National Railway Historical Society went on a street car ride at the Museum (and they took us down the old and rarely used "Trent Tube" factory siding which is still under wire) we also got a tour of the shop and were allowed down in the pit which is very well lit and perfect for photography. I think one of their South Shore cars was in the shop that day so we got a good view of its underside.
A few boxes of donuts for the crew might do the trick ....
Their new shop is great. I spent some time in there the year I took the photos. They were still doing some interior finish work. The pit is excellent! compared to how they used to work on the cars.
The transfer caboose is way on the West end of the car barn on Division Street, they would have to move a lot of stuff, that hasn't moved in a while, to get to it.
I don't believe the cars they have in the waiting for a restore. We think we collect a lot of model stuff for future projects? The two barns are packed full.
They used to use the caboose as part of the Christmas Train, when "Santa" comes to town, but I haven't noticed it out in a couple of years.
I felt lucky that they let me in the barn to take the pictures that I did. They really are a bunch of friendly great guys!
The old Trent Tube spur, do you mean the track that goes past the ETWWTF (sewer plant), and to where the old (now long gone) Trent Tube factory used to be? I haven't walked that in a long time.
Did you notice the grade on the plant to the East of Young Street? When the RR was active with freight, the 44 tonner had all it could do to pull one car of tubing up that grade.
Anyway, I'm rambling now! I got what I needed, as I was able to fill in the "missing pieces" of what I needed with the help of forum members and links to pictures.
Some of the brake equipment showed up in the pictures I took of the frame. The brake system wasn't even on my radar then.
I've got the chassis and brake gear together, taking pictures as I go, and when the car is done, I'll do a "build" post.
Thanks Dave,