I recently purchased an old O-scale Abroid A&SF '1000' series caboose kit, and I was wondering if there are better scale plans - the underbody could use more detail, and I would like to improve it.
Also, the kit has many white metal details - they are neatly cast but before I start clean up sanding and filing on them does anybody know what kind of metal was used to cast these?
Thanks,
Konrad
The cast metal parts in Ambroid kits might be "pot metal" essentially anything that was in the pot when the casting was done. This would be mostly lead, some antimony, anything that would melt in the pot. Or it would have been Zamak, a casting alloy largely zinc, some aluminum, and I forget what else.
The undercarriage of cabeese had brake gear and tool boxes. Older cabeese would have a single K brake assembly containing both air tank and triple valve. New cabeese would have AB brake gear with a separate air tank and triple valve. Both would have an air cylinder and levers and rodding to convert the push of the air cylinder into pull on the brake shoes. And a train line, carrying air from the hose on one end to the hose on the other end. A lot of cabeese carried big tool boxes under the floor, inbetween the trucks.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
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Those metal castings almost certainly contain lead, so treat them as such. No licking your fingers while working with them.
For brake rigging, the instructions that come with a Tichy K or AB brake kit are pretty good. Not sure what else besides a tool box or water tank might be under a caboose.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
One thing under there would be batteries for the lights and the radio. Many cabooses had axle-driven generators, with the drive sometimes being taken from a pulley bolted to an axle end and a couple of external stages of V-belts 'stepping up' axle speed.
Electric lights and radio were rarely found in cabooses until they slowly started to appear in the second half of the 20th century. Kerosene lanterns inside for light, outside for markers, and for the brakeman to use for signalling. Even some of the earlier steel cabooses had to be modernised with electricity. Some railroads preferred a small diesel generator over the axle version.
Many wood cabooses stayed primitive until the end, although at least the brakeman's lanterns became battery powered.
John
Here is a write up on the 1500 series car:
http://old.atsfrr.org/resources/MooreJB/Steel%20Caboose%20Clinic%201B%20%202010%20SFRH&MS%20%20%20%20%20%20%207-16-2010.pdf
The details may be similar if yours is a wood car, especially the cupola "wig-wag" signal.
https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/whsrail/id/643/
Hope that helps, Ed
Thanks David, I will look at those,
Thanks Kevin, I will be careful with them ✔️ Konrad