Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Taking bets on who will make this first HO scale Super Caboose

4463 views
23 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Thursday, March 11, 2021 10:58 PM

Overmod
He means TMI unit 2, which did in fact melt down.

Yup, that would be it.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:10 PM

SeeYou190
I am with Tom, I do not think anyone will mass produce this model.

I agree...it's uglier than a mud fence.

Wayne

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Thursday, March 11, 2021 7:50 PM

maxman
But there was the other one that barely got started when it met with the accident.  I don't know if they got that fuel off site or if it was too twisted up with the rest of the mechanism.  But I do believe that it all has been removed.

He means TMI unit 2, which did in fact melt down.  It took Bechtel about 8 years to bring it to a true cold shutdown, and longer to get the vessel head off and remove the 'corium' sensibly.  But they got it done, and done well.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 11, 2021 7:30 PM

I live 18 miles from the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station, never give it a minutes thought.........

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 11, 2021 6:51 PM

maxman

 

 
rrinker

Ditto. There was exactly ONE nuclear vessel in operation in my era, and I don't think they had fully thought out transport of spent fuel yet. The first nuclear power plant in the US was only just beginning construction - Shippingport Atomic Power Station outside of Pittsburgh.

                                      --Randy

 

 

Oh, how soon we forget.

Yes, there is the one that just shut down.

But there was the other one that barely got started when it met with the accident.  I don't know if they got that fuel off site or if it was too twisted up with the rest of the mechanism.  But I do believe that it all has been removed.

 

Forget what? In 1956 there were no operational nuclear power plants in the US, Shippingport was under construction and the reactor wasn't 'hot' yet, and there was one operation nuclear ship - the submarine USS Nautilus, which was undergoing trials. USS Enterprise hadn't been laid down yet.

I've spent most of my adult life living and/or regualrly driving past Limerick Generating Station, several times living in palces where the front of the phone book had a page on what to do if you ever heard the warning sirens go off. OK, good to know, and promptly forgotten about. 

 According to that web site ont he caboose, new fue just might actually travel through my area, but I've never caught the DoD train. That doesn't bother me either, the testing they do to those containment vessels is something else, they're not likely to split open in a derailment. Tank cars of chlorine or ammonia on the other hand....

                                                     --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, March 11, 2021 5:13 PM

I've seen nuclear vessels transported by rail a bunch on the webcams.  Usually it is a green DOD caboose, not that oversized monstrosity.  They probably had some left over budget money at the end of the year and it was "spend it or we won't get as much next year."

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, March 11, 2021 5:04 PM

3 mile Island near Harrisburg almost blew up but the containment safety features worked. The Niagara plant also had a contamination incident.  Only two bad ones were Chernobel that had no containment building and Fukushima that was hit by the tsunami

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, March 11, 2021 3:05 PM

maxman
But there was the other one that barely got started when it met with the accident. 

Are you talking about the nuclear power plant near Tampa where they found a crack in the containment vessel and shut the plant down permanently shortly after it entered service?

If so, there was no accident, damage, or danger. The plant was shut down because if there was an accident it might have led to a leak.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Thursday, March 11, 2021 12:16 PM

rrinker

Ditto. There was exactly ONE nuclear vessel in operation in my era, and I don't think they had fully thought out transport of spent fuel yet. The first nuclear power plant in the US was only just beginning construction - Shippingport Atomic Power Station outside of Pittsburgh.

                                      --Randy

 

Oh, how soon we forget.

Yes, there is the one that just shut down.

But there was the other one that barely got started when it met with the accident.  I don't know if they got that fuel off site or if it was too twisted up with the rest of the mechanism.  But I do believe that it all has been removed.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:08 AM

Not seeing one of these in my future.  It doesn't appeal to me at all.

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:00 AM

Ditto. There was exactly ONE nuclear vessel in operation in my era, and I don't think they had fully thought out transport of spent fuel yet. The first nuclear power plant in the US was only just beginning construction - Shippingport Atomic Power Station outside of Pittsburgh.

                                      --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 12:17 PM

To new for my era.......

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Franconia, NH
  • 3,130 posts
Posted by dstarr on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 12:11 PM

I agree, a scratch build doesn't look hard.  Although I would want to use four pieces of styrene, two sides, two ends.  The lack of real windows makes things easiler. 

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 7:49 AM

That has to be the easiest scratch build of all time. A couple of rectangular pieces of styrene and you are 90+% done

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 1,950 posts
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 7:10 AM

Most likely a 3D print thing

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:30 AM

mlehman
And plenty of room for the sound decoder that plays machine gun effects when the evil dispatcher plays the surprise train attack scenario card during an ops session.

To say nothing of the smoking foam, the simulation of reactive-armor panels firing, various laser devices, photic drivers and the other delightful options -- there's more than one White Train about which "one-half the stories have not yet been told"...

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Springboro, Ohio
  • 201 posts
Posted by ripvanwnkl on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:12 AM
Thanks, Dave, for the clickable link.

Dave

USAF (Retired)

 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 3:03 AM

It looks like a subject for a comparatively easy scratch built.
My 2 Cents Cheers, the Bear.Smile
 

Yeah, the lack of windows makes it look pretty easy compared to some subjects.

And plenty of room for the sound decoder that plays machine gun effects when the evil dispatcher plays the surprise train attack scenario card during an ops session. Smile, Wink & Grin

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 2:59 AM

SeeYou190
For what it is worth, that caboose IS NOT "heavily" armoured as the poorly written article stated. If it is armoured at all, it would be resistance to light arms fire at best. Any sort of real armour would require much heavier trucks and wheels to support the additional weight.

I don't know if I would term it lightly armored. It's pretty heavy for a caboose, although weight alone is not a dependable guide, because Kevlar and other lightweight materials are now often used for such purposes. It's probably resistant to anything up through .50 cal. The security personnel are also heavily armed. While there are back-ups readily available, those on the train would be expected to hold off and defeat most threats.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
  • 6,251 posts
Posted by "JaBear" on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 2:32 AM
It looks like a subject for a comparatively easy scratch built.
My 2 Cents Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 9:30 PM

tstage
I say no one...unless it's in brass...

I am with Tom, I do not think anyone will mass produce this model.

For what it is worth, that caboose IS NOT "heavily" armoured as the poorly written article stated. If it is armoured at all, it would be resistance to light arms fire at best. Any sort of real armour would require much heavier trucks and wheels to support the additional weight.

It is most likely a rolling office and room for a small security force. I would expect any train hauling materials that could be weaponized into a dirty bomb would be escorted by Apache helicopters. That is what is done with extremely sensitive truck shipments. There will be a "stealth" SUV nearby with security, and a helicopter escort over the horizon. If you brake-check that truck, expect the worst day of your life in 60 seconds.

Armoured trains were used in WW2 by the German, Polish, and Soviet armies. These purpose-built combat ready trains had only a fraction of the armour protection that all but the earliest WW2 tracked armoured fighting vehicles had.

My armoured Polish artillery train pressed into German service after capture:

Soviet WW2 armoured artillery train. The locomotive is in the middle of the train. Note the Hi-Rail version of the BA-10 armored car.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 9:12 PM

I say no one...unless it's in brass...

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 7:36 PM

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Springboro, Ohio
  • 201 posts
Taking bets on who will make this first HO scale Super Caboose
Posted by ripvanwnkl on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 7:16 PM

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39654/wait-this-mysterious-heavily-armored-blue-train-caboose-belongs-to-the-navy

Dave

USAF (Retired)

 

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!