Hi everyone, been a while since I've been on the site. The question I have is the color schemes used by the N&W on Their cabeese,I'm interested in the late 50's to '65 era, the HO cars I have are either red or blue. were different colors used in different regions or what's the scoop ? Thanks for any input.
Why is it that someone asks a question about a subject you remember seeing in a magazine just before you've disposed of it? Darn!
Anyway, Model Railroading magazine had either one or possibly two issues where they showed N&W cabeese. For some reason I happened to retain one page of the article. The article was in color, by the way. The page I have (from March 1994 issue) shows a transfer caboose (class RV, #518721), a bay window caboose with the small side bays (#557984), and two photos of what look to me to be an International Car-style caboose (class c-32P, #555092). The photos are all 1987/1988, and the cars are red.
There is also a website that shows a lot of cabeese: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/nw/caboose/. All of these are also red. You'll note in the link that it references a book Cabooses of the Norfolk and Western by the N&W Historical Society with a link to that organization. Maybe you can find a copy of the book, or contact the Society directly with your what color were they question.
Regards
maxman Why is it that someone asks a question about a subject you remember seeing in a magazine just before you've disposed of it? Darn! Anyway, Model Railroading magazine had either one or possibly two issues where they showed N&W cabeese. For some reason I happened to retain one page of the article. The article was in color, by the way. The page I have (from March 1994 issue) shows a transfer caboose (class RV, #518721), a bay window caboose with the small side bays (#557984), and two photos of what look to me to be an International Car-style caboose (class c-32P, #555092). The photos are all 1987/1988, and the cars are red. There is also a website that shows a lot of cabeese: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/nw/caboose/. All of these are also red. You'll note in the link that it references a book Cabooses of the Norfolk and Western by the N&W Historical Society with a link to that organization. Maybe you can find a copy of the book, or contact the Society directly with your what color were they question. Regards
Thanks for the link maxman, interesting.
The current (Jan 2011) Railroad Model Craftsman has a "Perspective" piece in the middle of the magazine entitled "Why Love a Caboose?" by Karl Zimmerman that uses several caboose pics to illustrate the piece. One of them is a Dec 1957 picture showing two N&W cabooses in the foreground and one in the distance. Interestingly, the two cabooses in the front don't appear to be painted exactly alike. Both are red with black roofs; howver, the one closest to the camera is a brighter red (as is the one in the far distance) and appears to have red roofwalks. The one next to it is a darker shade of red (a little more towards "boxcar red" and appears to have black roofwalks. It may just be that the brighter red ones have been painted more recently than the darker one.
N&W cabin cars were painted caboose red with white lettering. Some photos show red roofs, some show black roofs and still others show brown.
When the N&W merged/purchased the NKP and Wabash (& others) in 1964 they started painting them blue with yellow lettering. Photos also show blue, black or silver roofs.
If you are interested in a certain caboose then I'd suggest getting a photo.
At least purchase the N&W Caboose book. I believe it's still available from the N&W Historical Society it will answer most all questions about painting the cabins..
Roger Huber
Yes, the N&W started painting cabooses blue after the merger of the NKP and lease of the Wabash but it they eventually went back to red.
Thanks for the info Everyone, I don't know what it is about the caboose, trains just don't seem right without them, guess I'm just gettin' old. I only have two painted blue, so these will get very little weathering,as the self imposed era of the late 50's to 1965 will work. the red ones will be in various stages of "aging". Also , weren't the cabeese more or less assigned to regions,or did they simply stay with train after crew changes were made ?
While a few railroads assigned some or all cabooses to a particular crew or train, for the most part the N&W in the 1950-1964 period did not assign cabins to crews or trains. Usually the newer cabins were better equipped and would be selected for the "hotshot" freights. The N&W did that when the C-3 cabins arrived but it wasn't a mandatory thing. The "hotshots" would be fitted with one of the older CF wooden cabins if it happened to be there and ready for service. The N&W CF, CG, CH, C-2 and C-3 cabins were all perfectly capable of handling any and all trains on the system during that time frame.
[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:0]I have a copy of "Cabooses of the Norfolk and Western". According to N&W records, they did not start the blue scheme until 1966. Prior to January 1964, cabooses were painted red and had "Norfolk and Western" stenciled on the sides with no logo. The roofs were mostly painted red, some black roofs appear in photos however. In 1964 they kept the red color, but changed the font of the lettering and added the "hamburger" herald. The roofs could be red, black or silver, it depended on which shop did the repainting.
Since you are only modeling up to 1965, it would depend on which part of the N&W you are modeling as to which cabooses are accurate. Not many of the merged roads' cabooses would have been repainted in the first year, and they would stay mostly near their "home" tracks. In 1964, from Ohio westward, N&W meant "Nickel Plate and Wabash", so you can use cabooses and locomotives from both of these roads. If you are modeling West Virginia and Virginia, the most common cabooses were the various classes of two-window cupola ones from N&W and the Virginian. Atlas has the Trainman caboose in VGN, which is as close as you can get in RTR. They can be repainted and decaled for N&W. I have a few old MDC Roundhouse cabooses I did this to, it is easier than it seems!
John
If everybody is thinking alike, then nobody is really thinking.
http://photobucket.com/tandarailroad/
I've found Overland OMI-1221 N&W Class CH steel cabooses number series 518406 to 518425 in both bright red and a dark red almost box car brown or Tuscan red. Which is prototypically correct? I'm looking for an appropriate caboose to use with my BLI P3 Y6b #2176. And curiously, is "caboose red" the bright red? Thank you.
HO Brass Model - OMI 1221 Overland N&W Norfolk & Western CH Steel Caboose #518412 - 1989 Run - Custom
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404846807218
oldline1 While a few railroads assigned some or all cabooses to a particular crew or train, for the most part the N&W in the 1950-1964 period did not assign cabins to crews or trains. Roger Huber
While a few railroads assigned some or all cabooses to a particular crew or train, for the most part the N&W in the 1950-1964 period did not assign cabins to crews or trains.
Roger,
You are incorrect about the caboose assignments. Each conductor had his own assigned cab. This was up until the "Pool Cab" agreement. When that agreement was signed by the union, cabs were pooled on through freights. Pool conductors/brakemen got an extra $2 or so in pay and rode what cab was put on the rear of the train. Shifters still retained an assigned caboose. Those of us that hired after the agreement was signed were not entitled to the extra $2.
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S-gauger I've found Overland OMI-1221 N&W Class CH steel cabooses number series 518406 to 518425 in both bright red and a dark red almost box car brown or Tuscan red. Which is prototypically correct? I'm looking for an appropriate caboose to use with my BLI P3 Y6b #2176. And curiously, is "caboose red" the bright red? Thank you. HO Brass Model - OMI 1221 Overland N&W Norfolk & Western CH Steel Caboose #518412 - 1989 Run - Custom https://www.ebay.com/itm/40484680721
https://www.ebay.com/itm/40484680721
Either one. You need to take into account of weathering over time and the territory where the cab operated. If you search, you will find a line of cabs on the cab track and every one will be a different color!