If you're looking for an interesting prototype, here's one which I last saw in New Castle Pennsylvania. The photo is from my collection, and is used with permission:
Wayne
The TrainMinature plastic version was also latter sold by Walthers well into the 1990's.
Ye Old Huff and Puff still makes and sells the Silver Streak wood kit line, but the supply caboose is currently listed as "not available".
http://www.yeoldehuffnpuff.com/sstreakkits.htm
Actual prototype - good question - but I suspect the original Sliver Streak kit was based on something "real".
Sheldon
I have one of those cabooses, also. Mine was Santa Fe, too, I believe. While this caboose looks good in the photos of it at the engine facility, above. I always felt it was out of scale (slightly big for HO scale). It sorta looked out of place on the end of a train. Never took a scale to it to check it out; but, I always wondered if it wasn't actually OO scale?
I don't know where; or, when I got it, probably back in the 1960-70s when I was collecting HO models now and then for a "someday" layout. Since I felt it was out of scale "too Tall" for an actual caboose, I removed the trucks and turned it into a Yard Office on my layout.
It was not a Silver streak kit (had one of those also) as it was plastic. Mine must be a Train Miniatures kit, per the photos above. Although my roof looks more like the model first shown, it does not have a platform on the box car end.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Gidday, On first glance I thought that's a "Train Miniatures" 42 ft Baywindow Supply Caboose that someone has removed the plastic cast-on detailing and fitted individual grab rails etc, but on closer inspection there appears to be a veranda, and I hope I've got the right terminology, at both ends, and the roof walk is different.
As for prototype, I have no definite answer, had a quickish search on the Model Railroader 75 Year CDs and Google images and while I didn't manage to find either your pictured caboose or the "Train Miniatures" one, when you see what was built over the years,1:1, I think it would be an extremely brave or extremely knowledgeable person to tell you "its NOT prototypical!!
Yeah it is a cool looking bit of kit and I can visualize a scatchbuilt 38 ft version at the rear of a consist behind that 4-4-0 of yours.
Cheers, The Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
That looks like a refugee from my layout, except that mine has a one-bay hopper instead of a boxcar body...
Seriously, it looks like something that would bring up the end of a trainload of rail and ties. The box body would protect the kegs of spikes and the wired-together bundles of tie plates.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with some improbable kitbashes)
That is a really interesting car. I think it lends credence to the oft quoted phrase that "there is a prototype for everything". It certainly has my kitbashing juices going!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I believe Silver Streak made that car originally - it was a wood kit with metal ends and bays. Train Miniature later made an all-plastic version, I think.
caboose
I was invited to visit an HO club layout last weekend and we spotted several goodies, including a V&T Ventilated Boxcar! Among the lot was this very interesting piece. It instantly made the "I must have one!" list. It appears to be an offset Bay-Window Caboose/Baggage/Boxcar. Has anyone ever seen such a thing? I'm searching for any info I can find on it, whether there's a real prototype, or just some crazy (hey, aren't we all) guy's Frankenstein concoction. Here are two other, yet similar photos: Isn't that just one of the coolest looking things!
-Mark
www.MarkWatson3D.com