i am thinking of buying one of ye olde huff n puff's wooden bay window cabooses, and wondered how easy it is to assemble one of them. does anyone know how easy they are to build and is there alot that goes into putting it together?
I've never built one of those, but I don't think I would recommend it if you've never built a wood kit before. If you are talking about this kit, http://www.yeoldehuffnpuff.com/images/HO/ss%20southern%20pac%20bay%20window.jpg, generally anyone trying to sell such a kit would want to make as good a representation of the final product as possible. If you look at the bay window assembly, the fabrication appears pretty crude and ill-fitting. And the little "tails" appearing around the inner edges of the window indicated that the window openings had to be cut to size by hand rather than coming pre-cut in a pre-assembled bay.
There does not appear to be any information stating if decals are included, nor if painting is required. There is a note at the top of the page stating that trucks and couplers are not included.
That's not to say that you can't end up with a good looking model. But if you have to ask how difficult that model is, may be it isn't for you.
Just my opinion.
Hello,
They're actually pretty nice kits. I think the SP caboose in the link is an older edition, probably from the Silver Streak days. You can see that it's decaled while the Huff and Puff have painted sides. The bay windows in today's kits are much nicer, as are the cupolas on those types of cars. The ends are bare metal, as are many parts, roof and floors are wood. Windows are now precut, frames are metal castings.
For sure these are some work, but I think less than an all laser cut kit. Makes a nice model if you enjoy craftsman kits.
Benny
That pic, looks to me like it was someone's attempt at making a bay window out of a caboose that was already made.
My Opinion, Too!
Frank
That was originally a Silver Streak kit--as are quite a few of Ye Olde Huff & Puff kits and came two ways, a 'standard' wooden bay window caboose, and a 'work' bay window caboose with a boxcar door on the side. As to construction, the kits are not really difficult to put together, a basic wooden 'box' type frame with metal ends and detail parts. I don't think it's an authentic model of a Southern Pacific bay-window caboose, because if I remember correctly, all SP bay window cabooses were steel. Still, it makes up into a good model with a little care. Back in the day (1950's to about 1970's) Silver Streak wooden car kits were fairly standard and considered 'medium' rather than 'craftsman' type kits. I built quite a few of them, most of which I still have and still run. Always liked them.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I don't think it's an authentic model of a Southern Pacific bay-window caboose, because if I remember correctly, all SP bay window cabooses were steel.
Actually, caboose 259 was a one-off piece of equipment and a model of the caboose has been done in brass: http://www.brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/045315/HO-Brass-PSC---Whistle-Stop-SP-Southern-Pacific-Caboose-259 The prototype started out as a standard C30-1 caboose. The cupola was removed in and the bay window added in 1953. The Silver Streak model was introduced sometime in the early 60's, IIRC
Photos of the prototype can be found in Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 2: Cabooses on page 96.
As far as the model goes, it's pretty much standard Silver Streak construction with wood roof, sides, and floor. The ends, steps and bay windows are metal castings, as are the end steps. The wood floor is grooved into which a narrow piece of milled wood is inserted. The narrow insert is actually designed to be used as a mount for the steps and the modeller should make sure that the insert overhangs at each end of the floor are of equal length.
Incidentally, unless Ye Old Huff N Puff does it differently, Silver Streak kits only had decorated sides. Everything else had to be painted (including the window frame inserts which are separate pieces) It's also a good idea to sand and seal the roof so that when paint is applied the wood grain doesn't show through.
Andre
Thanks, Andre, I'd always wondered about that particular kit. Now I know. I've got a couple of the Silver Streak C-30's in Espee, and they're still pretty darned good looking cabooses. Silver Streak made a nice variety of cabooses in their heyday.
I built my first one at age 12, and still have a lot of them on my layout, as well as unbuilt ones in my "kit stash" for the future. They are not difficult but do require some painting and moderate craftsman skills.
Sheldon
Like Tom and Sheldon, I have built many of these over my time in the hobby. They are not that hard. Generous use of a file and sandpaper will solve fit problems. I built my first one at 8yo, and still have it. Here is a pic of it.
The car doesn't have one end higher than the other, its the angle it was taken at.
Carey
Keep it between the Rails
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