I had a chance to take photos of the new Tangent caboose after I got home this afternoon from work. Here are a few of them with some comments. Sorry the photo quality isn't better...
Painting and graphics on exterior surfaces is crisp and the metal handrails/hand-holds are scale or very close to scale. The caboose is also nicely weighted:
Each end of the caboose comes with a screened window:
The roof walk appears to be etched metal (vs plastic) and the caboose roof is visible through the grating:
The interior detailing can be seen through any of the side windows and the interior lighting module helps to make that possible w/o over-illumination. A keep-alive also allows for no-flicker operation, allowing the interior lighting to remain lit 12-13 secs after track power has been turned off; less for units which come with marker lights.
Painted metal caboose flags/paddles are included with each caboose - Sets are also available for purchase separately from Tangent:
I think Tangent did an outstanding job with these cabooses and I am very happy with the purchase. It's a real treat to finally have a high-quality NYC caboose in my roster that isn't brass and/or requires painting & detailing.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstageI think Tangent did an outstanding job with these cabooses and I am very happy with the purchase.
Ditto! Thanks for that write-up, Tom. I haven't applied power to mine yet. I suppose if there's one thing I'd look at improving would be to try to secure a better-looking pair of the kerosene markers (Cal-Scale) and hopefully find appropriate M-V lenses for them.
NYC_caboose-end by Edmund, on Flickr
NYC_caboose-broad by Edmund, on Flickr
NYC_caboose-BnA by Edmund, on Flickr
NYC_caboose by Edmund, on Flickr
I might add, the trucks roll remarkably well. I'm finding places on my main line that I thought were level but —
Again, the amazing thing is we just heard about these cars a week ago, a lucky few were able to purchase them and now — who knows when, if ever, they will reappear.
The new normal. I do wonder if any are earmarked for MB Klein? Sometimes it takes them a few days to get new products warehoused, photographed and listed. I'd suggest anyone seriously seeking one to check there several times a day.
Regards, Ed
As quickly as those cabooses were selling, Ed, I wouldn't be surprised if Tangent decided to do a 2nd run on 'em. And I don't believe it would be the first time they've done that. I could be wrong but I got the impression that they did an additional run on a couple of their 70-ton drop-end gondolas, which they released early this year. I think they also did another run on a few of their 3-dome tankers last year.
Ed, don't forget that in order to activate the interior lighting, you need to wave the "magic wand" over the top of the caboose, which is supplied with the caboose box. Tangent made it Cleveland orange so that it wouldn't get lost on top of a bench. I would imagine that any rare-earth magnetic would do in a pinch though.
They look lovely - I'm almost tempted to buy one or two but I can't justify it.
I also noticed the price went from ~90 for the first run of Tangent B&O cabooses to $115 on this batch of NYC/PC/CR etc. cabooses. Price increases are really accelerating. That said, if I needed any of these, I'd still get a couple.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I noted that as well, Rio.
It could be due to increases in cost of a number of things since the introduction of the B&O cabooses - e.g. labor, fabrication of molds, purchased parts, electronics, COVID, etc. Or, perhaps there was some unique things about the NYC caboose that made it more costly to build. Or, maybe Tangent didn't calculate their profit margin high enough with the first batch.
I guess we could speculate ad naseum about the reasons for the substantial increase in production cost for these units*. I'm just happy for a handsome & very accurate NYC caboose that's 1/2 the cost of brass and better-detailed.
*FYI: I'm NOT asking for any volunteers - Thank you for your cooperation.
From what I gather the cost for transporting a 40' container has risen from $4,000 to $16,000.
Nothing worse than a business having to deal with such uncertainties.
[Edit]
My hunch was correct that MB Klein just listed roughly five of each model.
And they're discounted a whole dollar!
Cheers, Ed
One of the CR flavors is shown out of stock, and another has 2 remaining.
I have two coming that i ordered direct. Hated to spend the money, especially when I remember that you could buy 5 Athearn locos for about $100. But what is one to do?
tstage I would imagine that any rare-earth magnetic would do in a pinch though. Tom
I would imagine that any rare-earth magnetic would do in a pinch though.
No one mentioned there were some Illinois Terminal 980-series cabooses in this batch? Those are way rarer than NYC and I can actually justify picking one of those up.
Uh-oh.
Now I will be able to justify picking up a IT loco...
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I am a New Haven and SP guy but, I too had to purchase a pair of these cars. One green NYC and one brown B&A. Back in 1960 or, '61, I had the privilege of being asked if I would like to ride in the caboose of a westbound " junk" freight of mostly empties headed for home, from Beacon Park yard to Worcester, MA. The result is, I could not let these pass me by, and they are beautiful. Now, I need to round up some FAs, FBs and a couple of RS-3s.
By the way, didn't Athearn do an ITC geep-7 in their Genesis line, a while back. Unfortunately, although their miserable website lists a discontinued models search function, I am only able to get "in stock", and "coming attractions". I may not have enough computer smarts to operate that website.
Mention has also been made of the increase in price over the first release of B&O cabooses by Tangent. Up front, I do not own any B&O cabooses, for obvious reasons. Do these B&O cars have interior detail like the NYC cars? There have been cabooses of other manufacturers that have sound. I have intimate knowledge of cabooses on many railroads and, except for two or three, they never made any other sound other freight cars didn't make. What sounds are they going to make? Doors squeaking open or closed? Inane "canned" conversation? "Bathroom" noises? The only cabooses that made any other noises I know of, were those equipped with air horns or whistles for extensive backup moves.
There are now DCC equipped cabooses. Why? DCC was, and still is a mystery to me. Because I was always under the impression DCC was a method of controlling model locomotives, I must ask, what is on a caboose that needs DCC and, why?
In my humble opinion, manufacturers in their quest to add more "bells and whistles", to their models, are pricing themselves out of THEIR market. Do passenger cars require fully appointed lavatories that will be shielded behind frosted windows, never to be seen? Or kitchens in diners that have no kitchen windows? How about these roller bearing trucks that have rotating bearing caps-in HO! Personally, I don't run my trains under magnifying glasses--they only appear when it is time to search the track for all of the lil' varmints that have fallen off. If I was 60 years younger, I might be able to see the danged things so, I could paint them like the real ones. Then I would run the risk of getting hit in the nose by a train as my face was too close to the track watching the "journals" spin. Also, I was watching for those dad-blamed caps to fall off! This hobby is fast approaching the point where the only thing a young person, no matter how advanced they be skill and knowledge-wise, they can only afford entry level stuff, and become discouraged and quit.
I applaud Tangent and all of the manufacterers of the highly detailed models we have, and are coming. Everytime Dave announces something that fits my vision, like his newest 40 foot boxcars and auto parts cars, my credit card runs and hides. I earned every penny and, if I want it I get it. BUT, when the detail and, the price approach ridiculous, I become more judicious in my spending. Food for thought: When Athearn introduced their "645" line-up of SDP-40, SD-45, and "SW-1500" (actually an SW-7), back in the mid 1960s, the MSRP was $14.95 for an SD of your choice. For the price of one of these cabooses, you could buy eight of these locomotives--55 years ago! If you are familiar with these locomotives with their one level of molded-on detailing for all roadnames, would you want them today?? Even at introductory, 1960s prices? NOT ME!
By the same lights, I don't own any Broadway Limited, even though I would like to. I just cannot see myself buying something equipped with DCC and sound, which I don't use. Yes, I know I can run it without using those features but, most locomotives equipped with DCC/sound are significantly more expensive than their DC cousins. I can't see myself spending that much money on something that will be totally useless to me.
Various manufacturers have explained that once tooling for an offering is in place, it is more expensive to run separate lines of the same item with different features. This reasoning has been used to explain why dummy locomotives are no longer made. Just turn the valve and watch 'em flow! Same goes for "foobies". It may be a model of a Hoboken Shore dining car but we're still gonna paint it in Santa Fe and Pennsylvania. And B&O and UP. All of the usual suspects. As usual.
mlehmanNo one mentioned there were some Illinois Terminal 980-series cabooses in this batch? Those are way rarer than NYC and I can actually justify picking one of those up.
Mike,
That's why I left the subject title generic and provided the link where ALL the cabooses could be viewed. While the NYC was my only interest in them, I knew PC, CR, ITC, and ALS fans might be interested.
Which version of the ITC caboose are you getting? 1953, 1960, or 1979? Are all three considered 980-series?
tstagePainted metal caboose flags/paddles are included with each caboose - Sets are also available for purchase separately from Tangent:
What are the paddles for, caboose pong?
maxman tstage Painted metal caboose flags/paddles are included with each caboose - Sets are also available for purchase separately from Tangent: What are the paddles for, caboose pong?
tstage Painted metal caboose flags/paddles are included with each caboose - Sets are also available for purchase separately from Tangent:
Yes...until Atari came out with the electronic version in the early 70s.
— and here I thought they were used to guide locomotives into the fuel track.
Paddleboy by Edmund, on Flickr
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
NHTXMention has also been made of the increase in price over the first release of B&O cabooses by Tangent. Up front, I do not own any B&O cabooses, for obvious reasons. Do these B&O cars have interior detail like the NYC cars?
Yes, the ICC I-18 Bay window caboose brought out in 2020 has interiors. Consisting of but not limited to lockers, bathroom, bunks, chairs, table, sink, toilet bowl, stove. But the B&O caboose has screens over most of the windows and these screens have very tiny holes for a 1:1 eye to see though. In a totally dark train room, yes there is light inside the caboose but can anything be see clearly though the windows from the outside, not be me, and i'm not blind yet. I even put the Opti-visors on and tried to shine a small Mini-mag LED light though the windows. I can't see the interiors, but I know its there.
Humm, I just thought of something... I have a small Ridgid tool with a lens on the cable end and a viewing screen.
Wow, you can really see the inside of these Cabooses when the interior lights are on.