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(erielack) Erie truss rod cabooses

The Walthers Silver Streak caboose Erie truss rod caboose kit is a marginal substitute for a model of the original.
   
  The most obvious deviation is the cupola. Erie cabooses had a very tall, unique cupola. The kit has the same cast cupola as all the other Silver Streak cabooses. The end railings were generic too. The height is probably the same for all of kits also. They used the same cast metal ends (some with windows, some without) for all the kits.
   
  What's correct about the kit is-
   
  - peaked rather than typical curved roof
   
  - proper number of windows (2 on 1 side & 3 on the other I think)
   
  - approximate length (cabooses in the series all had different lengths)
   
  I don't think the prototype cabooses had 4 paned windows; the kit does.
   
  You can get good quality photos of both cabooses from John LaRue (google his name). I got some from Chuck Yungkurth too (he no longer offers prints) and 3 or 4 other men who are now out of business.
   
  One interesting thing about these cabooses is that at one time the circular grab irons on the sides were painted black.
   
  It's easy to get nice circular grab irons on the sides by inserting a piece of soft wire in the 2 holes and rounding it out with a coin. I don't remember which coin I used but I selected it by
  putting various coins over the Q'Craft plans. If the wire is too long or short cut another piece.
   
  I substituted more rigid wire the end railings. The green wire they provided bends too easily.
   
  I saw one of the brass truss rod models in a hobby shop. I was unempressed.
   
  Plans for the Erie truss rod caboose in O scale appeared in an Erie Railfan. It looks a little too narrow to me.  Plans for the same caboose apeared in RMC & the RMC planbook. 
   
   
  Ed Mines
   
   
   
   

       
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