Caboose No. 1

The caboose is another one of Hartford Products outstanding 1:20.3 kits, specifically, the Hobart Estates Caboose, Eight-Wheel Version. When I bought the kit, I also purchased the "interior detail kit." As it turned out, while building the caboose, I ended up using nothing but the stove and grab irons. This was no fault in the detail kit, but rather, my deciding that I'd rather build up the interior in a board-by-board manner, while opting to "sheath" the interior walls, something not done on the prototype, nor in the detail kit. I did, nonetheless, use the detail kit for patterns, especially for the interior cupola area.

Overall shots of the exterior.

I used a method for the roofing that I haven't heard of before in the Large Scale community - specifically, Iron-On coating normally used for Radio Control Airplanes. The material I used is designed to simulate the canvas material employed as covering on older Biplanes, and has a texture perfect for our purposes. I cut it into scale 3' strips, and ironed it on with a 1' overlap. A finish coat of Floquil Grimy Black and some Concrete weathering, and all is well.

I tried to simulate the normal wear of paint on surfaces subject to constant use by removing the paint from appropriate areas, leaving a shiny surface where prototype wear would occur.

One of the interior cupola seats. All interior details were built up board-by-board, including the flooring, using Hartford's excellent Interior Kit as patterns. The grab irons are also part of Hartford's Interior Kit. Nail heads were simulated with a 0.7mm mechanical pencil.

Both interior cupola bays in place, along with one end wall, and one side wall.

As previously mentioned, I opted to sheath my interior walls board-by-board. I chose the same method for the flooring.

A close-up of one of the door latches, this one under the fireman-side cupola. A mirror image is employed under the engineer-side cupola. This is entirely seat-of-the-pants, but seems appropriate for the era.

I still haven't completely finished this kit. Remaining details to be added include: a wood box (fuel), for the stove (coal wasn't too common on the West Coast, and wouldn't be used on a logging line anyway, with wood in such abundance), a seated figure in the cupola, and a Red tail light, with batteries secreted in a crate on the baggage/freight floor, inside the freight doors.