CV Caboose - Kitbash

A new addition to the WRD fleet.

I added another caboose to my CV fleet. This one is based on parts from a CNR Juneco wood-white metal kit, two sides of a CV F&C cupola, Tichy caboose trucks and a Roundhouse caboose kit. The Juneco kit gave me the smoke stack, caboose ends, and see through stairs (the stairs are the main feature needed).  My un-built F&C CV caboose kit has two styles of cupola sides. I used the one that had the braces on. These I cut off as they were removed well before the 1960'...as I am modeling a CV noodle caboose. I used the F&C cupola ends as a guide while scratch-building the ends. I am working on a more detailed article for this caboose that will be in an upcoming CVRHS Ambassador.

The sides are painted Floquil red-orange mix. 80% caboose red and 20%  CN orange. The roof is grimy black as is the trucks and under-frame. Reefer white is used on the handrails and old silver on the stack. This caboose has truss rods already included and installed when I purchased the kit. I used a tool box that I had on hand but added the hinges and trim. A bleed rod is also added from bent wire. The trucks are caboose trucks by Tichy.

I ran into a problems since the sides of the body bowed out. The roof had a bit of a twist to it also. I did not notice this till I started working on the model. If I had seen this before I purchased it I would have passed on the model. I really should have left this model and looked for a better Roundhouse kit. I did glue and clamp braces which seemed to hold but when it was all said and done they let go. The caboose was finished by this time and all I could do was find a cosmetic option. I decided to add onto the side edges of the caboose roof. I only had wood strips that was the same thickness. These I glued on and sanded to match the roofing. All is good although if you look really close to the end area one can notice the bow a bit. I ran into the same problem with the roof. Between the wall bowing out and a bit of a twist in the roof the cupola's joint was now gapping a lot on the sides which looked like crap. I used Canopy cement to fill the joint as best I could and then touched up the wall colour and roof colour. It all looks pretty good now, but lesson learned, don't try to fix a messed up kit...George Dutka

Most of what I used is included in this photo.

The Juneco ends are added and the steps are being worked on.

The Roundhouse body was bowed out. I glued two pieces of styrene inside and clamped till dry. As it turned out even though I waited a week or so to see if it held, once I began handling the model while working on it again the glue began to let go. The end grabs are those included with the Roundhouse model which were already install when I purchase the kit. The curved side grabs are those included with the Juneco kit which are a bit finer.

The ends are glued on the base and the see through steps are applied. These parts are included in the Juneco kit I used. My finished model built years ago is seen in the background. I used this one as a guide.

The scratch-built ends and F&C sides are glued together. The stack if from the Juneco kit.

Most of the details are added although not attached yet. The running boards and cupola roof need to be built.