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 Posted - February 26 2014 : 1:19:02 PM
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Here's the caboose. What is it? My best guess is Varney but I'm not 100% sure. I can't find too much on it. If it's Varney, when was this thing made, the 1950s?
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
Edited by - kovacste000 on February 26 2014 4:37:05 PM
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 1:36:29 PM
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now get a CABOOSE decal & put it on it 
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 2:05:45 PM
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A Varney. The cheap life like train set junk uses a caboose like that because they got most of Varney's molds.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 4:40:14 PM
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quote:A Varney. The cheap life like train set junk uses a caboose like that because they got most of Varney's molds.
Originally posted by Redneck Justin - February 26 2014 : 2:05:45 PM
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Alright, thanks! Now I know where to find info on it from here which happens to be hoseeker. Also, don't you think the couplings are just flat out odd. They're plastic knuckle coupler thingies that are just hard so it's a little awkward getting it connected to other H0 stuff. According to hoseeker's Varney page, these were made in the mid to late 1950's with those bizarre couplings. After that, they just had the horn hook couplers that most H0 model railroad companies used at the time.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
Edited by - kovacste000 on February 26 2014 4:41:46 PM
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 7:28:08 PM
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Don't forget Tony Cook's reference site: http://tycotrain.tripod.com/
The prototype was a Reading style steel caboose. The first to model it was Gilbert in HO, later in S scale. Varney and Lindberg also made their versions.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 10:21:21 PM
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| Varney sold that caboose from 1950-1968; plastic frame dates it to 1959 or later per Greenberg.
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waw47
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Posted - February 26 2014 : 11:02:31 PM
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| Penn Line also sold the Reading style caboose from 1955 thru 1963. It was made using the Varney tooling.
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Posted - February 27 2014 : 08:09:24 AM
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| Penn Line cars use a Varney shell on their own die cast metal frame and about 90% of those have at least one broken truck.
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Posted - February 27 2014 : 11:09:07 AM
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quote:Varney sold that caboose from 1950-1968; plastic frame dates it to 1959 or later per Greenberg.
Originally posted by lvrr325Â -Â February 26 2014Â :Â 10:21:21 PM
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According to hoseeker's page, the caboose was given the regular horn hook couplers in around 1961 I believe. So that would probably date this thing between 1959 and 1960-1961. I don't think he has catalogs from the year 1960 so I can't find out if that's true. Oddly enough, I can't really find very many Varney cabooses with those couplings, only the ones with horn hook couplers because they were made with those couplings for a longer period of time then the ones with the odd knuckle coupler type thingies. By the way, I got the caboose with those Tyco Mantua 1860 coaches at a train show. I got the whole lot, which had four cars, for $10.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - February 27 2014 : 11:11:50 AM
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quote:Don't forget Tony Cook's reference site: http://tycotrain.tripod.com/
The prototype was a Reading style steel caboose. The first to model it was Gilbert in HO, later in S scale. Varney and Lindberg also made their versions.
Originally posted by NickelPlate759Â -Â February 26 2014Â :Â 7:28:08 PM
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Reason why I didn't mention Tony Cook's site is because he doesn't have anything on Varney. I do use that site to research some of my other trains though.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - February 27 2014 : 11:12:37 AM
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Hi kovacste000 here is a pic how it originaly looks, not hard to restore it I think! - Erich
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Posted - March 01 2014 : 9:21:10 PM
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quote:
Hi kovacste000 here is a pic how it originaly looks, not hard to restore it I think! - Erich
Originally posted by Erich - February 27 2014 : 11:12:37 AM
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Thanks. I highly doubt that thing had the modern Kadee couplings though. How would you insert Kadee couplings in there, anyway?
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 11:49:59 AM
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Check this out!
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6896
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 2:26:03 PM
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quote: Huh, ok. Thanks!
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 14 2014 : 7:46:39 PM
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Update: I just replaced the old couplers with newer style Kadee couplers. Now all I have to do is replace the trucks with free rolling trucks since the caboose is hesitant to roll unlike most of the other rolling stock I currently have. Anyway, here's the photos of what I've just finished doing to it!
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 15 2014 : 10:37:04 AM
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| Nice roof repair Stephen. What did you use?
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Posted - September 15 2014 : 7:05:52 PM
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quote:Nice roof repair Stephen. What did you use?
Originally posted by Barry - September 15 2014 : 10:37:04 AM
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I used regular model glue. The stuff you can get at hobby shops for 5 or 10 bucks.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - September 15 2014 : 9:18:49 PM
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I just finished replacing the old stiff wheels on the caboose (Looks just like the Mantua 4-6-0 truck wheels. ) with modern style free rolling wheels. Works so much better now.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - December 07 2014 : 01:43:06 AM
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quote: quote:Varney sold that caboose from 1950-1968; plastic frame dates it to 1959 or later per Greenberg.
Originally posted by lvrr325Â -Â February 26 2014Â :Â 10:21:21 PM
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According to hoseeker's page, the caboose was given the regular horn hook couplers in around 1961 I believe. So that would probably date this thing between 1959 and 1960-1961. I don't think he has catalogs from the year 1960 so I can't find out if that's true.Oddly enough, I can't really find very many Varney cabooses with those couplings, only the ones with horn hook couplers because they were made with those couplings for a longer period of time then the ones with the odd knuckle coupler type thingies. By the way, I got the caboose with those Tyco Mantua 1860 coaches at a train show. I got the whole lot, which had four cars, for $10.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â February 27 2014Â :Â 11:09:07 AM
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L:
Nice buy! I don't know who made those plastic dummy couplers you have, but there were a few manufacturers. MDC made them relatively recently, at least before the Horizon takeover. Someone might still make them.
They were once popular with a subset of modelers who wanted a scale-appearance (and size) coupler, instead of the Mantua loops (which were the de facto HO standard at one time).
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Posted - December 07 2014 : 02:08:28 AM
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quote: quote: quote:Varney sold that caboose from 1950-1968; plastic frame dates it to 1959 or later per Greenberg.
Originally posted by lvrr325Â -Â February 26 2014Â :Â 10:21:21 PM
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According to hoseeker's page, the caboose was given the regular horn hook couplers in around 1961 I believe. So that would probably date this thing between 1959 and 1960-1961. I don't think he has catalogs from the year 1960 so I can't find out if that's true.Oddly enough, I can't really find very many Varney cabooses with those couplings, only the ones with horn hook couplers because they were made with those couplings for a longer period of time then the ones with the odd knuckle coupler type thingies. By the way, I got the caboose with those Tyco Mantua 1860 coaches at a train show. I got the whole lot, which had four cars, for $10.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â February 27 2014Â :Â 11:09:07 AM
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L:
Nice buy! I don't know who made those plastic dummy couplers you have, but there were a few manufacturers. MDC made them relatively recently, at least before the Horizon takeover. Someone might still make them.
They were once popular with a subset of modelers who wanted a scale-appearance (and size) coupler, instead of the Mantua loops (which were the de facto HO standard at one time).
Originally posted by Autobus Prime - December 07 2014 : 01:43:06 AM
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Oh, I see. I found that out when catfordken posted the same exact style of couplers earlier this year. Varney obviously wasn't the only one.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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