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 Posted - November 19 2014 : 8:00:10 PM
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The title is something of an oxymoron since, by definition, a bobber is a 4-wheel caboose. Railroads did, however, sometimes convert bobbers to 8-wheel cabeese because 8-wheel cabeese tracked and rode so much better.
Some years back, I bought a bag of odds and ends which included a bobber caboose body and an 8-wheel caboose chassis. I shortened the chassis to fit under the body, back then:
I left the body looking pretty toy-like and kept the truck-mounted couplers because I was just using it on a circle of track under a table top Christmas tree. It occurred to me, lately, that if I body mounted the couplers and got the body looking a little more realistic, I could use the caboose on the layout when it wasn't a Christmas decoration.
Here's a shot of a bobber I fixed up to look better and the 8-wheel conversion in its toy-like form:
I never do anything the same way twice, but the goal is to have the 8-wheel caboose looking about like the bobber.
Here, the truck mounted couplers have been removed and plastic pads have been glued on for body-mounting couplers:
After the glue thoroughly dries and hardens, the pads will be drilled and tapped and coupler boxes will be screwed on. Then, all the colors of plastic will be painted black.
In this shot, molded on railings have been cut off of the sides of the caboose and the molded on roof walks have been filed away and replaced with roof walks built board by board.
When the glue is dry on the roof walks, I'll work on the separately applied railings then paint on a primer coat.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - November 19 2014 : 8:06:40 PM
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Not bad, honestly. I especially like the livery you painted it in. Keep it up!
-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 - November 19 2014 : 9:43:57 PM
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| Don, you got your mojo workin'. And I'm enjoyin' watchin' and hearin' about it.
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Posted - November 20 2014 : 10:46:53 AM
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Thanks for sharing! It inspires me to work on my multitude of cabeese making them look more realistic. Kitbashing and customizing are my favorite part of model railroading!
Tim
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Posted - November 20 2014 : 7:37:51 PM
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quote:Thanks for sharing! It inspires me to work on my multitude of cabeese making them look more realistic. Kitbashing and customizing are my favorite part of model railroading!
Originally posted by wildecoupe - November 20 2014 : 10:46:53 AM
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Now that we know that, we'll be looking for pictures from you, too. Can you hear the whip cracking over your head? 
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - November 20 2014 : 9:48:48 PM
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I can! And it sounds like motivation! 
Tim
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Posted - November 21 2014 : 8:56:33 PM
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The new roof walks are on as are the separately applied grab irons on the sides:
The couplers are now body mounted as well:
The parts that need primer are now primed and I'm waiting for the primer to thoroughly dry. That takes a while, especially this time of year when the house is not very warm.
Once the primer is dry, I'll put on the finish coat of paint then glaze the windows and letter and number the caboose.
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Posted - November 23 2014 : 6:47:40 PM
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Here's the final product, painted, weathered and with windows glazed:
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Posted - November 23 2014 : 7:11:17 PM
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 Just goes to show that you can make a "junky" freight car or locomotive into a masterpiece with a bit of knowledge and the materials. Very well done.
-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 - November 23 2014 : 11:19:05 PM
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quote: Just goes to show that you can make a "junky" freight car or locomotive into a masterpiece with a bit of knowledge and the materials. Very well done.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â November 23 2014Â :Â 7:11:17 PM
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Thanks for the kind words. The silk-purse-from-a-sow's-ear fringe of model railroading is a fascinating sub-hobby and the number of people on this forum who are into it is part of why I like this forum.
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 08:32:25 AM
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That looks great!
Tim
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 09:27:54 AM
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quote: quote: Just goes to show that you can make a "junky" freight car or locomotive into a masterpiece with a bit of knowledge and the materials. Very well done.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â November 23 2014Â :Â 7:11:17 PM
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Thanks for the kind words. The silk-purse-from-a-sow's-ear fringe of model railroading is a fascinating sub-hobby and the number of people on this forum who are into it is part of why I like this forum.
Originally posted by scsshaggy - November 23 2014 : 11:19:05 PM
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Your welcome, scsshaggy.
-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 - November 24 2014 : 10:41:32 AM
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I think if I got one of these & had you do it as a 8 wheel
I'd want the 70s Rock Island logos on it
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 11:50:25 AM
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quote:I think if I got one of these & had you do it as a 8 wheel
I'd want the 70s Rock Island logos on it
Originally posted by microbusss - November 24 2014 : 10:41:32 AM
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You'd want someone who does logos better than I do. My lettering pretty much ends at rubbing on dry transfer reporting marks and numbers.
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 7:38:07 PM
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| Very nice Don. What kind of paint/primer do you use (e.g., drying time - oil?)? What does TW stand for on the side?
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 10:06:24 PM
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quote:Very nice Don. What kind of paint/primer do you use (e.g., drying time - oil?)? What does TW stand for on the side?
Originally posted by Barry - November 24 2014 : 7:38:07 PM
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Thanks. The primer is Floquil primer which is not really a primer, but just a solvent based pain the color of gray primer. When I bought it, I thought it really was primer and it does stick to things pretty well, so I use it for that. It's dry to the touch, probably in an hour, but before I put acrylic paint on it, I wait for it to dry hard which is, theoretically, when it no longer smells like solvent. That takes a day or two.
The finish coat is Polly Scale. The red was Zinc Chromate, the roof was Grimy Black and the frame was Steam Power Black. Dry transfers were sealed on with acrylic matte medium. Weathering was a very thin wash of Steam Power Black on the red and a burnt umber artist's acrylic wash on the trucks.
Unfortunately, all that Floquil and Polly Scale paint is now discontinued so, when it runs out, I'll have to find suitable replacements.
TW is the reporting marks for the Tabor and Waldo RR. It's a freelance railroad I made up.
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Posted - November 24 2014 : 10:21:53 PM
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| Well I guess you've got experience playing with the different chemicals. I've mostly been using the Floquil I got when I resumed model railroading a couple years back . . . Now I've finally learned the importance of taking care of it (I have limited amounts left that I'm milking along). I'm imagining the acrylics work pretty nice. I'm still learning that different colors even of the same manufacturer require different thinners. Reminds me of reading about Michaelangelo mixing paint colors with all these different compounds; some quite toxic.
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