Has anyone detailed a Bachmann northeastern caboose yet? I bought an undecorated red one at a local rc plane / plastic model hobby shop. The proportions appear to be spot on (unlike the Athearn model), it tracks well (unlike my original run Proto 2000 model), and the paint job isn't bad. It looks like simply masking everything except the roof and underframe, spraying on some boxcar red, and adding decals would produce a decent model. I would prefer separate grabs and handrails, but the older I get, the less I relish carving off cast on details. Of course my presbyopia (old eyes) makes coarse detail less apparent. Any thought, pictures, offers to carve off my cast on handrails, etc.?

MicroMark makes a few tools that make carving off the details not so difficult. In their on-line catalog look under "Hand Tool/carvers, scrapers and chisels." I'm 65, and I've found these to make the jobs a little less tedious. I do not work for MicroMark!--Dave

I found a stenciling blade (X-Acto X216) is ideal for removing the cast on handrails. Also, chisel blades work pretty good too, but the angle of the stenciler's blade gives much better control. I, also 65 yrs. young, have found cutting straight down into the railing at short intervals then laying the blade flat against the car body and pushing into the end of the railing results in small pieces popping off without gouging into the car side. Finish the work using Northwest Shortline's sanding sticks and Detail Associates curved caboose handrails. Another tool is a flush cutting end nippers, which are available from electronics supply houses. End nippers have the cutting surfaces at a right angle to the handle. Alan Mende, a noted modeler of the CNJ, did an article on the modification of the old Varney (Life Like and others used this shell later on.) NE caboose shell. This article appeared I MR or RMC around fifteen years ago.

I finally got around to detailing a Bachmann caboose, and here is the result:



Thanks for all your encouragement, guys! It was a fun project. The scraper from Micro Mark was a big help, as were the #16 blades (didn't the chisel blade design change in recent years?). The only real bummer came with numbering. The Bachmann model, with its Andrews trucks and diamond plate roof walk appears to be an NMj. Looking at the John Hall book, I figured that 92835 would be an appropriate number (92 and 35 were both sequential numbers in the Microscale decal set, so the 35 was an easy -- and lazy -- choice). After I had completed decaling one side of the caboose, I visited the layout and realized to my consternation that my old Proto 2000 caboose is also numbered 92835!!!! I guess I'll just avoid photographing the two cabins together.

Looking at the picture, it's amazing how the bright red and boxcar red (Scalecoat II Santa Fe red and boxcar red) blend together. I have another undecorated caboose waiting in the wings. If I can get my hands on a pair of BCW Taylor leaf spring trucks (I have a coil spring pair awaiting a box car), I might do an NMk or NMl.

Sounds like you have the same luck I do with those numbers, lol.

I am thinking (just to avoid confusion to other readers) that you meant you consulted the "John Hall" Reading Caboose book. Both guys are tremendous researchers, but Hall wrote the definitive book on Reading cabooses.

I really enjoy the photos of your layout. I can just imagine those camelbacks kind of lazily drifting around the very relaxing scenery.

Yes, it is John Hall, not John Caples. I'll edit the original. Thanks for the correction and the kind words. I always enjoy seeing your take on the East Penn, Rob. Keep posting pictures!