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  • Caboose on "Barney" TV show

  • Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.
Discussion related to railroads/trains that show up in TV shows, commercials, movies, literature (books, poems and more), songs, the Internet, and more... Also includes discussion of well-known figures in the railroad industry or the rail enthusiast hobby.

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 #1026908  by GSC
 
Having been all but forced, while watching kids and now grandkids, to be in the same roon with Barney on TV, I've often wondered if the side door four-wheel caboose on the show is real. The grab irons and ladders look accurate, and you can almost see some frame, wheelsets, brake shoes, and journal boxes under the deck, but you can't get a good look.

Any info on it?
 #1026929  by scottychaos
 
I have never had the misfortune to watch Barney! ;) (no kids)
so I have never heard of the Barney caboose..
but I googled it and found a few photos:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SxwKRJHdKko/S ... s320/4.JPG

http://www.wttw.com/img/programs/barney.jpg

http://images.wikia.com/barney/images/0 ... aboose.jpg


I agree it does look like a real caboose!
cant find out its history yet though..

Scot
 #1028978  by GSC
 
Nice pics, Scot. Thanks for looking for them.

Better shots than you can see on TV. If the caboose is fake, it's a good fake.
 #1029047  by Marty Feldner
 
GSC wrote:Nice pics, Scot. Thanks for looking for them.

Better shots than you can see on TV. If the caboose is fake, it's a good fake.
Which is exactly what good set designers and builders do for a living :-)

I doubt it's real; too many details are 'close', but just enough 'off' to look not quite authentic.
 #1029054  by scottychaos
 
Marty Feldner wrote:
GSC wrote:Nice pics, Scot. Thanks for looking for them.

Better shots than you can see on TV. If the caboose is fake, it's a good fake.
Which is exactly what good set designers and builders do for a living :-)

I doubt it's real; too many details are 'close', but just enough 'off' to look not quite authentic.
I would argue that the fact that it looks so authentic, makes it far more likely to actually be authentic..
if they were building a set, from scratch, for a kids TV show, would they really bother to make it all look so genuine?
I wouldn't think so..they would go for a simplified and stylized caboose, and it would be very obvious it isn't made from a real caboose..

I think the underlying structure was a real caboose..handrails, body, etc..they probably gave it new siding,
but the mere fact that many things look so genuine, makes it far more likely be genuine, IMO.. ;)

Scot
 #1030707  by GSC
 
Maybe I'll grit my teeth and sit through it once more to the credits and see who the production company is, and send them a letter or email.

I'm thinking that if it's a fake, there seems to be a lot of unnecessary detailing that isn't used, like the ladders, grab irons, end platforms, and railings. If it didn't have a frame, wheels, etc., easy to hide the underneath with trellis under the deck. I've never seen the "hardware" used in any of the skits or songs they do as part of the show. I'm leaning toward that it's real.
 #1221761  by David Benton
 
Does anyone have more details of this Caboose? . I'd love to build one for my kids.Someone mentioned 16 foot long , any idea on width and height,.
I'd be restricted to 10 sq metres here to build without a building permit, though it would be a transpportable structure I guess.