Bluford Shops Transfer Cabooses

[Bigt]

Anyone have any experience with these caboose units? I would appreciate your
comments, observations, etc. Thanks in advance.

[scharnhorst]

Anyone have any experience with these caboose units? I would appreciate your
comments, observations, etc. Thanks in advance.

Not yet but I have 2 of them on the way should be about a week or so. I'll get back to ya when I test them out.

[Steve Wagner]

An enthusiastic review of Bluford's N scale version was posted on the Model Railroader section of www.trains.com yesterday. Apparently the firm has only recently received test shots of the HO equivalent.

[scharnhorst]

Just got my 2 N Scale Bluford shops Transfer Cabooses in the mail today I'll post photos and do a quick review on them tomorrow morning.

[scharnhorst]

Bluford Shops Transfer Cab I have only had it 12 hours and can say they look nice but as with every model they don't always go the extra step to do the details. For $36.00 a pop they are a nice cab and hold the track well and run on Atlas Caboose Trucks. Sadly the wheel / axles are plastic not what I had expected for the price of these little gems so you'll have to put metal wheels on them your self. Most if not All Conrail Transfer Cabs and ones built by Conrail for other Railroads have a fuel tank next to the cabin that is something that you'll have to make and add on your own.

[scharnhorst]

Here is an over head shot of the cab it's self some of these cabs have black roofs and others Silver.

[scharnhorst]

Both ends of the Cab are the same and match the prototype.

[scharnhorst]

The bottom detail is nice on these cabs. Note that the medal axles here are ones that I put on the cab and not the plastic ones that are standard with the cab. Just a note The Conrail prototype has a 33 inch wheels under them and not 36 inch. The couplers are body mounted which can be a bit tricky to connect on a curve when coupling cars together.

[Bigt]

Thanks for the info. and photos. I am assuming that this is a "one caboose fits all" concept,
therefore, not road specific detailed? If I am correct, the NYC N6a, PC N9s & N11s, all had
a different end railing layout....one side that "came back" to the door at an angle. And, yes,
many of them started out with a propane tank on the porch, then, swithched to a square fuel
tank. Anyway, they do look like a nice outfit. Can't wait to see what the HO scale models
will look like.

[scharnhorst]

Thanks for the info. and photos. I am assuming that this is a "one caboose fits all" concept,
therefore, not road specific detailed? If I am correct, the NYC N6a, PC N9s & N11s, all had
a different end railing layout....one side that "came back" to the door at an angle. And, yes,
many of them started out with a propane tank on the porch, then, swithched to a square fuel
tank. Anyway, they do look like a nice outfit. Can't wait to see what the HO scale models
will look like.

Conrail Classes for these cabs were N9, N9E and N11E all 3 classes were built at DSI (Dispatch Shops) in Rochester, NY If there were other classes I don't know for sure. The boxed in railing sections were added by Bluford shops most likely from blue prints copied from a different railroad The whole porch area on both ends is wide open on all of the Conrail Transfer cabs that I have ever seen. It is also noted that Penn Central / Conrail built these 3 classes of cabs for Amtrak, Indiana Harbor Belt, Peoria & Illinois and a few outhers as well.

I my self remember some of these being used on Conrail Locals as well as on some branch lines in New York State in both general and MOW service in the early to late 90's.

[Bigt]

Yes, I remember them well also from the PC days and Conrail. The locals up here in the early to mid
70's used N9Es and then N11s. I remember the crews liked them.....except for their oil heaters. Seems
they had trouble with the firing mechanisms as the stoves were always going out. The thought was this
happened because of the frequent "stops, bangs, etc." and this would cause problems. I remember one
of the old timers (they all were 30 and 40 year men) stating that it was too bad they could not put their
old coal stove in this new caboose! I never saw any of them up here with propane heat. They always
ran with a marker lantern mounted on the right rear of the cabin.....one of the "highway barricade type"
with a bail handle.....red to the rear, yellow to the front. I also remember - occasionally - a red flag
stuck in the rear coupler. All modelling hints...........

[scharnhorst]

I remember the marker lights as well they were just to the Right of the door if looking at the cab from back. Some of them also had a small piece of sheet medal that was fashioned only above the top of the door frame it stuck out about foot to keep the crew dry as well.

[Bigt]

Your correct on the "visor" over the door. I also remember that the older N9s (at least a few
up here) also had aluminum screen doors on them! I would imagine that they were "add-ons"
by the local crews in the area. And, during one of my rides, I remember the crew all gathered
for dinner while listening to the "illegal" am/fm radio that was present.....had to listen to the
World Series!

[Otto Vondrak]

Penn Central N9

[Bigt]

Excellent photo, Otto. This clearly shows the "visor" over the door, the
aluminum screen door, the wall mounted racks (to the left of the door) that
were used to secure the propane tank(s) when the unit was heated by such.
The new fuel oil fill is evident on the side too. Now, my question is this:
what is the pipe coming from the top of the end wall, extending down to
near deck level, and ends in a "cone" shape? I was told once - an educated
guess - that it was the water fill pipe for a ceiling mounted water tank within
the caboose. Right, wrong, anyone's guess? Thanks in advance.