The New Haven RR ordered 124 class NE-5 steel center-cupola cabooses during WWII. They're popular among Northeastern modelers because they passed to Penn Central, then Conrail. The B&M bought 20 similar cabooses, differing only in having two steps at each corner instead of three. They've been imported in brass but I started with a RTR plastic model from Centralia Car Shops/Intermountain.
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Four main subassemblies separated, with Tomar LED marker lamps, resistors (center right) and a compact bridge rectifier (lower right) I wish I'd written down the part number for - they're a convenient size for HO car lighting projects.
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Tomar's marker lights look pretty good close up, except the stem that goes into the car body kept me from mounting them right at the corner, where the prototype's brackets were.
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I had to drill holes in the weight and the interior molding to bring power from the trucks.
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Simple phosphor bronze wire axle wipers collect power for the markers.
The NE-5 caboose marker light project completed:
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The rectifier bridge is barely visible under one side of the cupola seats. I used a JST-type connector (probably 2.5 mm pitch) so the body could be separated from the frame. The dropping resistors are visible top center.
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The completed 'buggy' (B&M slang) ensuring that westbound M-10 (advertised as the Narragansett) conforms to Rule 19.
Nicely done and well explained.
James very well done and a nice tutorial to go with it.
Jerry
The marker lights are a great addition, well done..... 8)
Howdy, James, nice work on the marker lights. Thanks for the tutorial. Have fun, mike
Thanks, Karl, Jerry, Greg and Mike. I have another set of parts but haven't decided which caboose to do. Bowser's plastic N-5 model (B&M built 25 near-copies of the PRR original) would be easiest. My op sessions only use 3 cabooses; One is an out-and-back assignment where turning the caboose would be unprototypic extra work.
James,
Very well done on the buggy. I painted all my markers yellow but I like the look of yours, just black looks fine.
Tom
Thanks, Tom. When I saw your yellow markers, I figured it was SCL, SAL or ACL practice in your era. AFAIK all B&M kerosene signal lamps, marker lights, switch lamps etc. were black. Kerosene trainman's lanterns appear to have been left galvanized.
James,
I guess it may be a southern railroad thing. I've never seen anything other than the yellow.
Tom
The B&M had electric lanterns which were yellow plastic from the factory. All the post-WWII diesels, RDCs and lightweight passenger cars had built-in markers. I think their cabooses went from kerosene to portable battery-operated units but don't recall what the latter looked like.