Tomar marker lights in a Centralia HO caboose

[jbvb]

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.



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.



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.



I had to drill holes in the weight and the interior molding to bring power from the trucks.



Simple phosphor bronze wire axle wipers collect power for the markers.

[jbvb]

The NE-5 caboose marker light project completed:



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.



The completed 'buggy' (B&M slang) ensuring that westbound M-10 (advertised as the Narragansett) conforms to Rule 19.

[KentuckySouthern]

Nicely done and well explained.

[Jerry]

James very well done and a nice tutorial to go with it.

Jerry

[GPdemayo]

The marker lights are a great addition, well done.....

[friscomike]

Howdy, James, nice work on the marker lights.  Thanks for the tutorial.  Have fun, mike

[jbvb]

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.

[ACL1504]

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

[jbvb]

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.

[ACL1504]

James,

I guess it may be a southern railroad thing. I've never seen anything other than the yellow.

Tom

[jbvb]

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.