Large Scale Central

A tale of two bobbers

Modeling
#1

Once upon a time (all good stories start that way, right?) there were twin (except for road numbers and 15 years of production) Bachmann bobbers. They were ungainly, didn’t run very well, and were generally unloved. Then they met Mr Razor Saw, and their ho hum existence changed dramatically! Caboose #1, fast and simple: I took a Dremel and cut away the 4 wheel underframe, then mounted trucks.

To help tracking I did away with the body mount coupler on the front side, and made a custom length targa one.

Coffee stirrers make great floorboards

LGB cupola interior and cabinets were added

I scratchbuilt the rest, including a pair of nonfunctional sconce lamps (I did buy the stove, not shown)

Then I blanked off the center window and added sunshades

2 evening’s work from start to (almost) finish

Caboose #2, a backwoods logger (actually done first, but much more involved) Same basic treatment underneath. Then I cut a HUGE hole in the sides and moved the cupola

Ozark boxcar guides and stuff and coffee stirrer side doors

Full scratchbuilt interior (including a stove made from a wood bead and scraps)

Just the ‘right’ amount of clutter. Visually interesting, yet still a safe work environment.

Now more like fraternal ‘twins’ with VERY different, distinct personalities!

And they rolled happily ever after… their trains

#2

Good use of a couple of idle bobbers.

#3

What’s REALLY sad is that the (now) green one was from one of the ORIGINAL battery Bug Mauler sets, and the other from a 2006 set… and they were virtually identical. You’re not going to convince me that Botchmann “got it right the first time”, especially considering the number of people who never run theirs. They “fixed” the loco a couple different times (except for that hideous coal load), so why not do something with the caboose?

Oh that’s right, they want you to go out and BUY their long caboose instead.

Long live capitalism! Bleah…

#4

I like the sliding doors.
Same thing can be said for all those Aristo bobbers. They like to give them away with new locos. How many bobbers can you have? The only time I run my one is as a track cleaning car.

-Brian

#5
Brian Donovan said:
How many bobbers can you have?
Depends.... Are you building a model of Strasburg's Red Caboose Motel? Or making them into desk lamps? Or actually trying to RUN them? I think at one point I had 4. People generously 'threw them in' when I bought something else... probably because they didn't want them either.

I DID see a guy at a show running a ‘caboose hop’… with about 12 bobbers all with different roadnames behind a Connie.

Come to think of it, I STILL have four. The other two are Lehmann Toytrain… which, at least, stay on the rails.

#6

I used mine to make a logging caboose, which I’ve already posted photos of so I won’t bore you with repetition, and used its cupola on a combine-caboose. So at least, nothing was wasted. hehe!