Hi David:
Thank you for posting the photos.
I guess the HLW drover caboose is a reworked Kalamazoo mold. David Fletcher will know for sure.
Note that the 1:29 standard gauge steel caboose is of the approximate correct size for a 1:24 scale narrow gauge caboose. The 1:24 and 1:29 product lines were a great combined product offering to the hobbyist.
I wish that Bachmann had continued to offer additional 1:22.5 product following the addition of their 1:20.3 product line.
Norman
David, from the look of it, all you need to do with that ladder is just move the pin back into the hole. If you remove any of the plastic, the pin will never stay. Give that a try first.
Steve Featherkile said:
David, from the look of it, all you need to do with that ladder is just move the pin back into the hole. If you remove any of the plastic, the pin will never stay. Give that a try first.
Exactly my thought as well, David… As I looked at the images, I noticed that the bottom of the ladder wasn’t seated all the way in the holes in the floor. Once those are inserted properly, it should straighten out just fine.
Contact Phil Jensen at Hartland Parts. He can give you information on the mold… 402 571-2933
IMO, Hartland products are very well made and run extremely well. They’re also great fodder for the “kitbasher”.
David Maynard said:
The end ladders are plastic, and they have pins that fit into holes in the end beam and roof. One of the ladders has a definite bend to it. The pins the fit into the holes in the roof are too long for the blind holes they are to fit into. I think if I shorten the pins a bit, the ladder will fit just fine.
If the pins are too long, I’d make the holes deeper rather than shorten the pins.
David Maynard said:
I compared the Heartland caboose to the old Kalamazoo Drovers caboose, and they are the same size.
Hi David… You’re absolutely right… The Hartland Drovers caboose parts are injected from the Kalamazoo mold… Phil just added some additional detail “stuff” to it to make it even more classic…
Bruce Chandler said:
David Maynard said:
The end ladders are plastic, and they have pins that fit into holes in the end beam and roof. One of the ladders has a definite bend to it. The pins the fit into the holes in the roof are too long for the blind holes they are to fit into. I think if I shorten the pins a bit, the ladder will fit just fine.
If the pins are too long, I’d make the holes deeper rather than shorten the pins.
I agree. Don’t force it, just get a bigger hammer! 
Bruce Chandler said:
David Maynard said:
The end ladders are plastic, and they have pins that fit into holes in the end beam and roof. One of the ladders has a definite bend to it. The pins the fit into the holes in the roof are too long for the blind holes they are to fit into. I think if I shorten the pins a bit, the ladder will fit just fine.
If the pins are too long, I’d make the holes deeper rather than shorten the pins.
I took another look at it tonight. The one pin at the bottom of the ladder was out, but even with it in place the ladder is bent. I agree, I think making the holes in the roof a bit deeper would be the best choice. In fact, I could conceivably drill them all the way through, since they would be under the walkway and hidden from view.
Yes the Heartland is a revamped Kalamazoo, but with a lot more detail to it. She is going to look nice in P&CS livery. Yea, another project to the ever growing list of “someday” projects
yes the exposed screws look a little outta place. howabout Nut Bolt Washer Casting tacked on with a little glue? Heck some red paint would go miles in improving that look.
Cale, the caboose will be repainted in P&CS standard caboose yellow. Since I will be replacing the frosted “glass” with clear glass, and adding an interior, I will work out a way to hide or replace those screws. Again, that project isn’t on the “now” list, so I have some time to think about it.
Today I got the caboose on the rails and earning its keep. I checked the wheels with my wheels gauge, and one set was a bit tight in the gauge, but the flanges still fit in the groves. So that one axle is a tad overgauge, but not by enough for me to worry about.
As I had pondered in previous posts, I drilled the ladder mounting holes all the way through the roof. This allowed to ladders to mount straighter. The roof landings cover the holes, so they cannot be seen. The ladders still have a slight bow to them, as if they are a tad too long, but they don’t look too bad. The metal ladder extensions fit fine on the marker end of the caboose, but on the other end they would not fit. I had to reform them with larger diameter curve to them. Being as they they are blacked steel, that was not easy, but I got them reformed and installed.
The caboose has one cabin light, dead center in the car. The markers light real nice, and can be seen in daylight at 16 volts on the rails. That may be too much power for the lights, but they haven’t burnt out yet.
I suspect that 2 axles have a wobble to them, because some times the car wobbles going down the track, and sometimes it doesn’t. Its like when the 2 axles get in sync, they car wobbles, but the next time around the axles aren’t in sync and they car has no wobble at all. But other then that, the car ran without any issues all afternoon.
As for repainting the car, and adding an interior, the repainting may not happen, now that I have a D&RGW locomotive. The interior will probably be a rainy day (or snowy day) project.
Interesting how cars, and projects, develop and morph as bugs are worked out and new factors enter the equation. Caboose is a spiffy looking one.
Thanks. Yes she is a looker. A bit shiny for me, but I am sure she will get toned down a bit.
Actually, she wont get a repaint more because I have overbought project cabeese, more then the fact that she has a locomotive to match up with now.
David-
Many thanks for the effort you made (make) in evaluating and reporting to us in both photos and words your through investigation. I think that is why the thread absolutely stayed on topic.
Me? I add the LGB ball bearing wheels with the electrical feature. At night the lighting effect is worth the effort even with the frosted windows.
Wendell
The caboose lights up nice right as it comes, right out of the box. I will be converting it to LEDs with a capacitor to remove any flicker.
David-
Would you please share in the REVIEW section the how-to in your electrical conversion to LEDs. My guess I am not alone in understanding how to wire for LEDs to work off track power – what’s needed and how to wire it. Not having “flicker” alone would be great.
Thanks,
Wendell
Looks good to me. The hartland caboose reminds me of the Lionel one but this one looks better.
I like cabooses that have the side doors. What exactly makes a caboose a drover? It seems like other manufacturers like the LGB drover have a roof walk with hand rail. I thought a drover caboose was made for the cowboys who drove cattle etc…
Todd Haskins said: What exactly makes a caboose a drover? I thought a drover caboose was made for the cowboys who drove cattle etc…
Your are thinking correctly.
Some drover cars weren’t exactly cabooses, and some of them became cabooses.
One reference,
"Lee Berglund wrote an excellent article on these “Cowboy Pullmans” in Frank Ellington’s Caboose Cars of the Santa Fe Railway. He reported that the drover car was placed directly behind the locomotive and just in front of the stock cars. This placement made for a smoother ride and allowed them to stay in front of their odiferous cargo. These cars had bunks for the cowboys, but they were encouraged to sleep with their feet toward the engine in case of an emergency stop.
“After the end of stock movements by rail, some drover cars ended up as cabooses.”
http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/Sandifer/Clinics/Stk/Drov/Drov.htm
“During the trip, in, accordance with a 1906 law, the railroads were required to stop every 28 hours, to feed and water the cattle, and the accompanying drovers provided the needed, manpower to speed this work along. Until the mid 1920s, UP apparently used, either already retired, or soon to be retired passenger cars to allow the, cattle drovers to accompany their herds. After that time, and until the, movement of cattle by rail essentially collapsed in the mid 1950s, UP provided, what were known as drover cabooses.”
http://utahrails.net/caboose/caboose-wood-drover.php
"C&NW 10802 drovers caboose interior
Published March 3, 2015 at 640 × 428 in Chicago & North Western #10802"
http://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-roster/cabooses/chicago-north-western-10802/cnw-10802-drovers-caboose-interior-9-13-98-bill-buhrmaster-photo/
“The use of drover’s cars on the Northern Pacific Railway, for example, lasted until the Burlington Northern Railroad merger of 1970. They were often found on stock trains originating in Montana.”
http://www.liquisearch.com/caboose/caboose_types/drovers_caboose
Gonna need several kits to bash that baby. “Known as a “Long Caboose” on the Cotton Belt. Probably used for mixed train service. Seen at the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut, 1 July 1987,”
Todd, I have a few of the Lionel ones, since they are cheap on the second hand market. The Lionel ones are a bit short, but they will work for my railroad.