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.
