Thursday, Sept 17, 2009
Hello:
Has anyone installed a USA Trains woodside caboose roof onto a USA Trains Overton combine to model a Drover’s caboose ? Does the caboose roof fit onto the combine ?
I know HLW has a Drover’s caboose but I prefer the finish and detail of the USA Trains Overton combine.
Has anyone done this conversion ?
Thank you
Norman
Norman,
it is almost a direct swapover. I did it several years ago and was very impressed with how simple it was. Only negative comment at the time was that the cupola was slightly over the side doors. Even so, a very worthwhile conversion. I then used the combine roof over the caboose body to make a pseudo C&S water service car. Just had to add grabrails and rooftop walkway. For some reason I am unable to post photographs as I was once able.
You did it!!!
That’s cool and so it the trestle it sit’s upon.
Nice!
Hi Tim:
Thank you. I was thinking of buying a HLW Drover caboose but the USA Trains Overton trucks, metal handrails, paint finish, etc are of a higher level and the HLW Drover is 135.00 at one mail order dealer !
THE HLW capola is further back but the USA Trains quality makes me want to go with USA Trains.
I don’t know why USA Trains does not also market a Drover caboose.
Another USA Trains drover is soon to be created.
Thanks again Tim.
Norman
Tim Brien said:
Only negative comment at the time was that the cupola was slightly over the side doors.
Well, whoever said that to you needs to do a bit more prototype research before they flap their jaw:
(http://www.lochkelden.org/v00-635w.jpg)
Hi Forrest Scott Wood:
Excellent research. The USA Trains Overton conversion is only one side window short of the prototype Sierra drover.
I asked for drover caboose protoytpe examples a couple of years ago on the other hobby G web site.
A reply was posted by my area local “expert” that drover cabooses were only a fantasy model !
Can you post any images of the Sierra Railroad shorty combine and coach ?
I guess this drover is basically the same design as the Sierra Railroad shorty combine ?
How tight were the Sierra Railroad curves that the coaches had to be shortened? What type of locomotive did the Sierra Railroad use on these tight curves ?
Thank you
Norman
Norman Bourgault said:
Can you post any images of the Sierra Railroad shorty combine and coach ?
Hey there; Sounds like the “ex-spurt” never did an inernet search for images of Drovers Caboose!!! http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&q=drovers+caboose&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20 Even the bigger Class-1 RRs like the “Katy”, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, had them http://www.katyrailroad.org/cab346.htm I’ve got nothing in the way of my own photo collection, rely on books and memories of what’s been seen in books and magazines. A Sierra combine photo I know of is top of page 146 in long out of print book The Age of Steam by Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg. I’m looking at it now. Photo by Charles Clegg. I’m not willing to scan it on account of copyright and phtographers’ rights issues. However there is no copyright given in title page for the book. Combine is pictured from baggage end. Has 4 windows; about a 1 window space; 3-panel & window baggage door; about a 2 to 2.5 window space to end; end door in center of baggage end; open platforms Body on this thing looks all of 30 feet long maybe - not much more. (at some point around 1850-1870, ACW/NWofA period {depending on where you’re from 
} end doors began to be omitted from baggage and mail cars for train robbery reasons) Let me try something right quick. I’ll be back. Book can be found in its various printings in places http://www.amazon.com/Age-Steam-Lucius-Beebe/dp/0883940795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253367124&sr=1-1 I went Googling images to see what might be on the net. Best bet is to Google something like Sierra Railroad +combine Just now this came up
(http://www.trainweb.org/fredatsf/protopass1_files/image008.jpg)
“The coach to the left is Sierra Railroad’s shortie combine #5 built by W.L. Holman of San Francisco in 1902 for use on the Angels Branch. The coach to the right is Sierra Railroad’s shortie coach #6, also built by W.L. Holman in 1902. These two coaches are prototypes for two of the Overton cars. Photo from the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park website.” is caption under it. May or may not be anything useful come up on any given search with any given search engine, but, hey, always worth a try. This magazine is likely guaranteed to have relevant articles and drawings somewhere among its back issues Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette http://www.ngslgazette.com/ Back to books - search for Sierra Railroad on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Sierra+Railroad&x=21&y=14 And that’s what I can offer this morning. Oh, wait a minute - Carstens Publications, who do Railroad Model Craftsman magazine have a book “Slim Gauge Cars” ( yes, Sierra was standard gauge) that might have something in it - mine is out on loan right now, so can’t tell ya for sure.
–> Oh yeah, what “Drovers Cabooses” were for - hauling the drovers who handled livestock at mandated rest stops for the animals on livestock trains. Good description from here http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Caboose “Drover’s cabooses looked more like combine cars than standard cabooses. The purpose of a drover’s caboose was much more like a combine as well. On longer livestock trains in the West, the drover’s caboose is where the livestock’s handlers would ride between the ranch and processing plant. The train crew rode in the caboose section while the livestock handlers rode in the coach section. Drover’s cabooses used either cupolas or bay windows in the caboose section for the train crew to monitor the train. 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.” Some were without cupolas and/or side doors , like this from the C&NW which has been restored http://www.mcrwy.com/collectn/caboos/cnw10802.html and one of its sisters
(http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cnw10816.jpg)
Here’s one from the Cotton Belt
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/RR-1431.jpg)
–> there were likely horses carried in livestock trains too, drovers had to ride something to control the cattle! And while not identified as drovers cabooses, these sure do illustrate body styles used: first is Florida East Coast (north Florida has some ‘cattle country’)
(http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/fec755.jpg)
