Hey everyone,
As some of you know I was looking for a Bowser N5 Caboose in one of the PRR scemes, so if I want to run a fast freight, rather than a passenger train with My K4, I have that option. I manages to find one on eBay with help from reinhardtjh, and it showed up the other day.
First thing was change out the Rapido couplers. got that done, with some underslung MT couplers, But I noticed it was still a smidge high. I also noticed that the ride height looked a little high. I decided to shave down the bolsters, lowering the ride height, and aligning the couplers. That is where I started to notice the issue, the material wouldn't carve off smooth with an xacto knife like other cars, but rather it chipped. I was able to get it done, little by little, and some light filing.
Next the bolster pins did not seat all the way down anymore, because the holes were blind. I got one drilled out with a pin vice, and worked slow, But when it broke thought, again, unlike other freight, it kinda chipped though, but it worked. Then the 2nd hole. The poor caboose literally blew up in my hand. I was not using any pressure, and I was turning slow, but yet, the body broke into 5 different pieces. I had the roof and window insert off while doing this. I was lucky, as all the parts were easily found, and the breaks were clean. I got it glued back together, but 2nd hole was completely destroyed. I ended up carving the entire bolster off that end, Well, more of a chisle, given the plastic is brittle, and it came off in chips and chunks. I was able to get it cleaned up, and flat with the xacto and a file. I made a new bolster out of styrene, and glued it in place.
Everything looked good, and it was tracking well, So a splash of flat black on the bottom to hide the glue marks and cracks, then I decided to try to dull coat the whole thing, Minus the roof and windows, to hide the glue marks and cracks. the poor thing fell out of my hand, when I was attaching it to a foam brush to handle for the dullcoat, and onto my work bench, about a 18" drop, and it shattered like a glass. Again, I got lucky, and was able to find all the parts, except the rungs to a ladder on one side, the bottom step on one end and a very tiny lower corner of one end. again, I was able to glue it back together, and it looks pretty damn good. See picture.
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So, Is something weird/off with my N5? or did bowser just use a brittle plastic, and if this is the case, what was the benefit of this over what every other cars is made out of. I feel bad for this poor thing, but at least I was able to get it back together, and it looks good, unless you look really close.
