Telling Them Apart: Atlas Caboose Styles

[gdmichaels]

Atlas Model Railroad has been making cabooses for as long as they have been making N Scale trains – since 1967. As of 2016, they have made 6 different caboose body styles:  Extended Vision Cupola, NE-6 Caboose, End Cupola Caboose (pictured), C&O Cupola Caboose, Traditional Cupola and Bay Window Caboose. These train cars can be hard to distinguish from one another. We’ve written this http://www.trovestar.com/general/blog/blog.php?Article=28 blog to help the Atlas collector differentiate these models. This article is not concerned with the prototypes being modeled nor is it concerned with the accuracy of these models. Read more here. http://www.trovestar.com/general/blog/blog.php?Article=28

[robert3985]

If it's not concerned with the accuracy or prototypes of the models, then why would I want to read it???

Ohhhh....COLLECTORS...

Since I'm a prototype modeler, I won't bother....

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[bbussey]

How are they hard to distinguish from one another? Aside from the product name on the box label, all of the models are distinctly different. The modeler concerned about prototypical accuracy would be educated enough to distinguish between the models, and would be able to determine which model is most appropriate for his/her railroad.

[thomasjmdavis]

How are they hard to distinguish from one another? Aside from the product name on the box label, all of the models are distinctly different. The modeler concerned about prototypical accuracy would be educated enough to distinguish between the models, and would be able to determine which model is most appropriate for his/her railroad.

I would extend what Brian Bussey says to collectors as well.  I've met collectors who could tell you the production quantity of given models in particular roadnames, and have the catalog numbers of rare MT cars memorized, in case they happen to spot the box in a bargain bin somewhere.  Distinguishing an SP bay window caboose from an ATSF offset cupola is not a challenge for them.

You might do well to find some actual collectors and have them do a write up- if that is your market.  Just a couple examples- there are (at least) 7 body styles that have been marketed by Atlas (the original offset cupola- what you call an end cupola, is, ironically, a later modified prototype than the model in the current production- and would be more accurate in the GTW paint than the one you show).  And why rename what Atlas calls the " Standard Cupola Caboose" and list it as a "traditional cupola" on your website?  This is only going to confuse people, since it will not appear on the box or the Atlas website.

As a sometime collector of various things myself (at the moment, I am "between" layouts, so I suppose I would qualify as a train collector), I would want to know things like production years, total produced, which roadnames are rare, and (yes) which roadnames are accurate for the prototype modeled, as these all impact value. Keep in mind that you have collectors out there who collect (as an example) all things related to the PRR- N scale, O scale, timetables, photo books, memorabilia of all sorts- prototype is extremely important to them.  And please call it whatever the manufacturer calls it- males it radically simpler to find in catalogs or on websites.

[coosvalley]

I just read the box they come in.. 

[Missaberoad]

Also there is two different versions of the NE-6 caboose, (window arrangement) and two variations of the extended vision caboose... (roofwalk)

For that mater the "Standard" cupola caboose is a third variation on the ICCo extended vision caboose. not an entirely different model.

[Nato]

                :|Having been an N Gauge (now scale) modeler  since 1965 I first have to +1 what Brian says if not in a box, look at the underside of the car to see if a manufacture name or country IE: Austria is molded on. The tough car to distinguish are all the Santa Fe style copula cars offered at various times by many manufacturers including early Arnold Rapido and later Revell Rapido. Do not confuse Atlas's  first copula caboose with these it was modeled after a GT car with three body side windows per side, the Bachmann end copula car is a similar model. The Atlas Bay Window car based on a Southern Pacific (I forget which) class car was later copied by Model Power without the nice correct SP Radio antenna or smoke jack and lavatory roof details. Atlas has upgraded their SF Caboose with better paint schemes although some roads offered never had cars like these or roads like Rio Grande had similar looking cars with differences in side windows, roof curve etc. Do we really need to know all the variations in one manufacturers cabooses, I guess if collecting every color variation, printing goof and car types like tinplate collectors have done for years then this information would be ok or we could just visit "Spook Show's" already well done and interesting web site.                                       Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.   

[Hamaker]

Hey.....For me, if it looks like one of the cabooses my father worked out of.....and has Santa Fe on it....I've bought it.

Funny.....In the early 1970s, I bought a parcel of land in the Oregon Cascades.  Instead of building the usual cabin, I told my mom I was going to build a replica of a Santa Fe caboose.  She very sweetly said "Oh....that's nice.  But be aware your father will probably never set foot in it".  Apparently 42 years of working out of a caboose had taken it's toll.  A traditional cabin was built which my dad enjoyed.  Decades later, after retiring, I would have never considered building a replica of my office at the bank.

[ljudice]

I guess my question is - does the Railwire community really need to be notified when someone posts something to this Trovestar site?

It seems more like someone is trying to build more links back to another site for SEO purposes.

It would be like posting a link to heritageunits.com every time I made a sighting report.

[Chris333]

I need an app on my phone to keep track of all the N scale cabooses.

[learmoia]

Also there is two different versions of the NE-6 caboose, (window arrangement) and two variations of the extended vision caboose... (roofwalk)

For that mater the "Standard" cupola caboose is a third variation on the ICCo extended vision caboose. not an entirely different model.

And he for got all of the end cupola cabooses released between 1968 and 1999..... Preeeeety big gap there...

Can we Rick-Roll his links to Spookshow's site 

Kidding.. could be a good source of info... everyone starts somewhere... The rewards program looks interesting..

~Ian..

[cjm413]

there are (at least) 7 body styles that have been marketed by Atlas (the original offset cupola- what you call an end cupola, is, ironically, a later modified prototype than the model in the current production- and would be more accurate in the GTW paint than the one you show).

To make things more confusing, GTW did have some ex-ATSF end cupola cabooses...

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/gtw/gtw75000ads.jpg

However, the Atlas model in the picture based on the ATSF prototype is decorated as an original GTW car...

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3956606

[u36b]

....... To make things more confusing, GTW did have some ex-ATSF end cupola cabooses.........

so did IHB ,PC, CCT and probably other rr

CRR bought new "ATSF" cabooses with different step wells.
Wabash (N&W) and AA bought ATSF style Cabooses with streamlined cupolas - Please, Please somebody .....Shapeway.....?!?

Stephan

[cjm413]

....... To make things more confusing, GTW did have some ex-ATSF end cupola cabooses.........

so did IHB ,PC, CCT and probably other rr

CRR bought new "ATSF" cabooses with different step wells.
Wabash (N&W) and AA bought ATSF style Cabooses with streamlined cupolas - Please, Please somebody .....Shapeway.....?!?

Stephan

Another variation was the later ATSF cars with the peaked roofs, plus some similar cars built for Chicago & Alton with different steps (which were later rebuilt by GM&O with new EV cupolas and steps)

[wcfn100]

I guess my question is - does the Railwire community really need to be notified when someone posts something to this Trovestar site?

It seems more like someone is trying to build more links back to another site for SEO purposes.

It would be like posting a link to heritageunits.com every time I made a sighting report.

I agree with this, but there are other members who write to a blog and then just post the link here.  Some also post pictures to rail sites and don't even post their own image here, just the link.   

Neither of those garner complaints.

Jason