Cabooses

Below are links to the various reports that show all of the S-scale cabooses ever produced. Click whichever report gets you to the information that wish to find.

Contact person: Webmaster

1. By Model Manufacturer
   Entries are sorted by manufacturer, then by road name, and then by type of caboose.
2. By Model Manufacturer ID
   Entries are sorted by manufacturer, then by the product ID, and then by road name and road number. This report is handy if you know the manufacturer and the product ID.
   This report is limited to entries that have a known manufacturer ID set.
3. By Road Name
   Entries are sorted by road name, then by model manufacturer, and then by type of caboose.
4. By Type
   Entries are sorted by the caboose's type, then by road name, and then by model manufacturer on the final pages.
5. By Gauge
   Entries are sorted by wheel gauge, then by manufacturer, and then by type of caboose. The final pages have the entries sorted by the cabooses' road names.
6. By Model Introduction Year
   Entries are sorted by model year, then by manufacturer, and then by type of caboose. The final pages have the entries sorted by the cabooses' road names.
   This report is limited to entries for which the model introduction year is known.
7. By Material
   Entries are sorted by the dominant material from which the model (especially its body) is made, then by manufacturer, and then by type of caboose. The final pages have the entries sorted by the cabooses' road names.
   This report is limited to entries for which the dominant material is known.
8. By Photo
   A mini photo album of sorts, this report shows the primary photo for each entry. Click on a photo to see that model's details and possible additional photos. The photos are sorted by road name, road number, and then by manufacturer.
   This report is limited to entries that have at least one photo set.
9. Missing Photos
   This report lists all of the entries for which we do not, yet, have a photo. If you have this model and can take a photo of it, please contact the webmaster.
10. All Entries
    This report lists all entries in one page, and you can click on an entry to see its model information.
11. All Entries (text only)
    Entries are sorted by model manufacturer, type, road name, road number, model year, and product ID, all on one page (no details, no photos). This is handy for when you just want a basic list of what has been produced.
12. Downloadable Text File
    Entries are sorted by model manufacturer, manufacturer ID, road name, road number, type of caboose, gauge, model year, product type, and finish. Note: To import or open this file in a spreadsheet software application, use the hat, ^, character as the column separator (see the "6" key of your keyboard). Most spreadsheet applications will let you pick the separator or delimiter; if not, open the file with a text editor and replace all "^" with a character of your choice, and then try it again.

Report Definitions

gauge

• AF:
  for models that come only with A.C. Gilbert-style wheels and couplers.
• S:
  for standard-gauge (4'8-1/2") models that come with either no wheels and couplers, with scale wheels and/or couplers, or have scale wheels and couplers included in the package.
• Sn3, Sn2, Sn42:
  for the various narrow-gauge rail spacings.

road name

The railroad name (prototype or freelance/fictional) for which the model was decorated by the factory, or for which the model was specifically designed if undecorated.

style

The overall shape of the caboose, which can be one of the following:

• bay-window:
  Cabooses that have windows outside the sides of the car, to facilitate seeing to the front and rear of the train. These tended to be used on terrain that had small tunnels.
• bobber:
  Old-time (late-1880s) 4-wheeled caboose. These have two fixed axles.
• center-cupola:
  Cabooses with a cupola centered, or near-centered, on their roof.
• converted:
  Some railroads converted old box car or reefers into cabooses, and so remnants of the old car might be visible, such as outside bracing on the sides.
• drovers:
  These types of cabooses were used primarily with livestock trains, because additional personnel, called drovers, were needed to manage the livestock during longer journeys. These cars had extra space allocations in addition to the standard train crew, therefore they were longer than regular ones.
• end-cupola:
  Cabooses with a cupola at or near one end of the car. Our additional restriction is that the cupola must be aligned with or farther toward the end of the car than the last window (to differentiate it from an "off-center-cupola").
• end-cupola with bay window:
  Both A.C. Gilbert and Lionel have produced these types of cabooses, but there seems to be no known prototype instance of a caboose manufactured with both a cupola on the roof and with bay windows.
• extended-vision:
  Cabooses with a cupola on the roof (centered, or near-centered) which was wider than the body of the car. This allowed the crew to see both over the train and to the front and rear of the train.
• off-center-cupola:
  Cabooses with a cupola on the roof that was not centered, but also not at one end of the car. Our additional restriction is that the cupola sits toward the center of the car from the last window (to differentiate it from an "end-cupola").
• transfer:
  These were cabooses used when transferring a train from between railroad yards, including exchanging with another railroad's yard. These were usually shorter trips, and so these cabooses didn't need all of the amenities that regular cabooses had. Therefore you will often find them not having a cupola and with smaller bodies.
• van:
  A caboose design that represents one used outside of North America or the U.S.

Additional External References

"Guide to North American Cabooses", written by Carl Byron and Don Heimburger, published by Kalmbach in May 2021.