Sow's Ear, Part One. ATSF caboose.

Although I had plenty of ATSF passenger cars, and now a number of warbonnet engines,  my best freight hauler has always been the Athearn SD45 in blue and yellow ( more on that later). I lacked an appropriate  "way car" (Santa Fe-speak for caboose).

I did a lot of online research to see what might be appropriate, and cross checked against what I could find online.  Not happy with what I was seeing, I held off for a bit until recently,  where while gaming at a FLGS, I found an old MDC ATSF lettered way car for a low price, and bought it. On getting it home I saw where many additional SF-appopriate details could be added. It also became obvious at some point that ATSF never operated a caboose of this particular type :-( but as I already had it, I could still make it better on a budget. Scanning photos, waycars of the early diesel era had more extensive roofwalks, unique end platform brake and railing details, black painted cupola, and a smoke stack on the opposite side of the roof. I also added glazing for all windows, safety rail ladder extensions, and kadee couplers on both ends.

The cast-on handrails were shadowed with a black wash then painted white. The brake stand was fabricated from sheet styrene, the railings from wire. I am awaiting delivery of chain to connect brake wheel to brake system.

Delivered! See above photo. Although not an ATSF specific ptototype, it captures many of the waycar details you see on their cars. Time to move on ;-)

Unless I add lights...