Bluford Shops HO caboose features

The style of trucks, and inclusion and position of such details as marker lights, tool box, and fuel tank will vary with the road name. Cars include magnetically operating knuckle style couplers, metal wheels, and wire grabs and cut levers.

Version 1. This short body bay window caboose design was developed by International Car and MoPac in the 1970s. Several other railroads used very similar cars. These were assigned to road service and were NOT transfer cabooses.

Also produced as Undecorated kits #31000.

Version 2. Southern Pacific also evaluated the MoPac design, then in 1980 they came up with their own variation with a shorter, diagonal panel roof.

Also produced as Undecorated kits #32000.

Version 3. Transfer Caboose - Long Roof. Transfer Cabooses were usually built by the railroads themselves using materials on hand such as old freight car frames and side sheets from retired boxcars. Since they were meant for cross-town moves between yards, bay windows or coupolas along with other amenities were left off.

Also produced as Undecorated kits #33000.

Version 4. Transfer Caboose - Short Roof. These Transfer Cabooses were built with short, diagonal panel roofs clipped from old boxcars. This practice was very common.

Also produced as Undecorated kits #34000.

Version 5. Transfer Caboose - With Running Board. Most Transfer Cabooses built in 1966 and earlier had running boards (a.k.a. roofwalks) and ladders to reach them. Many kept their running boards until the end of the caboose era.

Also produced as Undecorated kits #35000.

Take a look at this Bluford HO caboose in the UP/MP MOW orange scheme brilliantly weathered and photographed by Mike Tolich. Great job!

Steve Goaring weathered this pair of HO Bluford Shops Illinois Terminal cabooses for his spectacular Illinois Terminal O'Fallon Branch layout.

Some of the above pictures show the cars with track, scenery and even other cars for a bit of context. Obviously the cars in question don't include that stuff - but you knew that already.

Steve Foster did an amazing job painting and decaling a Bluford HO caboose for his Ontario Northland layout. Nice!