Standard Cupola Caboose
Roadname & number: Northern Pacific No.1102
Item: 50 000 982

Summary

Atlas' N Standard Cupola and Extended Vision Cabooses are released with new road numbers, AccuMate® couplers, and thin railings. This is Northern Pacific No. 1102.

Based on prototypes that were built during the 1960s, these cabooses were popular on railroads from coast-coast. - Atlas

This post-steam era welded steel caboose lasted into the era of FRED (Flashing Rear-End Device; also called an end-of-train device.) and can even be found in "dark territory" today.

NP 1100-series caboose

1100-series cabooses were blueprinted in 1962, built by Morrison-International, and numbered 1100-1149. They were 36-feet 7 1/4-inches long over platform sill ends, 39' 1-1/4" from striker to striker, and 41' 7 3/4" over pulling face of couplers. Width was 10' 2 1/2" over cupola awnings.* It is classed and typed as

AAR Class: NE: Caboose
AAR Type: M930 **

N Standard Cupola Caboose

This model is securely packed in a plastic cradle held in a clear hard plastic case. A thin plastic sheet protects the caboose from scuffing against the cradle and case lid. The model is factory assembled and ready-to-run. Two different body styles are produced, Standard Cupola and Extended Vision.

 My first impression was Look at the sharp small detail and that crisp printing! From the underframe hangs basic air brake components that adds interest to the underside when the caboose is viewed in profile from track level. Very fine rivet detail is molded onto the car body where appropriate.

The model is molded without any noticeable flaws. For N scale the end ladders are very thin, too. The chain guard across the end railing and on the brake posts is impressively fine, too. However, the side grabs are molded on. The one scale drawback of N is the couplers. Though they are way too big that is par for the scale; I have only found one aftermarket brand that is more to scale.

This caboose type had relatively large windows. You really cannot see inside which is no doubt why no interior is provided. The window plastic is clear. The windows are the a departure from NP prototype, which had three same-sized windows, while this model has two big and a small window.

The trucks and wheels are plastic. I’ve got to admit, the plastic wheels look better because they don’t have that shine of metal wheels found on larger scales. The trucks are held to the underside by plastic pins.

I measured the caboose at 37 scale-feet long from sill to sill, and 42 1/2-feet from coupler to coupler - very close to prototype! It weighs 1 ounce while NMRA RP-20.1 Car Weight suggests the weight should be 0.92 ounces.

Details

Atlas' little jewel features:

- Thin endrails
- Window glazing
- Separate brake cylinder
- Open smoke stack
- Triple valve and air reservoir
- Roller-bearing caboose trucks
- Roofwalk where appropriate
- Accurate painting and lettering
- AccuMate® couplers

One detail not listed is the NP logo shield on each end of the platform.

Livery

Atlas’ finish on this model is top notch. The paint is smooth and does not obscure detail. The markings and data are sharp for the scale. NP photos I've found show the truck sideframes painted the brown car body color, while this model's trucks are black. Four roadnames and an undecorated model are available for the Standard Cupola Caboose:

Great Northern (Blue/White)
Norfolk & Western (Red/White)
Norfolk Southern (Red/White)
Northern Pacific (Brown/White/Red/Black)

For the Extended Vision Cabooses there are two undecorated versions and four roadnames:

Burlington Route (Silver/Red/Black)
Reading (Green/Yellow)
Santa Fe (Red/Yellow)
Soo Line (White/Red)
Undecorated without roofwalk
Undecorated with roofwalk

Most roadnames have two road numbers.

Ready track

Compared to a couple of N scale cabeese I have c. 1990, am impressed with this model. This model has "1996" molded on the underframe yet it has the detail only found in larger scales a 20 years ago. The molding of the body is crisp. The fidelity of the detail parts is impressive. Painting is smooth and markings are sharp.

Overall this is a good model for N-scalers who want a post-steam era welded steel caboose lasting through the era of FRED. I happily recommend this model.

Please tell vendors and retailers that you saw this model here - on RailRoadModeling.
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References

* Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association; Diagrams from the Northern Pacific Railway Mechanical Department. NP Caboose Diagrams: Caboose Steel Cupola 1100-49 . http://research.nprha.org/NP Cabooses/Caboose Steel Cupola 1100-49.jpg. 12/27/2003

** Railroad Picture Archives.net.

AccuMate® couplers are made under license from AccuRail, Inc.