Pennsylvania RR Caboose Question- need suggestions

Anybody?  I know some of you guys collect them.

Hi Jake, the PA GG1 solid stripe green engine was a freight engine. True they did run passenger consits behind it but I remember seeing her pulling freight on the North East Corridor running through SW Phila back in the fifties when I was a kid.

 

I would suggest a port hole caboose. Not for any historical reason, it just looks good. 

Have fun.

Probably too "early" for your GG1, but the MTH n6b is my hands down favorite.

Isn't there one of those parked behind the GG1 that's in Harrisburg(?) station?  I like the looks of those too with that rounded roof on top with the windows following that roofline.

 

I just like the looks of the porthole caboose.  Definitely says pennsy when you see them.  I'll have to look around some.  Any recommendations as to who makes a good scale Porthole caboose at a reasonable price (no more than $70?)

K line makes nice cabooses as well, there are a few of these on herehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/K-LINE-K-615-1892-PENNSYLVANIA-N5C-PORTHOLE-CABOOSE-WITH-ANTENNA-NEW-/170804362074?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item27c4bbbb5a#ht_500wt_1236

I'm really starting to look at the MTH Premier N5C.  I saw a side view of the K-Line one and something looks weird to me.  Jason's trains might be getting some business from me one day.  I've got to rebuild the train budget, but I'm getting back there  Actually there's a hobby shop closer to me that looks to have one based on the MTH finder feature, but their website isn't really updated ever so I won't know without going there.

 

I'm also eyeing that N6b some more too, but the porthole one looks like it would go better with the GG1.  More of a streamlined style I guess.

SantaFe158, first off stay away from ALL K-Line N5c cabins if you want fidelity to prototype because the angle of the cupola sides is WRONG. Any of the N5's(a,b,or c), N6's, and/or N8 cabins would be perfectly prototypical behind a GG1.

 

Now there is an apparent misconception that green GG1's are for freight. All 139 GG1's were produced in GREEN. Starting in 1952 Motors 4908 through 4913 were painted RED to pull trains like the "Senator" and "Congressional" between DC and NYC. Eventually a total of twelve GG1's were RED.

 

Ron

Jake,

The MTH Premier N5C Cabin Cars, as was the P. RR. term for cabooses, for the most part,  closely resemble their real counterpart, plus MTH Premier series are very close to scale proportions in size.

Log onto MTH Web-Site to view and get an idea.

Good Luck,

Ralph

Once the funds build up, that's probably what I'm going to go with.

I have the MTH Premier 20-91288. I think it looks great...just need an engine to pull it Ron

If I'm not mistaken, the Railking and Premier are exactly the same. I have a Railking - nice car but the smokestack is easily broken off - I know from experience! I personally like the Premiers with the "Train Phone" antenna. 

 

 

EDIT: Looks like Fred beat me to posting! 

 

 

I believe the GG-1s went from 5-stripe to 1-stripe around 1955.  By 1955, I also believe PRR's cabins had been repainted to include the herald on the side (the N6b in RickO's post would not be correct for 1955).  So, look for a cabin with the herald.

 

I'm sure PRRronbh is correct about the scale fidelity of K-Line's N5c caboose, but I think it looks pretty good.

The antenna is why I'm leaning towards the premier model, otherwise I could get the railking one on ebay for $25 (not sure what shipping is, probably another $30 )

If you get the RK version with the Focal Yellow cupola, the antennas would have been gone by that point (mid 60's).  This would go well with the JLC 4925 which represents the later mod of the GG1 with the FARR intakes.  That is what makes that specific G so interesting in my collection as it is the only one that accurately depicts this late modification to the GG1.  However, I do like my Premier N8 with antenna detail as well!  If you want to get real technical, I'd look for any caboose marked for the New York, Chesapeake, Philadelphia, or Harrisburg Regions.  The N8 I have is marked for the Buckeye Region.  Bummer, probably need to repaint.

Such as this one?

That's the one!

Fred and SJC are correct about MTH's Premier and Railking models being similar, it's just a selling point for MTH.

Then again...........

RJL

I may have to jump on the one shown above.  Seems like a really good deal.  My GG1 will be happy to have a partner

That's a beauty Jake,
RJL 

Woo whee. When I was a kid, I rode to Jersey on a train pulled by a GG-1. However, trackside along the NE Corridor most of the time what I saw were GiGis pulling freight. They were very versatile. Afraid I can't help with your caboose questions- I'm past the point of worrying about "scale" and "accurate" and base my decisions on, "hey, I like it!".

Just bought the one shown above for $33 including shipping. Should look good.

Jake,

Good luck and enjoy your new addition, cabin car.

RJL

Thanks, according to the Ebay, it should be here by Monday.  Can't wait.

Jake,

This is the one I have with the Train-Phone antenna and a smaller shadowed keystone:

http://mthtrains.com/content/20-91288

RJL

My new MTH Railking N5c caboose came in todays mail. Looks great with my Lionel JLC Brunswick Green single stripe pennsy GG1.

The photo from the ebay auction

Sorry for the poor picture quality. I took them with my phone camera which works great as long as you have it on something steady which I didn't

Jake,
They look great.
Good luck and enjoy,
RJL

Looks great.  Maybe I need one of those to go with my 5-stripe.  Good luck with your new caboose.  Love those portholes.

Ron, the Newbie.

Thanks.

 

The one thing I noticed that is pretty cool is both the locomotive and the caboose have markings saying they were built in 1942.  Guess they're a match

Jake,

What a great looking Pennsylvania outfit. I read with interest the personal recollections by those who saw these in operation. Sadly, I never got to see a GG-1 as a kid growing up in Ohio in the 1950s. 

Well, the only GG1 I've seen was the one in the RR museum of pennsylvania.  It's a great looking and massive engine.  You don't realize it until you're standing right next to it.  My model seems pretty popular when I run it on the club layout at train shows.  People are always talking about it or asking questions which is always fun.

GG-1s were originally all built for passenger service, but as passenger service decreased after WWII many were used successfully on freight trains. They were all originally painted green. I believe only three or four were ever painted tuscan red.

Sorry to push my very old, but mostly accurate thread on all things GG1, but there is some info in here that might interest you.  https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/d...ent/2415514336586533

 

As to Tuscan GG1s, 10 wore 5 stripe Tuscan and only two had Tuscan in the Single Stripe era, 4916 and 4907.  There is a great photo online of the prototype 4925 with the FARR filter intake pulling freight in the late 60's. 

 

Late in there careers I was suprised to learn not that long ago that even though the GG1s were split between Conrail, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, that often it really didn't matter who owned the unit when it came to whose trains they pulled.  Sunnyside had a practice of using the first available G off the track and that often sent Amtrak engines on NJT to South Amboy.  The 4935 restored to PRR pulled that duty on occassion as well as some of the Red / Silver / Blue Gs.  I have a shot somewhere from another forum member that shows an Amtrak G laying over at South Amboy.

 

That caboose goes great with that G!  I have a Williams N5C in the same scheme and it is a hair smaller.  Same goes for some of the other manufacturers when it comes to Pennsy Cabins.

It really does look great with my locomotive.  I moved it out of my glass display case which the locomotive filled up on it's own, and they both fit perfectly on my wall mounted shelf (couplers on the front of the locomotive and rear of caboose are touching the ends of my shelf ).  They look great.  Considering it's my third PRR locomotive (fourth if you count my 736 postwar berkshire which I have an early postwar PRR caboose for), I've been needing a good caboose to go with them.

 

Like I said on the picture post, it really does look better in person.  The pictures are just bad quick ones I took on my phone.

I just plced a small comment on the GG1 thread by GG1  4877, so you can take a look at those 18 pages of notes!

 

BTW, 4877 was Tuscan after she was running trains on NJ Transit.  Repainted not by NJT, but another group.