Enter S-Helper Service. The firm’s freight cars contain detail and decoration equal to any – in any scale – in the industry. S-Helper’s first locomotive may be the most highly detailed S gauge engine of the modern era. So when the firm set sights on doing a caboose, you know chances are it is done right.
During the 1997 Chicago Hobby Show, S-Helper’s Don Thompson showed me a test shot of the proposed caboose. He lauded the level of detail the Chinese manufacturer loaded into the sample, but said some items, like the fully equipped toilet, would be omitted since with the roof in place nobody could see it! At the time, it was clear that S-Helper Service intended for this model to be one of the most detailed cabooses on the market in any scale. After examining production models of the cabin car, rest assured that S-Helper delivered on that promise.
You’ll find all the detail to which S-Helper fans have grown accustomed. There are simulated chains, grab irons, ladders, opening doors, windshield wipers, illuminated marker lights, and even crew members, all of which could have easily been omitted or done less expensively such as casting-in grab irons or ladder handles.
The cars we tested ran smoothly on American Flyer track as well as S-Helper’s new S Trax system and came with scale wheels for those so inclined. The only down side is that you’ll need to take care handling versions of the caboose offered with running boards. Also, the ladder rails on the top side are pretty tall and could easily be whacked out of alignment by a misplaced hand.
Esthetically, these cars look terrific, and as I cautioned in an earlier review of S-Helper equipment, running a car like this side-by-side with a similar postwar Flyer piece will surely send the Flyer gear to the bottom of your roster.
This car calls out to anyone wanting a good-looking piece of equipment on the end of their S gauge trains.
