Spring Mills Depot HO scale B&O wagontop caboose

The vertical-ribbed construction marks this distinctive bay window car as one of the Baltimore & Ohio’s innovative class I-12 steel cabooses built just before World War II. Ready-to-run HO scale models of these cabooses are now offered by Spring Mills Depot with era-specific details, paint, and lettering schemes.

A prototype plan for this wagontop caboose was published in the August 2003 Model Railroader, and our samples closely follow this drawing. The first 100 cars (nos. 2400-2499) were built in late 1941 and early 1942 at the B&O’s Keyser, W. Va. shop, with 25 more (2800-2824) following in 1945. All of these cars had steel underframes, Duryea draft gear, and steel car bodies strong enough for use in helper service.

The models consist of molded styrene parts which include the characteristic riveted rib details. Our samples were cleanly assembled without any excess glue showing. The window glazing fits flush with the exterior, and the realistic grab irons and railings are formed from thin wire. Our early red car has the original wood running boards, while the modernized Chessie version has etched see-though metal running boards.

Both of our samples have excellent underbody details, including a complete A-B brake system with all the associated piping and actuating rods. The Duryea cushioned draft-gear boxes extend about a scale foot from each end.

The models represent four different eras, so they include alternate details in the brake system, smokejacks, windows and screens, toilet holding tank, battery box, and various types of marker lights.

The cars ride on rigid-frame acetal plastic Association of American Railroads (AAR) caboose trucks with leaf springs. The wheelsets have needlepoint axles, so they’re extremely free-rolling.

Small Phillips-head screws secure the body-mounted Kadee couplers.

All four paint schemes are superbly done, and certainly on a par with what one would expect from a custom painter.

Overall, Spring Mills Depot has done a great job of capturing the look and appearance of this signature B&O I-12 caboose.

Price: ready-to-run, $59.95; undecorated kit, $49.95

Manufacturer:
Spring Mills Depot
P.O. Box 1616.
Spring Mills, MD 21158
www.springmillsdepot.com

Road names: All versions have historic Baltimore & Ohio schemes
No. 121201 (1941-1945) bright red, name spelled out
No. 121202 (1955-1962) bright red, large B&O initials
No. 121203 (1965-1969) Pool Ser- vice blue body with yellow ends
No. 121204 (1973-1983) Chessie System, B&O initials
No. 121205 undecorated kit

Features

• Kadee no. 5 couplers mounted at correct height
• Metal RP-25 wheels (in gauge)
• Weight: 3 ounces (matches NMRA RP-20.1)