Articles Pre-2025

A New Look for a RailKing Caboose

Installing Kadee Couplers on a RailKing Center Cupola Caboose

by Jack Hess
RailKing Caboose UP

This is the caboose with the factory paint. 		RailKing Caboose UP

I. Analysis
I bought this model used, so I looked it over to see what was needed:
  • missing a brake wheel
  • smokestack broken
  • one step broken
  • incorrect trucks for caboose
 This is what I want to do:
  • Add missing parts
  • Body mount couplers
  • Paint entire car red, with black underframe
  • Lettering

A. Couplers

I want to mount the couplers on the end platforms. The coupler height along with the method of mounting need to be determined.
checking coupler height Coupler Height. The coupler has been removed from the truck and the car sat on the track with a Kadee O scale coupler height gauge. A piece of .125 styrene is needed to bring the ladder casting to the correct height.
modifying the end casting

The ladder casting clips onto the end platform and overhangs by .020, which means the platform will need a piece of styrene to bring it to the same height as the ladder casting. 		finding Kadee coupler location

Kadee coupler fit up. The coupler has to mount by the center hole and thread into the yellow area. The black object between the wheels is the mounting tang for the truck mounted couplers and will need to be cut off.

B. Red Paint
three cans of red paint to be color tested I would like the entire body to be similar to the red that is already on the roof. I have several spray cans from Home Depot which I will test to determine if any of them will work.
  1. Rust-Oleum 2X Gloss Apple Red
  2. Home Shades Fire Red
  3. Rust-Oleum Gloss Regal Red

II. Paint Removal

At this point the caboose was completely disassembled and the body and the cupola put in Isopropanyl alcohol to soak the paint. After five days of soaking and scrubbing, the body came out clean.
paint stripped caboose body The body is stripped and ready for model work.

III. Model Work

A. Details
basis of new step

The replacement step is being constructed from styrene. 		new step completed

The step completed and glued to the end platform.
Selley caboose stack

A Selley white metal smoke stack is fitted. 		Atlas brake wheel installed on end casting

An Atlas brake wheel is glued in place.
MTH 2-rail trucks converted to 3-rail I bought a pair of 2-rail caboose trucks and had to do extensive modifications to make them fit to the chassis and to accept the 3-rail wheelsets and electrical pickups. They do let the body ride lower but it is still 1/16" too high, but good enough.
freight truck coupler tang bottom of kitbashed truck

The converted trucks don't have a coupler tang to remove.
washers for trucks I had to make a few washers out of brass sheet to hold the trucks on.

B. Coupler Mounting
strip glued to end casting I glued a strip of .060 x .125 to the bottom of the end casting and cut off the center clips that hook into the platform casting.
more styrene glued to the end casting On the platform casting, a piece of .125 x .125 is glued against the end, followed by .020 x .188 and finally is a piece of .125 x .250 with the outside edge undercut to the allow the end casting to fit.
end casting in position

The end and platform castings not yet pushed all the way together. 		end casting in place

This is how the end casting and the platform casting should fit together.
checking coupler height with new trucks I did the work above while the freight trucks were mounted. Now that I have leaf spring trucks, the styrene needs to be slotted to allow the coupler pocket to fit at the correct height from the rail. This is an advantage at it provides a stabiler mount for the coupler pocket.
slot for coupler pocket

Next step is to cut a slot in the styrene to accept the Kadee coupler. It is critical that this slot be centered side-to-side and level so the coupler doesn't tilt forward or backward. 		stabilizing the coupler pocket

A slot is also cut in the styrene strip on the endsill casting. Two pieces of .040 X .060 are glued to this styrene piece in order to space the coupler out from the endsill by .120.
fitting the coupler pocket The side lugs have been filed off the coupler box and the box set in place. The lip on top of the coupler box has to fit snugly against the glued on extension.
coupler pocket mounted

Coupler has been mounted with one 2-56 screw. 		checking coupler height

Coupler height is checked with a Kadee gauge.
trimming up styrene

The styrene extension is trimmed up. 		completing the coupler mount

Two blocks of .125 X .250 are glued in to help prevent the coupler box from twisting.

IV. Paint and Lettering
three colors of red spray paint Here are the three paint samples sprayed onto a piece of PVC which has been painted satin gray. The caboose body will get a coat of the gray before it gets painted red.
paint sample test paint sample test paint sample test

Though hard to see in the photos, the paint on the left is the closest match. This is the Rust-Oleum 2X Apple Red.
end castings underpainted red The platforms and end castings have been brushed with a coat of Testors Flat Red in order to provide red coloring in the event the red spray paint doesn't get into all the tight corners.
underframe weathered

The truckside frames, the wheel faces, and the underbody details were given a dry brush with Testors Rust and Flat Black to give it a slightly worn look.
gray paint on caboose body The caboose body and cupola get a coating of satin gray.

V. Completion
completed caboose
Body has been painted red and lettered, and car resassembled.
Articles Pre-2025

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