Kit No. 889 GM&O Wood Cupola Caboose

This latest caboose addition hails from the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad and is available with two different types of car siding: Kit No. 889 represents a post World War II “modernized” tongue and grove sided car while Kit No. 890, listed below, renders a postwar rebuilt caboose with plywood siding.

The prototype for these kits actually dates back further than the GM&O and to the turn of the 20th century. In 1940, the Gulf Mobile & Northern was merged with the bankrupt Mobile & Ohio creating a 2,000 mile system that connected St. Louis with the ports of Mobile and New Orleans. Incorporated as the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, the new company inherited an assortment of equipment including a fleet of wood cupola cabooses formally of the M&O. While little has been uncovered regarding the early history of these cars, they do have a striking similarity with designs utilized by the Southern Railway, which owned a controlling interest in the M&O from 1901 until 1940.

Dating as far back as 1896, the M&O cabooses, from the X30 - X202 series, appear to have been built over a three decade period with the last car outshopped in October of 1928. Approximately 57 of these cabooses entered the GM&O roster in 1940 and were renumbered 2847 - 2903. Some of these cars were retired as early as 1953, but the bulk of the fleet remained on the roster into the mid 1960s and some even survived the merger with the Illinois Central in 1972. The subsequent Illinois Central Gulf Railroad retired all wood cabooses in 1973.

At the time of the merger, the ex M&O cars displayed features that were typical of wood cabooses of the era: tongue and groove siding, composite steps, truss rod underframe, and vertical staff handbrake wheels located on both of the full width end platforms. The approximate 31 foot long carbody was outfitted with four single sash windows on either car side and a centered cupola that contained a single window on the sides and two windows on the ends. Often, these cars were equipped with sun visors over both the cupola and body side windows and during the hot summer months were even supplied with window screens.

Variations within the fleet were apparent too with some cars exhibiting letterboard trim that separated the car side from the cupola while others had continuous siding running up to the cupola roof. Also, end ladders with either straight or curved tops could be found. At some point, possibly following World War II, these cars were rebuilt with steel sills and steps, AB brake gear, a power brakewheel stand on the B end of the car, and were often resheathed with plywood or, in at least one instance, steel.

The new American Model Builder’s kits replicate these latter rebuilt cars. As mentioned above, due to the variations found among the prototype cabooses, the modeler will find a number of options built-in to these kits, which are indicated throughout the included 13 page heavily illustrated instruction booklet. It is suggest that modeler read through the pages first before beginning construction and then consulting photos of the specific roadnumber desired in order to build the most accurate rendering.

Kits No. 889 and No. 890 feature 100% laser-cut components with custom laser-scribed side and end walls; Tab & Slot and Peel & Stick construction; laser-cut underframe, end platforms, end railing, queen posts, sunshades, and power brake wheels with stands; cast resin platform steps and brake gear; Tichy Train Group plastic turnbuckles; white metal smokejack; brass wire; custom decals by Tichy Train Group; and several fixtures to aid the modeler in creating all the wire handholds and ladders appropriate for the prototypes. We recommend the purchase of Kadee No. 580 Bettendorf-AAR Caboose Trucks, Kadee No. 5 couplers with draft gear boxes, and the paint and glue of your choice for the completion of these kits.