Are These The Best SP Cabooses in HO Scale? - Unboxing and Product Review of Athearn’s SP Cabooses!

Are These The Best SP Cabooses in HO Scale? - Unboxing and Product Review of Athearn’s SP Cabooses!
Southern Pacific received its first bay window cabooses in 1947. The first bay window cabooses with 50 ton trucks were built in 1968 for SP subsidiary Cotton Belt.
These and subsequent orders were classed as “C” for caboose, 50 for 50 ton trucks, and then a sequence number.
The Cotton Belt cars were classed C-50-2. According to the information I could find, the C-50-1 and -6 classes were vacant, with no cars assigned to them.
The remaining classes of C-50 cars were built between 1970 and 1980. This included 16 C-50-5 cars for SP subsidiary Cotton Belt. Athearn has made models of these cars as well.
International Car Company built the lower numbered classes. After PACCAR acquired International, the C-50-7, 8 and 9 cars were built by PACCAR in the same plant in Kenton, Ohio starting in 1978.
The models in this review are examples of these late classes of SP cabooses.
All three classes are similar in terms of overall dimensions, construction, and paint treatment. Most of the differences between the models are in small details and the number of windows.
All three were delivered without roof walks.
As usual, Dan evaluates each model’s packaging, prototype accuracy, paint & detail, and how well it operates and conforms to applicable standards.
If you’re an SP fan, you don’t want to miss this one!
#train #modeltrains #railroad #hoscale #scalemodels #southernpacific #caboose

[@rjohnson1690]

Back when I was a rookie switchman, I once took shelter from the rain in SP 4669 while waiting for a train to clear the lead. That cab has been in the region for some time filling in a number of roles when needed. I just ordered myself a new “shoving platform” for my locals. Thanks Dan.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. That's a great story and memory. Thanks for sharing and for watching!

[@user-sv4pj5jl8n]

$99, oh my word. Great looking models. Gives me a target for updating my Athearn Blue Box models. The old BB Models have no wobble or coupler height issues because I assembled them.

[@chrisdaniell2990]

He makes a good argument for the $99 price point. Compared to a painted brass model ($300), this is in between brass and an entry-level caboose and you get the interior detail and DCC function included.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have one of the old blue box cabooses that was my very first HO scale car. I haven't decided if I want to upgrade it or just leave it as it is. And yes, when you build them yourself you can take care of any issues. Thanks for watching!

[@user-sv4pj5jl8n]

Most modelers consider the high prices of new models too high for a hobby.

[@danielfantino1714]

That´s a good question. Price too high or modelers running after all new models produced ? And don´t forget, those north of the border pay an extra + - 15 % for money exchange rate. So that 100 $ caboose is 115 + customs fees. Is it too high ? A raw chicken at grocery is in the 20 25$ range. The caboose can stay yours for ever, not the chickens. But a single caboose and nothing else isn´t a layout either. Just a bookshelf decoration.

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Very cool cabooses. I wish Athearn did more railroads, the SP and Cotton Belt. Nice video.

[@riogrande5761]

Athearn has done more roads in the Extended Vision Genesis cabooses including ATSF, CB&Q and a bunch of UP. D&RGW are coming in the future.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. I have an Athearn Genesis Santa Fe caboose that I'll be reviewing soon, and I also just got one of their UP cabooses, so I'll be doing that one too. Thanks for watching!

[@kenneths3742]

As a fellow Espee fan, I always look forward to your reviews. Thank you for another great video.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@lonewolfe31619]

Great videos dan keep up the great work.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you like the channel. Thanks for watching!

[@lucgagnon5241]

Hey Dan. Again, many thanks for sharing your work with us. Again (2), I'm not a SP fan at all. But I'm impress by the overall beauty of those models. The details are not also accurate but on target big time. The fact that they have working lights gives them a true high value at the end. I like everything on them except the couplers that are too cheap to stay on. Each unit worth the $99 retail price. Athearn-Genesis have the widest and the highest quality cars on the market. If it was not for the couplers height, those deserve a 90% to my eyes. Keep on your good work.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I agree completely, that Athearn should use some better couplers, made of metal. I don't like to see plastic couplers on a high-end model. At least these are pretty easy to change to Kadees, no weird coupler box design. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@lucgagnon5241]

@@DanielCortopassi Hey Dan. Thanks for answering back. There are so many features on those cabooses. I think Athearn is getting close to Tangent with the 3 SP units you showed us. That's the beauty of China. Customized models. We're both old enough to remember the time that it was "one size fits all" models. Now you got 3 models looking the same on first sight but finally very different at the end. Like it's suppose to. Keep on your good work Dan. I'm sure we all appreciate what you do.

[@SPSteve]

Nice review, Dan. Those are nice models, I really like the lighting features. I'll have to keep those in mind. I'm surprised to see you have a GP9 Black Widow "Torpedo Boat", it's all good.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. The GP9 is a model of 5623, the one that's preserved on the Niles Canyon Railway. Thanks for watching!

[@RonMontagueSWRR]

Great reviews. I also model SP mid 80s to prior of the merger. I just purchased the newly released Athearn C50-9 in Kodachrome with sound. I kinda regret getting sound because I only wanted the light features. Overall it is a good model including the sound features.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. I don't have any of the SP versions with sound, but I did get a Genesis UP caboose with sound because that's what they had in the store I went to. I'm going to be reviewing it soon. I'm not sure what I think of the sound yet, but I do like the lights. Thanks for watching!

[@ApproachDiverging013]

Nice review, you are pretty tough with the coupler height as it looked like one of the ends of one of the models you review looked fairly even but you still docked points. SP cabooses are still common in the Bay Area as there are still long sections of industries along the SF Peninsula (Redwood City and San Jose) that are long shoving moves. I know the old Broadway Local required a caboose for their moves to the old Port of Redwood City because it was a 2 mile long shove to the cement facility. They currently use an old DRGW wide vision caboose and it is tied down in South San Francisco during the daytime.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. I'll have to look for some of those cabooses next time I get up that way. I used to stop in South San Francisco sometimes to see what was parked in the yard. It's cool that they're still using some of them. Thanks for watching!

[@chuckythedoll4815]

I'd pay a bit more and get the athearn genesis models with dcc/lights.

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's nice that Athearn offers them with the lights installed. I have several of my own and I bought all but one with DCC already installed. Thanks for watching!

[@user-er3kv7qk8c]

Great review Dan, I have a few of these SP Cabooses and they are absolutely awesome. How is your train room progressing, I am sure it will be amazing, have you got any bench work built yet ? Barry from NZ

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. I haven't gotten to benchwork yet. I'm still putting up wall board, but I am making progress. Thanks for watching!

[@StationaryDingleberry]

Thanks for posting! How can Athearn not have QC in place to catch coupler heights???

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. Coupler height is the most common thing that most manufacturers get wrong, so Athearn isn't alone. I'm not sure why it's so difficult, but the majority of the models I review have coupler height issues. Thanks for watching!

[@robingagnon9659]

I have a couple of these nice models :) did you know that Rapido will eventually make the C-40-3 Steel Caboose?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. Yes, I have one of the Rapido cars on pre-order. I'll be reviewing it when it arrives. Thanks for watching!

[@danielfantino1714]

I´m not a bay window fan at all. But those are quite yummys😊

[@DanielCortopassi]

They are nice. I just picked up a couple more for myself from Athearn's current run. Thanks for watching!

[@riogrande5761]

Ever been tempted to backdate to caboose era Dan? ;-)

[@DanielCortopassi]

Not completely, though I do like cabooses on the end of trains. I have more of them than a 1990s modeler probably needs, but I'm a big fan of modeler's license. I've built too many 1990s era SP engines to really consider changing. Thanks for watching!

[@rjohnson1690]

@@DanielCortopassi Cabooses are still pretty common on the UP and BNSF. I think your yard jobs deserve to have a nice safe shoving platform. I’ve had plenty of trains with an old caboose twenty cars from the rear pretending to be a boxcar. If one models an area with a lot of snow, crews are deadheaded in “polar express” cabooses rather than risk the crew vans on icy roads. There is more than enough reasons for someone modeling the non caboose era to have a rickety old caboose on their layout.

[@riogrande5761]

@@DanielCortopassi Yeah, investment and inertia can make it harder to change or backdate. I had a lot of rolling stock good for late 80's and up to about 1993, but I just couldn't like running trains without cabooses. Even today, when I see a train, it's anticlimactic when the end of train rolls by. But I'm guessing I'm older than you so cabooses are more strongly imprinted on my mind! Anyway, due to this I did decide to back date by about 10 years, going from a cut-off of 1993 to about 1983, but can realistically say 1985 because that is the year D&RGW stopped using cabooses on most mainline trains. Backdating did mean selling off a lot of rolling stock, maybe 1/3rd, because I still had a lot of rolling stock that lasted until mid-1990's but were perfect for late 70 and 80's. It's an individual choice for sure. One reason I enjoy train video's of the Museum layout in San Diego is they run a lot of period correct trains for earlier era's like 60's 70's and 80's, and naturally on a beautiful set in southern California. Now if only someone would offer video's based on Donner Pass with similar era trains!

[@danielfantino1714]

​@@DanielCortopassiDan it´s your dream world. We have plenty daily obligation with what to do or not. Play with your trains, forgot date obligation. Who will know it ? Only you. Even big railroads cheat from time to time with steam engine on their track and freaking ancestors paint scheme named Heritage unit. Feel free of be in 1980 with a SDMAC if you want. It´s YOUR world. No one will beat you if you put loaded chemical tank cars just behind your engine. No one will call FRA or NTSB if you derail. Imagination is a wide open door.😊

[@davidwallace6877]

yes i got #1 in lompoc ca 😎😎 and yes i got the The first bay window sp by Athearn

[@DanielCortopassi]

Great catch! I never saw SP 1 in person, but I do remember the bay window cars. Thanks for watching!

[@jimmyseaver3647]

Huh, curious to know that the prototypes for these cabeese were built not far from where I live.

[@DanielCortopassi]

From what I read, when ICC was merged into PACCAR, they kept building cabooses in the same plant. Anyway, I hope you liked the review. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelsmith441]

Think Rapidos release will be better 👌

[@riogrande5761]

Rapido won't be offering the same cabooses. Apples and oranges.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have one of the Rapido cabooses on pre-order, and I'll be reviewing that when it arrives. As someone else commented, it is a model of a different caboose. Thanks for watching!

[@riogrande5761]

@@DanielCortopassi Rapido's SP caboose is prototypical but I don't think I've ever seen one in person, only photos. I've got so much rolling stock i'm literally finding it hard to find places to store it without getting more storage shelves and putting them under the layout now. So I'm finding it easier and easier to resist buying rolling stock which is "peripheral" to my needs. I'm sure it will be nice. Heck, I'm an SP fan and have 10 Genesis and 4 Intermountain SP bay window cabooses. I can realistically use maybe half of them at most, so I'll probably be selling some in the coming months.

[@chrisdaniell2990]

How would you eliminate the body wobble?

[@robertglietz7178]

Normally you just tighten one truck screw so it can swivel horizontally, but has no vertical play in it. Leave the other truck screw alone.

[@DanielCortopassi]

These cars are tricky because the trucks are wired and can't be easily removed. Like a lot of models, they have a stud that sticks down through the hole in the truck that's a little too long to allow the screw to clamp down on the truck. Because the trucks can't be easily removed, my usual method of using a file to shorten the stud wouldn't work. I didn't do anything to the cars I borrowed, but I had one of my own with the same issue. I ended up removing the screw and using a small drill bit held in my fingers to gently shave the stud a little. Then I was able to replace the screw and tighten it enough to keep the truck from wobbling. Thanks for watching!

[@JimmySpears-xv7bg]

Does anyone make a m5 or m6 caboose for the SCL or Seaboard System?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm sorry I can't really help with that one. I'm not sure about that. If someone else knows, please leave a comment. Thanks for watching!

[@markfrench8892]

$99.00 for a Fn' cabooses that's not even new other then the DCC.Can you say price gouging?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I know price can be a sensitive subject. For myself I don't think these are that bad considering the detail level and working lights. Thanks for watching!

[@nathanburke1224]

Naw man, i cant justify these Lionel prices.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Fair enough. Thanks for watching!

[@Espeemodeler]

- Arbitrarily slaps EVERY model in a review over coupler height - Glows about “Spot on” markings that are completely blown on EVERY Genesis C-50-9 model (and it is the most significant graphics, nothing nitpicky). I’m gonna remove 25 spikes and give this review a yellow signal.

[@DanielCortopassi]

The coupler height is not arbitrary. It either matches the Kadee gauge or it doesn't. Pretty straightforward. I'm not seeing what's wrong with the markings on the C-50-9 cars. I compared the model to a lot of photos and it looks pretty darned close. Thanks for watching!

[@Espeemodeler]

@@DanielCortopassi even in real life, coupler height has variance, and re: Genesis C-50-9s: the Southern Pacific sits too high and uses a font that is too small to match the proto - an issue that has been raised by other modelers and has to be rectified via microscale.