Kit No. 891 New York Central Standard Short Wood Caboose – Like its more famous and similar appearing cousin, the 19000 series wood caboose, the New York Central’s standard short wood caboose also displays that distinctive low cupola so associated with this iconic railroad, but was four-feet shorter in length and equipped with only two side widows. Referred to as a “standard” for the NYC and sprinkled throughout the 18000 series, these cars were actually a compilation of inherited Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Cabooses. Originally constructed during the turn of the 20^th century, the 26-foot long wooden cars were rebuilt following the LS&MS and New York Central & Hudson River Railroad merger of 1914. These cabooses were updated with common features such as window arrangement, steel underframes, and low cupolas with wrap-around roof walks, but, as different company shops were involved, subtle variations resulted. Most noticeably, these include the side window placement at the A end of the carbody (the HO kit displays the most common arrangement based on photographic research), end ladder style, and roofwalk design.

The former LS&MS cabooses entered the 18000-18649 series after NYC’s system-wide renumbering in 1936 and eventually received further upgrades, such as safety appliances and AB style brake gear. The exact number of cars that survived to this point is not known, but a number of the prototypes that have been documented in the company archives were still on the roster into the 1960s. With the arrival of NYC’s new all-steel transfer cabooses and their assignment to the 18000 series, any standard short wood cabooses not previously retired would have been renumbered into the 17000 series.

American Model Builders’ newest HO scale laser-cut wood caboose craftsman kit captures the many nuances of NYC’s standard short caboose and is sure to please the most finicky of NYC aficionados. Kit No. 891 features 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, and brake wheels, cast resin platform steps and AB style brake gear, white metal smokejack, injection molded turnbuckles, custom decals by Tichy Train Group, fully illustrated instructions that provide information on painting and decaling the assembled model, and several fixtures to aid the modeler in creating all the handholds, ladders and truss rods appropriate for the prototype. In addition, the HO scale kit provides for optional details too such as square or rounded body corner posts, side windows that can be modeled open or closed, two different styles of end ladders and roofwalks, cupola end window variation, and a complete set of screen doors and windows. Trucks and couplers are not included.