my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Cotton Belt Caboose

Class C-40-8

Wide-Vision type

SSW #1-25

25 units delivered

see the C-40-8 Photo Collection for more photos.

This was the first order of two from International Car Co. received by Cotton Belt for Wide-Vision cabooses. The first order was numbered 1 to 25 and delivered in 1959.

These were the first steel caboose bought by Cotton Belt, and were supplied by International as SP wasn't buying any cabooses at the time, and Cotton Belt had always gone their own way whenever possible.

In 1968 #1 to #25 were reclassified by SP as C-40-8.

The C-40-8's were delivered painted overall red with yellow handrails and grabs. These cars had galvanized steel roofs (may explain the white or gray look in some photo's). In the book "Cabins, Crummies & Hacks Vol. 4, (pages 68-70) from H&M Productions, it is interesting that #45 has trucks, underframe, stepwells and end railings in freight car red...meanwhile #40 has frame, stepwells and end railings in bright red, trucks are black. Lettering is white on both. It's possible some received black roofs, though most had the unpainted steel roofs (weathered they look grayish).

By 1981 all remaining caboose had been repainted to standard SP colors, #19 had been previously retired.

Details:

• the side sill extensions are slightly different patterns
• the brakestand on the C-40-8's was more vertical type,
• the C-40-8's had Stanray diagonal panel roofs,
• evidently very few lost their roofwalks and/or ladders,
• Marker lights were initially 'Frog-eyes' mounted in the center of the cupola roof, later some, all? received 'Bug-eye' markers
• the C-40-8's had Hyatt roller-bearing equipped trucks,

References:

• Model Railroader Jun. 1974 Page 35 - International Car Co. - WV caboose Plans, inc. interior plans/drawings
• RailModel Journal Oct. 1995 Page 27 - International Car WV Caboose article, SSW photograph, and detail differences to model SSW unit from Atlas.
• "Cabins, Crummies & Hacks" Vol. 4, (pages 68-70) from H&M Productions

For available models and decals see the Cotton Belt Model Listing.

Additional Information on this page supplied by Rob Sarberenyi.