my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Cotton Belt Caboose

Class C-40-9

Wide-Vision type

SSW #26-45

20 units delivered

These were the second order of Wide Vision cabooses Cotton Belt received from International Car Co. Numbered 26 to 45 and delivered in 1963, these were also painted the same as the C-40-8's, ie. bright red.

In 1968 they were reclassified by SP as C-40-9 for #26 to #45.

Texts say that; By 1981 all remaining caboose had been repainted to standard SP colors. However, #32 seems to have slipped by... and #33 at Railroad Park Resort in Dunsmuir, CA. and #37 in private ownership in Temple, TX are still painted red

Details:

• the side sill extensions are slightly different patterns
• the brakestand on the C-40-9's was an offset style,
• the C-40-9's had an overhanging diagonal panel roof
• evidently very few lost their roofwalks and/or ladders, #39, #40 and #45 did for sure,
• Marker lights were initially 'Frog-eyes' mounted in the center of the cupola roof, later some, all? received 'Bug-eye' markers
• the C-40-9's had Timken 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.

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