Wabash Cabooses For West Detroit Branch

My project for October is to build up some caboose models for use on the West Detroit Branch.  The Wabash purchased a group of cabooses from the N&W in 1938 and placed them in the series 2655 to 2679.  They were used on local freights across the system and were frequently found in the Detroit area.  In the late 1940's they were rebuilt into transfer cabooses by removing the cupola, many had the side sheathing replaced with plywood.

 

I use styrene to create masters for the car.  On the bottom is a standard carbody, cupola end, end wall, end sill and roof braces.  Middle, is the under frame and the tool cellar.  On the top is a version of the plywood sided rebuild.  The plywood rebuilds varied primarily in the windows.  This version has an enlarged window, others have the normal size window but the trim varies.  I am in the process of creating patterns for these as well.  A few of the transfer caboose rebuilds retained the original car siding and are easily create by cutting off the cupola from the original car side.

 

These are the molds created from the patterns.  I use Smooth On Mold Max 20.

First set of parts pulled from the molds.  They are cast in Smooth On Task 4 resin.  

Here is the finished car body before painting.  Next into the paint shop. 

This is the painted and lettered model. 

Meet on the West Detroit Branch

A K-2 was assigned to the transfer run between Oakwood yard and the interchange with the NYC and GTW at West Detroit.  This is an unusual event as the transfers are usually handled by eight coupled switchers.  A class B-7 switcher waits in the hole and after the passage of the transfer it will continue to work the local industries. 

The K-2 is a modified BLI light Mikado, the B-7 is a Hallmark import from the late 1970's.  The B-7 is the latest model off my work bench.  It has a WOW4 decoder, a KeepAlive unit, and LED lighting in the engine and tender.

Modeling Milwaukee In The 1890's

On the corner of Cherry St, Commerce St and 2nd St was a hexagonal grade crossing tower.  I have scratch built a couple of these in the past but chose to use a Walthers kit for this project.  I did add interior detailing to the second story.  Also on this corner was the milling building for the Phoenix Flour Mill.  I constructed the model using two photos and the Sanborn foot print.  The windows and fire escapes are manufactured by Titchy.  The brick walls are etched basswood from Monster Modelworks.

Milwaukee Public Library

To add visual interest to the structure I offset the loading bay back from the mill tower and added a covered loading dock to the model.  At the time of the above photo the structure was considered a derelict building and it was torn down in the next two years.

 

Next to the flour mill was its associated elevator.  It was connected to the mill by a bridge.  The  interior of the model is made from foam core and is sheathed in Campbell's corrugated sheathing.

Milwaukee Public Library

                          

This is a view down Commerce St. and shows the elevator in the late 1940's.  The building next to the elevator is the former Eagle Flour Mill, at the time of the photo it was being used as a general warehouse for Pabst brewing.

This is my interpretation of the Eagle Flour Mill, my primary references were the above photo and Sanborn map data.  I have added signage indicating that the current occupant is a wholesale grocer.  A careful study of the prototype photo shows that the building was occupied by Armour & Co at some point in its existence.

Milwaukee Public Library

This photo looks southeast across the team track area.  In the back are the chimneys of the power plant.  North of the power plant is the Milwaukee Grain and Feed Company.  The Sanborn map does not show a building named for this company.  There is however a small milling company shown in that location and I used its dimensions to construct the following model.

Monster Modelworks brick materials were used to build the walls.  As would be expected all brick buildings have been finished to represent "Cream City" brick as it was the common building brick used in Milwaukee in the 19th century.   

 

Wabash 46611

The first of many cars being built for my "Detroit 1953" switching layout.  This is a Speedwitch kit representing one of the series of single sheathed automobile cars built in 1926 for the Wabash.   

Overhead view showing my interpretation of a weathered galvanized roof.