Both drover caboose kits features 100% laser-cut components with custom laser-scribed side and end walls, Tab & Slot and Peel & Stick construction, laser-cut underframe, end platforms, ladders, end railing, roof vents, cupola hand grabs, toolbox, brake stand and brake wheels as appropriate for version, cast resin platform steps, white metal smokejacks, color window shades, 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 and ladders appropriate for the prototype. We recommend the purchase of Oddball Decal’s set No. 87-284, Tahoe Model Works’ No. 105 or 205 Barber-Bettendorf Swing Motion Caboose Trucks, and Kadee No. 5 couplers with draft gear boxes for completing our drover cabooses. 

_{RAIL-MARINE SERIES}

NYC Harbor Barge Decal Set

Deck Scow

The Deck Scow was the Rail-Marine equivalent of the railroad flat car. Many of the United States' "Eastern" railroads maintained huge "railroad navies". The NYC, PRR, LV, CNJ, Erie, DL&W, NH and others all had a variety of craft on their rosters, everything from Railroad Harbor Tugboats, to Stick Lighters, Scows, Floating Livestock "Yards" , Station Floats, Car Floats, and Ferries, among others, too numerous to mention here. 

Many of these barges roamed the Northern East Coast, from Maine, southward to the Carolinas, all carrying railroad freight. The primary concentration of activity ranged from Portland, Maine to Philadelphia, with the largest operation centered around New York City. Railroad tugs pushed, pulled, and maneuvered all these craft between the piers of New York and New Jersey. The historical records of tonnage moved by the rail-marine craft is astonishing. In most cases, this tonnage was called lighterage by the rail-marine folks. Lighterage was, simply put, just about anything the railroad navies hauled from one freight dock to another. Many times barges and stick lighters were towed to tie up alongside ocean going ships in order to load the lighterage on board, often as the ship was imminently ready to sail. Anything one can imagine was transported this way from the mid 1800s to the 1960s. 

The inspiration for our line of rail-marine kits was a two part article, written by Don Spiro, that appeared in the December 2002 and January 2003 issues of Railroad Model Craftsman. 

Our latest addition to the Rail-Marine Series features 100% laser-cut materials, uses Tab & Slot and Peel & Stick technology for ease of assembly, and includes cast resin and white metal detail parts. As per the prototype, this HO scale barge's water line hull displays both sheer and camber as well as laser-scribed plywood decking. The assembled model measures 14" long x 4.25" wide x 2" tall.  

HO Kit #8002 Deck Scow MSRP...$74.95.

_{DETAIL PARTS, PASSENGER CAR SIDES, & LOADS}

_{HO Scale Pickle Car Conversion Kit}

While the Pickle Car Conversion Kit has been designed to compliment our popular HO scale Pickle Works Kit No. 725, the completed car makes for an interesting member of any freight consist too from the steam era through the early 1960s. In fact, photographic evidence proves a few of the privately owned, similar appearing, steel constructed super structure wood vat cars were still being used into the 1970s.

Designed to fit a 40 foot flatcar, we've found the Athearn and Tichy models, in particular, work the best for the conversion. The Athearn car will require the removal of the existing brake stand, but the included laser-cut deck and brake gear will work equally well on both brands of flatcar. Although most of the open vat cars we researched displayed smooth side sills, we left the molded-in stake pockets in place on our sample Athearn based car pictured below while the Tichy flatcar kit offers the option to leave the stake pockets off. Custom decals, produced by Rail Graphics, are included as well and provide numbers for five different pickle cars under the ownership of G. R. Dill & Sons (G.R.D.X.).

HO Kit No. 391 Pickle Car Conversion
Available now MSRP ...$37.95

_{Real Wood Storage Vats}

Includes four covered and one open Vat. Laser scribed and cut from Birch plyood and basswood. Open Vat includes simulated brine insert as found at Pickle Salting Stations. Each Vat measures 1.125" in diameter x 1" high (ladder shown not included).