I spent a few hours last night focusing on buffer stops and a caboose for Emerald Night. Here's what I came up with for the caboose... Several of the ideas are based on an image found on Google Images. From the looks of the image, it came from someone selling instructions for this build. So if you happen to sell instructions for a caboose that looks amazingly similar to that in this image - rest assured - I have not purchased your instructions -> now making them available here... And you can see by what's posted here, most of the ideas for this build come straight from the official Emerald Night set itself. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought this caboose -was- from an official set :)

The only difference in the two cars has to do with the black circular object on the roof. Would someone with knowledge of what this is please be so kind as to enlighten me/us? Thanks!

LEGO Digital Designer File (.lxf)

Enjoy ~ Perry

Very nicely done. It fits the carriage style well.

Very nicely done. It fits the carriage style well.

Did any Brit or other Euro trains ever really have cabooses? How about just a really cool small powered red flashing light on the end of the last fine EN coach? I do love the design, though...

Omg thats awesome! I want

Did any Brit or other Euro trains ever really have cabooses? How about just a really cool small powered red flashing light on the end of the last fine EN coach? I do love the design, though...

I was thinking about that too...

But the design is really perfect =]

How about just a really cool small powered red flashing light on the end of the last fine EN coach?

That would be original, a LEGO F.R.E.D. (Flashing Rear End Device)

Edited December 14, 201113 yr by kyphur

Nice design, Perry.

The black things on the roof are air vents.

Did any Brit or other Euro trains ever really have cabooses?

Not in the UK where brake vans were used instead but they did have them on Canadian railways which also ran some British locomotives and carriages. That's the reasoning I use when my EN is hauling a caboose.

:classic:

Edited December 14, 201113 yr by AussieJimbo

Did any Brit or other Euro trains ever really have cabooses? How about just a really cool small powered red flashing light on the end of the last fine EN coach? I do love the design, though...

No, never. The caboose is an entirely US invention. We had guard/brake vans instead. Most UK bridges are too low to allow something as tall as a caboose and imagine how much larger tunnels would have to be built. But I don't think locos as late as the one the EN is modelled on would need a brake van anyway.

Sorry - I meant to say something in the original post that my current knowledge of trains is next to nill. I did enough research on the Emerald Night to know that it's based on the Flying Scotsman (UK), however since this is going to be running laps in front of a US window - and both my nieces and nephews happen to be from the US ... I'd have real hell to pay if they didn't get a Caboose

One thing I've been wondering though ... the color scheme used for Emerald Night ... is that common for Flying Scotsmans?? The reason I ask is because I came across a few images of what I believe are SR V Schools class engines with a color scheme very similar to the E.N. Here's one example:

And a very important question just occurred to me... In UK cinema... when the hero of the film is super late getting to the station... because the love of his life has just boarded a train... a train that's never coming back... our hero - he has yet to let his love know that she is THE ONLY person on the face of the planet wonderful enough to make him complete... only the train has already began its departure... of course... without a caboose... What the hell is he suppose to jump onto at the end of the train??!!!?? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

Edited December 14, 201113 yr by PerryMakes

And a very important question just occurred to me... In UK cinema... when the hero of the film is super late getting to the station... because the love of his life has just boarded a train... a train that's never coming back... our hero - he has yet to let his love know that she is THE ONLY person on the face of the planet wonderful enough to make him complete... only the train has already began its departure... of course... without a caboose... What the hell is he suppose to jump onto at the end of the train??!!!?? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

He jumps on the observation deck of the last car!

By the way, passenger trains in Canada and the US never had cabooses as the train personnel was able to get to the end of the train through the cars. Cabooses allowed someone to be at the end of a freight train to make sure everything was fine (he would mostly be on the lookout for hotboxes (defective journal bearings) and acciudental uncouplings. Today, they have been replaced with the FRED that also includes some monitoring equipement and a transmission link to the locomotive. The change from journal bearings to roller bearings has eliminated hotboxes, the other reason for cabooses.

That being said, I still think you have a neat caboose. And you are free to run your train as you see fit.

Dan-147

I don't remember seeing a caboose like that on British passenger trains. When I was younger they used to have brake vans, that were the same length and general design as a normal carriage, but only half of its length was seated. The other half had a little room for the guard, sort of lie a small office. Then the rest of the carriage was for putting things like pushbikes and bulky stuff in.

I remember once having to take my motorcycle to a dealer in another town to get it fixed and having to manhandle it up a foot or so from a low platform into one of these carriages, it was a very tight fit to go in the door. Then it was a real hassle at the other end and guard was complaining that it was all taking too long and making them behind schedule.

I have not even seen one of those type of carriages for donkeys years now?

We did used to have cabooses (Guards vans.) on freight trains that seemed to come in either long and grey or stumpy and brown if I remember correctly. Most of the ones around where I lived seemed to be the long grey variety with only the occasional stumpy brown one. These stumpy brown ones were similar to the one you have made, but they did not have windows in the sides.

As for the EN colours, on the Southern railways we had green engines and rolling stock, although I think, (And memory maybe playing tricks on me.) if I recall correctly they were more of the normal green colour than dark green. I am pretty sure the GWS engines were darker though but then a lot just got painted black when BR took them over, but some just went rusty!

Anyway, the one you have made matches well with the coach for the EN, so if the chidren will be happy with it that is good enough. I hope they enjoy your efforts anyway and it should look good. Is it going to run around a Christmas tree in the window?

Is it going to run around a Christmas tree in the window?

Close... it will be circling a "leg lamp" I got my father for Christmas a while back. Most people have seen "A Christmas Story" so you probably know what I'm talking about!

My folks have a fairly large bay window in the front of their house. My mom usually fills it with Christmas'y stuff right after Thanksgiving, but nearly approaching my 1 year mark out from the dark ages, I thought it would be loads of fun to fill it with a few of my favorite sets (so far). So we've got your expected Winter Village trio, the Medieval Market Village buildings & tree that have been "winterized", and the latest train station - winterized & decorated to reflect the holidays. Oh ... and the leg lamp :)

As I mentioned above, Technic and NXT were my main focus prior to getting involved with trains - due to most of the dynamic elements found in earlier LEGO train systems either being removed or having become manually controlled, I find the combination of these two LEGO Themes a nice match. I've built little "tool houses" onto my crossover pieces to control track switching. I'm now in the process of using the NXT sensors to detect the trains' positions to automate most of that switching. Anything I come up with will, of course, be shared with this group ... I've found this place to be a tremendous resource that has saved countless hours and who knows how many pre-mature grey hairs!

Keep on truckin' ~ Perry

P.S. - I discovered something a few days ago I'd like to share with those who aren't aware of... those small windows in E.N. (BrickLink Part# 60032) are available in at least one other set that has not yet been inventoried by the major online sites... 4637 Safari Building Set. It comes with two of them in tan - no transparent window - but it does have the two holes to accept it. BrickLink only has one of these for sale, but I found a ton of them available at the several B&M Toys"R"Us stores in my area. If you're interested in getting this set, but can't find it locally, get in touch with me and perhaps we can work something out. Cheers.

P.S.S. - I wonder if aging minifigs no longer get grey hairs ... but now bley hairs instead?? Hrmm....

As I mentioned above, Technic and NXT were my main focus prior to getting involved with trains - due to most of the dynamic elements found in earlier LEGO train systems either being removed or having become manually controlled, I find the combination of these two LEGO Themes a nice match. I've built little "tool houses" onto my crossover pieces to control track switching. I'm now in the process of using the NXT sensors to detect the trains' positions to automate most of that switching. Anything I come up with will, of course, be shared with this group ... I've found this place to be a tremendous resource that has saved countless hours and who knows how many pre-mature grey hairs!

I've been working on NXT control of trains too. Have a look at this video to see what I had working six months ago. I'm using reed switches built into 2 x 4 plates to detect the train and an IRLink with amplifiers built by a friend. I've got points control cracked now and am going to extend the setup to several little shuttle trains apparently doing their own thing. I'm just hampered by not being able have a permanent layout....

Nice little caboose ...it will fits perfectly with your Emerald Night!