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High Speed - 423 - Caboose, Cupola, Steel - Southern Pacific - 1064

8 of these are for sale right now on marketplaces, with a low price of: $8.00$8.00 (8)8 of these are for sale right now on marketplaces, with a low price of: $8.00
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22  of these sold for an average price of: 8.098.0922 of these sold for an average price of: 8.09
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Collectors value this item at an average of 9.999.99Collectors value this item at an average of 9.99
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N Scale - High Speed - 423 - Caboose, Cupola, Steel - Southern Pacific - 1064
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Stock Number423
BrandHigh Speed
ManufacturerHigh Speed
Body StyleHigh Speed Rear Cupola Caboose
Image Provider's WebsiteLink
Prototype VehicleCaboose, Cupola, Steel (Details)
Road or Company NameSouthern Pacific (Details)
Reporting MarksSP
Road or Reporting Number1064
Paint Color(s)Silver
Print Color(s)Black, Red
Additional Markings/SloganRadio Equipped
Coupler TypeRapido Hook
Wheel TypeInjection Molded Plastic
Wheel ProfileDeep Flange
Item CategoryRolling Stock (Freight)
Model TypeCaboose
Model SubtypeCupola
Model VarietyEnd
Prototype RegionNorth America
Prototype EraNA Era III: Transition (1939 - 1957)
Scale1/160



Prototype History:
The origins of the railroad caboose appear to date back to the 1840s when Nat Williams, a conductor of the Auburn & Syracuse Railroad (a later affiliate of the New York Central) became fed up with cramped and uncomfortable quarters to do paperwork (a common job of the conductor, whose responsibility is general oversight and control of a train, passenger or freight), which was usually done in either a free space of a passenger car or combine/baggage car. To fix this problem, Williams found an unused boxcar and using a simple box and barrel, as a seat and desk, set up shop in the car to do his duties. Not only did he find out he had plenty of room to work but also figured that he could use the unused space to store tools (flags, lanterns, spare parts, etc.) and other essentials to have on board whenever needed (such things become commonly stored on the caboose).

Perhaps the most striking feature ever applied to the railroad caboose was its cupola. According to the story, conductor T.B. Watson of the Chicago & North Western in the 1860s reportedly used a hole in a boxcar’s roof (which he was using as a caboose) to get a better vantage point of the train ahead. It is said that Watson was amazed by the view afforded from the position being able to not only see the train ahead but also from all sides, and to the rear as well. He apparently convinced C&NW shop forces to construct a type of open observation box onto an existing singe-level caboose with windows all around where one could sit and view their surroundings. The rest, as they say, is history and the common cupola was born.

Steel Cabooses replaced their wood-sheathed brethren after the second world war when the steel glut made the production and maintenance of steel cabooses far more efficient than wooden models. With the advancement of the End-of-Train device, cabooses slowly began to fall out of favor. However, in the early 2000’s, “shoving platforms” began to appear as a place to safely house a crew when a reverse move was required. Instead of riding on the side of a freight car, the crew member now has a safe place to stand, while guiding the rear of a reverse move.
Road Name History:
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company (reporting mark SP), earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually called the Southern Pacific or (from the railroad's initials) Espee, was an American Class I railroad. It was absorbed in 1988 by the company that controlled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and eight years later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the Central Pacific Railroad by lease. By 1900 the Southern Pacific Company was a major railroad system incorporating many smaller companies, such as the Texas and New Orleans Railroad and Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad. It extended from New Orleans through Texas to El Paso, across New Mexico and through Tucson, to Los Angeles, through most of California, including San Francisco and Sacramento. Central Pacific lines extended east across Nevada to Ogden, Utah, and reached north through Oregon to Portland. Other subsidiaries eventually included the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt), the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at 328 miles (528 km), the 1,331 miles (2,142 km) Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico, and a variety of 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge routes.

In 1929 SP/T&NO operated 13848 route-miles not including Cotton Belt, whose purchase of the Golden State Route circa 1980 nearly doubled its size to 3,085 miles (4,965 km), bringing total SP/SSW mileage to around 13,508 miles (21,739 km).

By the 1980s route mileage had dropped to 10,423 miles (16,774 km), mainly due to the pruning of branch lines. In 1988 the Southern Pacific was taken over by D&RGW parent Rio Grande Industries. The combined railroad kept the Southern Pacific name due to its brand recognition in the railroad industry and with customers of both constituent railroads. Along with the addition of the SPCSL Corporation route from Chicago to St. Louis, the total length of the D&RGW/SP/SSW system was 15,959 miles (25,684 km).

By 1996 years of financial problems had dropped SP's mileage to 13,715 miles (22,072 km), and it was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad.

Read more on Wikipedia.
Brand/Importer Information:
High Speed Metal Products is a Hong Kong based toy manufacturer, who runs a line of to scale car models. To my knowledge, they produced some N scale cars and locos as static displays, being marketed through various sources. They are not a regular producer of N scale model railroading equipment. They produced cheap N scale train set for Reader's Digest. High Speed, or High Speed Metal Products, N scale engines and cars are made for static display. Their trucks and couplers are not suitable for running on a layout. The engines are dummies.
Manufacturer Information: Produced cheap N scale set for Reader's Digest.
Item created by: bluedragon0 on 2017-11-24 16:09:28. Last edited by gdm on 2020-07-24 07:29:15

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