Caboose or no Caboose

[Gloriousnse]

Some of the ones i've seen images of used a heavyweight combine as a caboose, if that helps?

Examples:
http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=92371
http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=11445

Those are both N&W - but the same method was used elsewhere also, I know of Santa Fe and SP&S (and even BN!) using combines similarly.

[BrianMoore]

I run a mixed train on my SP 1954-era layout, based on a prototype that eludes me at the moment, but I only have a combine alone at the end of the train, and not also a caboose, as the combine has the office for the conductor to do his paperwork and keep all the stuff that a caboose would do on a freight train. It doesn't make sense to have both. On UP mixed trains of that era too, I again believe that only a combine on its own was used.

If the train was solely a passenger train, there would already be an office compartment/space for the conductor to keep his orders and equipment. Unless you can find specific proof for the railroad you are modelling, I'd suggest not using a caboose too, unless you see pictures etc.

[Gloriousnse]

The only exception I can think of coming across (which is not to say that no other variations exist!) is i've read articles where the advertised passenger accomodation turned out be be a seat in the caboose - but in modelling terms that would look just like a freight train so probably not a lot of help!

[BrianMoore]

The only exception I can think of coming across (which is not to say that no other variations exist!) is i've read articles where the advertised passenger accomodation turned out be be a seat in the caboose - but in modelling terms that would look just like a freight train so probably not a lot of help!

In that case, the passenger car would have been removed, and that's where the conductor would probably previously have been based!