Tangent HO Southern (SOU) Road Service “1976 Repaint” 1979+ Era Southern Railway Gantt Manufacturing Company Bay Window Caboose #X444

Product: Southern Railway Gantt Manufacturing Company Bay Window Caboose
Scale: HO Scale 1:87.1
Truck: All-New 70-Ton Barber Roller Bearing Caboose Trucks w/ ‘Safety Electrical’ brand axle mounted generator
Wheels: CNC-machined standard RP25 .110” tread 33” wheels
DC/DCC Lighting Features: Interior Lighting and FRA End Lights with a Proper SOU “Solid On” (i.e. no flash)
Eras: 1979-2017
– Southern Railway (SOU) Road Service “1976 Repaint 1979+ Era” w/ FRA End Light & Interior Lights gives modelers a neat era-appropriate repaint scheme. This group of cabooses is pulled from the Gantt Feb-Jun 1970 build group of Southern prototypes. The cabooses were originally equipped with running boards, but are long gone by the time of this repaint date and era. The prototypes were repainted in 1976 by Southern’s Hayne Shops in Spartanburg, SC. This Tangent model picks up with these prototype cabooses in 1979. So what does all of this mean? The models feature a repaint version of the Southern red scheme, have roof walkway brackets on the roof, and are equipped with red end lights. This is a detail configuration that would run from 1979 to the Norfolk Southern merger and then into the 1990s serving out their years as the last cabooses in revenue service on Norfolk Southern. Up on the roof, you can spot the previously mentioned walkway brackets. Take a close look and notice the bolt holes in each one! The smokejack has been replaced in this era, with a distinctive flaring style. The ends have been modified. Notice the centered, lower round reflective end paddle is gone, and replaced with a red FRA marker light. This light is “solid on,” i.e. it doesn’t flash, matching Southern Railway practice. The underframe features things like a red-painted air reservoir and ABD valve, accurate for Southern painting practices. For lighting, this Tangent SOU model is equipped with “golden” interior lights and FRA red end lights. A wand is included to operate the lights – easy with no fuss! We are offering our Southern Railway Road Service “1976 Repaint 1979+ Era” scheme in 8 numbers. Each car number features accurate Hayne Car shop repaint date stencils and related month and day data in the COTS stencils. The car numbers and data move to match photos. Appropriate stepwell safety slogans are also applied for the 1979 timeframe.

SKUs -01, -02 are 9-76 repaints in the 1979 Era “Aware-Alert Arrive Unhurt”
SKUs -03, -04 are 4-76 repaints in the 1979 Era “Dismount At Safe Speed”
SKUs -05, -06 are 3-76 repaints in the 1979 Era “Get a Good Grip On Safety”
SKUs -07, -08 are 11-76 repaints in the 1979 Era “Take Care Not Chances”
Variety is a wonderful thing!