Looking to recreate the busy world of Chicago's belt railroads — those low-profile but essential lines that shuttled cars from one side of the city to the other? Bowser's N9 class transfer caboose, in 1970s Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) colors, is exactly the piece you need. Short and stripped to the bone, this type of caboose was built for one job: hopping cars from yard to yard across town — precisely the IHB's daily bread. The flashing FRA end markers add a welcome touch of life to the rear of your trains.
Bowser here recreates a prototype rooted in Chicago railroad history: a major terminal carrier controlled 60% by the New York Central for most of its life, the IHB transferred blocks of cars between connections on both sides of the city. NYC/PC built about twenty of these transfer cabooses for the IHB in the late 1960s and early 1970s, originally in Century green paint — the scheme these cabooses still wore through the 1970s, before the orange schemes adopted in 1983. As spartan as the prototype (no cupola, no bay window, often no electricity), this caboose perfectly captures urban transfer service. The Indiana Harbor Belt livery will especially appeal to customers modeling the Chicago region. Ready to run and finely detailed, this model brings your trains the realism Bowser is known for.
Features:
- HO scale (1:87)
- N9 class transfer caboose
- Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) livery, 1970s era
- Flashing FRA end marker lights
- Ready-to-run (RTR)
- Prototype-faithful molded details (no roofwalks or ladders, per the N9)
- Factory-mounted magnetic knuckle couplers
- Free-rolling trucks with metal wheels
- Ideal for yard-to-yard transfer moves, Chicago region
Looking to recreate the busy world of Chicago's belt railroads — those low-profile but essential lines that shuttled cars from one side of the city to the other? Bowser's N9 class transfer caboose, in 1970s Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) colors, is exactly the piece you need. Short and stripped to the bone, this type of caboose was built for one job: hopping cars from yard to yard across town — precisely the IHB's daily bread. The flashing FRA end markers add a welcome touch of life to the rear of your trains.
Bowser here recreates a prototype rooted in Chicago railroad history: a major terminal carrier controlled 60% by the New York Central for most of its life, the IHB transferred blocks of cars between connections on both sides of the city. NYC/PC built about twenty of these transfer cabooses for the IHB in the late 1960s and early 1970s, originally in Century green paint — the scheme these cabooses still wore through the 1970s, before the orange schemes adopted in 1983. As spartan as the prototype (no cupola, no bay window, often no electricity), this caboose perfectly captures urban transfer service. The Indiana Harbor Belt livery will especially appeal to customers modeling the Chicago region. Ready to run and finely detailed, this model brings your trains the realism Bowser is known for.
Features:
- HO scale (1:87)
- N9 class transfer caboose
- Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) livery, 1970s era
- Flashing FRA end marker lights
- Ready-to-run (RTR)
- Prototype-faithful molded details (no roofwalks or ladders, per the N9)
- Factory-mounted magnetic knuckle couplers
- Free-rolling trucks with metal wheels
- Ideal for yard-to-yard transfer moves, Chicago region