Between 1914 and 1924, the Norfolk & Western’s East End Shops constructed 381 wood sided cabooses that would become known as the CF class. Numbered 518000 - 518380, the N&W cars featured a steel underframe, canvas covered roof, and wood roofwalks. Each car side displayed two main windows with an additional small window on the toilet side – this would become the standard look of most N&W cabooses through the C31P class. Our kit represents the as-built caboose with the option of modeling the car with either the original canvas covered roof or the metal roofing the prototype received in later years.

Kit No. 552 features: 100% laser-cut components with custom laser-scribed Birch plywood side, end walls, and cupola; Tab & Slot carbody construction; Peel & Stick window, door, and trim assembly; laser-cut underframe, end platforms, ladders, end railing, hand grabs, toilet hopper, window glazing, tool box, and brake wheels; cast resin platform steps and brake gear; plastic smokejack; and fully illustrated instructions that provide information on painting and decaling the assembled model.

We recommend the purchase of Micro-Trains No.1015-1 Universal Body Mount Couplers, Atlas No. 22061 Friction Bearing Caboose Trucks, and Microscale decal sheet No. 60-482 for the completion of this kit. Paint suggestions: Floquil, Polly S, or Model Master Caboose Red and Engine Black. Glue suggestions: Elmers white or yellow glue and a thick Cyanoacrylate Adhesive ("Super Glue").