I always have projects of varying difficulty in progress, and recently completed this simple one — which took several years to complete.

Of course, the model is a Scale-Craft caboose. I painted it back a few years ago when you could still get Testors brown spray paint, and at some point, looking at decals, decided that I probably could use these vintage Champion decals produced when they were in Cleveland. The envelope shows how these were marketed as HO-OO decals. The set when it got to me was already partially used, but enough was there that I could approximate the lettering of a (toy train) caboose I found online, seen also in the photo.

I don’t model the PRR, so I mostly wanted to do the car justice and make use of the decals. I think it came out pretty well! The decals are old, but they did not require that much special care at all, other than a bit longer soak. The white is crisper than I imagined, and overall the car looks like something someone could have done around 1950, not like something I just did.

I have a supply of Champion decals that I will keep trying to make use of as often as I can. The final photo is the car on the layout. It looks sharp, a nice glimpse of model railroading from the past.

Curious about that Ford car? More here.