FUNDIMENSIONS HOBBY TRANSFORMER 4065 WINDOWS
The coupla windows were the hardest to cut out where the top and bottom edges are curved and the windows should plum. After the supplies arrived, I decided to do the entire caboose out of styrene. I ended up going the styrene route, and also ordered a bunch of detail parts as well, such as nut-bolt- washer combinations introduced to me from Malcome (Brother love on OGR). With the caboose already looking like Swiss cheese, I contemplated getting another kit to replace it, or ordering styrene and attempting to start over. As I started to assemble it, I realized I miss measured the caboose sides. Then, after applying the sanding sealer and sanding several times with steel wool, I was ready to assemble the kit so it’s roof was also removable. In attempt to match the picture I manage to cut windows out to match the picture and I also cut down door size. Along with this I seemed to find allot of exceptions to the plan sets when looking at the picture included with it. In researching it, I had no idea there were so many different window arrangements. When starting the kit, I followed the directions and cut out the windows and then noticed the picture included with it didn’t match plan sets with regards to window arrangements. In May, I decided to start on the Northern Pacific kit next. With out confidence to paint this yet, I moved on to the next kit. I recently had several bad experiences with paint when working with my son on his rocket kits. At the time, I wasn’t planning on doing anything with the interior and got about 90% complete and was not ready to commit to painting it. I had a lot of issue gluing the white metal pieces in place. There were allot of compromises with the undercarriage detail to allow these track the clearance they needed. I made good progress on this for a while, and besides the modifications so the roof would be removable, basically built it to the plan set except modifications to allow the atlas three rail truck bolsters to more closely hug the under carriage.
![fundimensions hobby transformer 4065 fundimensions hobby transformer 4065](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1260/4747/products/20121219-081956-C1-Trainz-3425462-07_grande.jpg)
The kit was a craftsmen kit, not designed to have inside access to the interior when complete, so I started down the path where the top would be assembled separately to help with windows later on.
![fundimensions hobby transformer 4065 fundimensions hobby transformer 4065](https://hobby.uk.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/265x/aa3b0f049e82e9c7bbaca44dff1a2d5c/3/2/320905.jpg)
With a lack of options to satisfy the train fix, I decided to start the NKP caboose in April. The painting is fantastic on this model of his! What a beautiful model! What a great inspiration to get started on my caboose kits, but just never did. In July of 19’, I ended up getting a DMIR caboose from Malcome (Brother Love on OGR) shown below. These three kits from the 70’s (?) sat in their boxes for a while. All of these kits were designed to be 2 rail, with no windows or trucks included. The bug bit me again in May ‘19 for another caboose kit, a C&O wood sheathed caboose from Quality Craft.
![fundimensions hobby transformer 4065 fundimensions hobby transformer 4065](https://trainz.co/robophoto/2012/12/19/20121219-081950-C1-Trainz-3425462-00.jpg)
![fundimensions hobby transformer 4065 fundimensions hobby transformer 4065](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-OEAAOSwEWNgDJ-L/s-l300.jpg)
A few weeks later, I became interested in a steam era Northern Pacific caboose, with none available except brass models at about $400, and I ran across another caboose kit on the bay for the Northern Pacific kit, Ambroid O-13. I found a great deal for a kit on the bay, Ambroid NKP plate caboose, O-10, which I had no business buying with no NKP engines on my roster at the time. I had never built any actual trains for the layout and wanted to explore this. In April ‘19, I thought how cool it would be to graduate from building the layout to building rolling stock.