Piko 38995 G - CNJ Service Car

American caboose model in Central Railroad of New Jersey colours

A model of the American caboose number 59828 in Central Railroad of New Jersey colours — the railroad known as the Jersey Central, which for over a century carried Pennsylvania anthracite to the ports on the Hudson. The caboose was attached to the rear of a freight train as the office and quarters of the train crew.

The model stands out for careful paintwork, precise lettering and robust construction suited to year-round operation on a garden layout. The distinctive outline with its roof cupola makes the car instantly recognisable and a natural finish to an American freight formation.

Model specifications:

• Scale: G (garden railway, 45 mm track gauge)
• Catalogue number: 38995
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 286 mm
• Minimum radius: 600 mm
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Please note: this model is not a starter set — a locomotive and powered track are required.

The wagon model does not include track, a locomotive or a controller. To put it into service you need powered track and a locomotive — analogue or digital. The wagon itself has no drive or electronics, so it behaves the same way on analogue DC track as in a digitally controlled DCC layout.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

The digital DCC control system allows several locomotives to run independently on the same track. Each vehicle receives individual commands while the rail voltage stays constant, which makes realistic operation possible and allows the lights and sound effects of every locomotive to be controlled separately. In an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit are controlled at once by varying the supply voltage. PIKO model 38995 is an unpowered wagon without electronics, so it can be marshalled into trains hauled in either analogue or digital operation.

About the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the caboose:

The predecessor of the Central Railroad of New Jersey was incorporated in 1831 and the line opened in 1836; the name Central Railroad Company of New Jersey was adopted in 1849. Anthracite haulage from Pennsylvania was the basis of its revenue, and the Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City, with its ferries to Manhattan, became the railroad's calling card. It was commonly known as the Jersey Central, and its trademark was the Statue of Liberty.

The railroad went through several bankruptcies; the Jersey City terminal closed in 1967, operations in Pennsylvania ended in 1972, and freight traffic was taken over by Conrail on 1 April 1976.

The caboose is a service car attached to the rear of an American freight train. It was the conductor’s office and living quarters as well as a lookout — from the roof cupola or the side bay window the crew watched the train for shifting loads and hot journal boxes. Typical equipment included the conductor’s desk, a cast iron stove for heating and cooking, bunks, oil lamps and red marker lamps. Until the 1980s the caboose was required by regulation in the United States; it was replaced by end-of-train devices and lineside defect detectors.

Prototype data:

• Railroad: Central Railroad of New Jersey (USA), 1849–1976
• Vehicle type: caboose — service car at the rear of a freight train
• Road number of the modelled car: 59828
• Construction: wooden body with roof cupola
• Role: working and living space for the train crew

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German manufacturer of model railways with more than seventy years of tradition, founded in 1949 in Sonneberg. Today it is one of the most popular model railway brands in Europe and a leading producer of Polish prototype models, including locomotives and coaches in PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo colours. The range covers H0, TT, N and G scales, from individual wagons to comprehensive starter sets and digital control systems. The PIKO Expert range combines a high level of detail with modern digital technology — with factory-fitted DCC and sound decoders in selected models. PIKO products are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide.