Bob's caboose build

[bobhenry]

I've been lurking for some time, and finally joined so I could comment on this build. I love all the ideas you've been posting here and other threads for space saving ideas, etc. And I'm especially interested in your caboose build since I recently bought a 1974 Semaphore Caboose TT that needs a complete rebuild. IF I can even get it home, that is, it's in very poor condition!

So first welcome to the forum ! I am glad I shoved you over the edge to join us crazies. Now to be a bit more demanding where are you and where are the pictures.

Just kidding !

As to the Semaphore you have a piece of history there. I am in hopes you can be as kind as possible to it. It just takes love in many cases and if the worst is the case take a lot of pictures and measurments and try to keep the rebuild as true as possible to the original.


OR BE LIKE ME

I had no plans no model just a stupid idea and went bravely along just winging it. I have stalled a bit with the cold weather but still put in 4 -6 hours a week working on it.

If I may suggest, check the bearing where it sets if possible and then it should be safe to tow. If you have seen the very first pictures of my donor frame with the disasteriously damaged body still on the frame, I towed it ,as was, a mile or two hoping parts that were flopping around would stay in place so I know exactly where you are.

Good luck in the rebuild ! I am as interested in your efforts as you are in mine, so please share a bunch of pictures with all of us.

And again welcome to the forum !

[night*sky]

Thanks for the welcome, Bob. I'm really excited about the Semaphore, and want to definitely keep it as original as possible on the outside. I haven't decided anything about the interior yet. The first challenge will be getting it home. I was up there yesterday looking at it, it's much worse than I thought. The previous owner had put "new" used tires on it when I bought it since it still had the original rubber from 1974 under it. 2 of the tires are low on air. One axle dust cover is missing so it's not going anywhere without new bearings. I'm trying to find someone who will drive out there and do it. The tongue jack is frozen and needs to be replaced. There are NO safety chains on it, and I can't see where any were ever attached. The running lights don't work. (Figured they wouldn't since the connector is rotted and the wires are crackly brittle.) May be able to borrow a remote set of towing lights to get it home. No clue if the brakes work, I'm guessing they're frozen like everything else, so they will need to be replaced as well. Bathroom window is slightly open and won't crank shut, duct tape should "fix" that for the trip. I got most of the loose siding screwed back on, although in lots of places the wood frame at the base is completely rotted away so there wasn't anything to screw into. According to the email I have from a guy who worked at the factory there is a steel and aluminum frame so hopefully the whole thing doesn't fly apart on the road.
Can't find a serial or VIN number on it anywhere, even took the wire brush to the tongue in the hopes it was buried under the paint but no joy. I've got the bill of sale, and the plates off my other camper that's now consigned at the local RV dealership. If the lights are working and nothing flies off I should be able to sneak home with it that way, and worry about getting a title and valid plates later on.

I'm about an hour southeast of Nashville, the Semaphore is 3 hours north of here at Kentucky Lake. Just talked to a fellow who may be able to get a one-ton truck and a construction trailer that we could winch the caboose onto and haul it home. Here's a couple pics of the exterior taken a month ago when i first bought it.

[bobhenry]

It really doesn't look to bad in the pics. However, it looks as if the running gear has sunk a foot in the mud. Curiously my 20 ft camper trailer had no safety chains either. I had a set welded on when we added the rear observation platform. Before you give up on the jack cut a foot or so of a small innertube and band clamp it on near the top of the jack and fill it with transmission fluid even better penetrating oil . It might take a couple of soakings but I bet it will do the trick. I am also betting there is a marina right there at Kentucky Lake that is looking for some work in their off season. I am sure that they would be glad to pack the bearings. You are gonna have to have it done anyway so why not now. The lights are a 20 minute problem to temporary them by stringing new 4 strand trailer wire thru the inside and clip on a 4 way flat in the front and crimp the wires to the existing tail lights in the rear. With a 1 ton tow vehicle I am sure it can be safely towed without brakes if it is driven sensibly. Perhaps the marina could get the brakes in order also. All in all it looks kinda familiar and it was a sweet find in my book. I am curious about the length and width inside and interior layout hope to see some more pics soon

Congratz Bob

[night*sky]

It's not sunk in the dirt, it seriously rides VERY low, plus the leaves on the ground are about 6" deep. (The tires on the left side were flat when the photo was taken, that doesn't help. lol) I've only measured the outside length, it's 26' from the front of the hitch to the rear of the platform on the back. I have some pics of the interior, but I don't want to clutter up your thread, so I'll start my own.

[WhitneyK]

Wow Night Sky I didn't even know those things existed!!! What a find!!
It's probably amazing the different types of little campers drug into the woods around large lakes like KY lake.
Get that camera goin', we wanna see it!

There you go Bob, now that's some inspiration for ya!

[night*sky]

There were only about 800 of them made, and from what I can tell there are just a handful still in existence, so I was really thrilled to find it! I had already been following Bob's build (and a bunch of others on here as well) but was actually looking for a canned ham or an old Airstream when I came across this one.

[mezmo]

Hi Bob,

[I posted this in night*sky's thread too.]

I came across this today on the tinyhouseblog.com .

http://tinyhouseblog.com/sips/great-ideas/#more-25823

About halfway down is a yellow caboose style Tiny house.
It looks like a nice build. The ladder bars in the last pic are
a nice touch and they look to be functional too.

They use SIPs in their build which I think is a good idea. Check
out this website, a very different approach to SIPs.

http://www.raycore.com/index.php

Oddly, though, their web site: http://maximusextreme.com/ ,
doesn't have any pics of it, those're just on the tinyhouseblog
posting, as far as I can tell.

'Thought it might be inspirational for you.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[pjo129]

No Monday update? What's up?

[bobhenry]

No Monday update? What's up?

Sorry Pete I snuck it in on another thread


Whatcha do on your build today?
by bobhenry » Tue Dec 04, 2012 12:51 pm

Sunday was clean up and shovel out day as my garbage guy arrives Monday AM

So I emptied the trash off of the floor of the caboose. It filled a 30 gallon tote full of blue small styrofoam chunks and skinny rippings. So the construction trash went it to the curb.

Had a bunch of running to do so Sunday was a very short work day on the caboose.

Monday right after work I took the better part of an hour sorting thru the scrap foam pile here at work and fired up the big table saw to cut 40 - 45 sheets of 21 1/2" wide by 1" thick blue foam for the ceiling of the caboose. Loaded the truck bed full and cinched it all down for the 25 miles home.

After arriving at 5:30 in the almost darkness I see that the 40 MPH winds has managed to get under the rubber roof on the cupalo and depost one of the cinderblocks that was on the roof holding down a corner off the roof onto the ground. Didn't even look to see if the rubber roofing is ripped I just went inside the trailer and fired up the CD player and started stuffing more ,cut to fit, insulation sheets into the walls.

Tonight (TUES) , Upon arriving home I had to know so I climbed up and realigned the rubber roof on the cupalo luckily no damage to the rubber roofing. I started installing the new sheets of 21 1/2" I cut monday evening into the ceiling cavities.

I'm getting real tired of looking at blue foam !

[bobhenry]

Here is part of what Mezmo found ......

[bobhenry]

Well its Monday again and I am sad to report that I had a house full of guest and got damn little done but measuring and doodling. I did some new ideas for the bath area in the rear of the caboose. Here are a couple doodles to help explain.



The bath area will have a sliding archway pocket door.The open archway simply slides behnd the tub and is replaced with a solid panel stored on the potty side.

My big old cast iron clawfoot tub will be installed despite the weight and size it simply fits my big butt and I love soaking in it. To reclaim the acerage it will take up It will have a wall mounted shelf equiped with my ferris wheel type self leveling shelves for storage when the cabinet is in the up position you have access to the tub when it is down it is a very spacious desk. I am looking at installing a pair of small windows right behind the cabinet so when it is up position for bathing it is private but when at the desk working there is good natural lighting available.

I am also thinking about movable wall type storage to also hide the RV style potty that will be installed at a 45 degree angle in the bottom left corner of the drawing. It could move out when needed and move to the wall when not and hide the throne.

( ANY IDEAS ARE WELCOMED )

[luneywan]

I would definitely put curtains on those desk windows. It would be a downright pain to have to put away your deskwork everytime someone had to tinkle.

I like the idea. This is the first usable idea I've seen for a multi-use bathroom.

[S. Heisley]

Bob, They make fiberglass bathtubs that could fit you and weigh a lot less than iron. They call them "Garden" bathtubs. (I have no idea why....I wouldn't take a bath in the garden.) At the widest part of the inside of the oval shape, the tub part is 33" wide by 53" long. From the outside, the measurements are roughly 40x58" but, being fiberglass, you could probably trim some of the excess off. If you could find a display model somewhere, maybe you could sit in it and see how that feels to you.

[night*sky]

Love the tub/desk idea! Very creative use of space!

[Wobbly Wheels]

Bob - as far as shelves go: boat hardware is mounted like that all the time. After seeing how resourceful you are at scrounging, I'm sure you could scare up some nice brass gimbals (though bolts ought to work just as well).
Even galley stoves in sailboats do that so the stove top stays level.

Per Sharon's suggestion, as I read your post I thought about using the tub as a female mold the pull a fiberglass version (since you like the shape of that particular tub so much). Lighter weight and effectively the same tub...but of course it all depends on how comfortable you are with glassing.