Rapido is excited to offer SP’s iconic C-40-3 caboose, including several of the unique paint schemes and car variations that occurred over its long 40+ year service life. Starting in 1940, Southern Pacific’s Los Angeles General Shops constructed 185 C-40-3 cabooses, numbered SP 1050-1234. Additionally, subsidiary Texas & New Orleans received 30 C-40-3s, numbered 400-429. 

Beginning in the mid-50s, C-40-3’s went through an initial modernization - train radios were added, marker lamps were replaced with “frogeye” electric marker lights on the roof, the roofwalk on the cupola was removed, wind-wings were added to the cupola’s side windows, and a tool box was replaced with a battery box.

By the 1960s, C-40-3s began to appear more in local service, and gradually most cars had some windows blanked out and/or window screens added. In the mid-70s, the green and red “frog light” markers were replaced with a single red light, due to an FRA safety mandate. Certain cars had roofwalks removed and end ladders cut down, while others kept roofwalks until retirement. Overall, the C-40-3 caboose fleet enjoyed a long career with theSP, with many cars remaining in service into the mid-1980s. Overall, the C-40-3 caboose fleet enjoyed a long career with theSP, with many cars remaining in service into the mid-1980s.

The Rapido Trains HO scale SP C-40-3 Caboose features:

• Multiple window styles based on the era
  
• Multiple roofwalk configurations based on the era
  
• Working roof marker lights where appropriate
  
• Full, painted interior
  
• Operating interior lights
  
• Multiple optional parts based on era
  
• Full underframe details
  
• Factory-installed semi-scale couplers