Caboose Ground Throw Mod

The Caboose 202S Ground Throw

This is made for HO track but works fine for On30. In fact while (IMO) oversized for HO it is pretty close to prototype size for On30. I don’t care for the giant holes in the flanges for screws and I also don’t need the bit of the throw-bar on the right.

Modifying the throw

I cut through the flange just behind the hole. I actually would have preferred a bit more flange and would have cut through the center of the hole but the throw is made from Delrin (or something similar) and trying to fill the bit of hole left over sucks greatly.

I cut through the throw bar where shown – that bit will extend to the outside and is not used. That leaves the shorter throw-bar with the hole in the end which I will make use of.

That done I made a simple jig from some scrap polystyrene to drill two holes – 0.024″ dia .. to fit some map pins. These pins will act as anchor bolts. (you need to make sure that you use a drill that is appropriate for the pin you use .. they ARE different after all.)

Test Fit the Ground Throw

Here, the modified ground throw is test fitted. Really .. just a photo op for this article. I painted it with Ceramcoat® Red Iron Oxide acrylic .. mostly so it will show up in the photo. Once in place I will weather it darker with weathering powder.

Drill anchor holes

As I said, the throw will be secured to the wooden dowel with steel pins – replicating in miniature anchor bolts. That will secure the throw VERY well. When doing this I messed up my first ground throw .. recycled from another place and with gunk in the working parts. When i went to pull the pins it was more like pulling teeth!

The throw is put in position on the ties and the holes in the flange act as guides for the drill bit.

Anchor Bolts

Once the super glue set up I snipped off the pins so they extended just a bit above the flange. This would simulate the tops of the anchor bolts.
I used Vector Cut 2mm Washers & Nuts to finish off the anchor bolts. These are laser cut from .014″ laser card. Vector Cut closed shop since. *sigh*

Fini

Finally … some black weathering powder on the throw bar and a blackened piece of a paper clip and I am going to call this finished.

No .. this wasn’t a major work .. or masterful project. Just something really simple. The point being, IMO, that you don’t have to throw money at the layout .. sometimes by concentrating on a small area you can enjoy the process at little cost other than time spent.

• Track

[siblings]