The Rapido Trains HO Scale Northeastern-Style Steel Caboose is based on cars originally designed by the Reading Company in the early 1920s. This all-steel caboose was based on a proposed design by the USRA, which originally specified wood sheathing. The Reading built 285 cars, spread through several classes. The earliest cars had solid underframes while later cars were equipped with Duryea cushion underframes. This design was so successful that other roads took note such as; the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lehigh & New England, Lehigh Valley, Pittsburg & West Virginia and the Western Maryland. Production was spread out between the Reading and the purchasing roads, which meant variations were bound to be made to the original design. Different groups of cars were equipped with different trucks, running boards, steps, grabs and end wall windows (or lack thereof). Many of these cabooses were used. By Conrail and Chessie in regular service until the end of mandatory caboose operations. Some would continue in local and work train service while many were sold second-hand to other railroads - Class Is and shortlines alike! Others are enjoying their retirements on tourists roads, museums or even as part of hotels! And, in the 2020s, a handful are still part of work train consists. Northeastern-Style Steel Cabooses are accurately scaled from prototype blueprints and feature fully detailed underframes including bolsters, piping and equipment and appropriate trucks. The cars are accurately decorated with multiple roadnumbers. The cars come equipped with Rapido semi-scale metal knuckle couplers. The Northeastern-Style Caboose is part of the line of Rapido Trains HO Scale freight cars.