I just picked up a Bev-Bel MDC painted B & M caboose. It has Boston & Maine spelled out in gold letters and is numbered C-21. I need to paint the underside and want to confirm that the underside should be black along with the railings and roof. If I'm wrong can someone let me know the correct paint scheme for this caboose. Thanks.

Marc,

The MDC Caboose model does not replicate any caboose which the B&M owned. If you want a B&M N5b, I advise you to buy an undecorated one from Bowser: - undecorated because Bowser's "Minuteman" buggy is painted incorrectly.

B&M's N5b were assembled in the Concord Shops in 1932. Their original numbers were #100700-100724. In 1942-43, the 24 survivors (#10707 had been wrecked in 1936) were renumbered into the C11-C34 series - C21 was originally numbered #104711.

Until the McGinnis blue scheme was adopted after 1956, all of B&M's buggies had tuscan or boxcar red sides; bright red ends; a black asphaltum roof, black underbodies, silver smoke jack. Prior to 1946, the safety railings were painted black - afterwards yellow.

Between 1932 and the application of the Minuteman Herald starting in the Fall of 1946, each buggy was lettered "B&M" in an imitation gold which was more yellow than gold. The Minuteman herald replaced the "B&M" lettering in either white or imitation gold.

An exception to this paint scheme was C-29 in the 1950's which was all boxcar red with white Minuteman herald and number. Bowser's paint scheme replicates this, but the car number will have to bev changed from C34 to C29.

Tim Gilbert