So, I'm looking for a RTR CRI&P caboose to add to my stable and weather it. I've found Athearn cabooses that I would like to get, but are largely unavailable except for one supplier and I am unsure as to how reliable they are.

The cabooses I've found that are from the era I am aiming at (1955) are:

ATH74313 - RI 17601
ATH74314 - RI 17605
ATH74341 - RI 17603

One of my hobby goals the last couple years has been to get busy weathering my rolling stock.  I've barely scratched the surface toward that end, but finally knocked out a few examples over this long holiday weekend.  Since my favorite medium for rolling stock weathering is PanPastels, I thought I'd start a blog post to document these weathering efforts and hopefully encourage others to try the product.  They're the fastest, easiest method of weathering I've found, and while they're just one tool in our weathering arsenal for more in-depth projects, even b