New York Central Pacemaker Boxcars

[crblue]

I may have purchased a Bachmann Hudson, and consequently, a Tangent NYC caboose for it, for my mostly Pennsy layout. The ill-fated merger is starting early in this house  

I need something for it to pull.

I figured a string of Pacemaker boxcars would look sharp, but I can't find them anywhere. Checking ebay, it looks like there's some Athearn Blue Box, Mantua, and Walthers (in kit form), but that's all. Digging through my collection, I have a Bachmann one too. All of these are 30 year old, and lacking in fine any details.

It looks like Intermountain may have made one at some point, or not. It's intermountain, so who knows.

Bowser has 3 road numbers coming out in "Late 2023", but I can't figure out from photos if it's 70's era tooling with molded on ladders.

Has anyone made a more recent model, or can point me in a better direction?

[edwardsutorik]

Trix:


www.walthers.com/trix-american-single-door-boxcar-w-rp-25-wheels-new-york-central-quot-pacemaker-quot-empty

Besides that one, numbered 174020, they also did a three pack (Trix part number 24907) that had 174198, 174076, 174111. Might be others. I do wonder if they did a 20 pack, like they did for UP boxcars. I couldn't find evidence for one.


They also did a classic NYC caboose:





Ed

[wagnersteve]

12/10/23, about 3 pm, EST

Ed, good suggestions.

crblue, bear in mind that the original Pacemaker Service cars were used to take LCL shipments gathering along NYC or affiliated lines to a central location in, I think, Utica, NY, where they were redistributed to cars going to other locations on the NYC System. This operation was similar to the PRR's Merchandise Service and other such LCL services on the B&O, MP and several other major railroad systems. That hasn't stopped me from acquiring a number of attractive LCL boxcars from lines whose cars were unlikely to reach northeastern portions of upstate New York where my model railroad is supposedly set. Many railroad-owned express cars traveled more widely across the nation.

I have one of the Trix classic NYC cabooses, which needs to have its stack shortened per a feature in MR years ago. Much of the main line NYC trackage, especially south and east of Albany, had very limited overhead clearances.

The couplers on my caboose, not as good looking as the one in the photo, need to be somehow replaced, as with a few other Trix freight cars I have.

[Mr. Trainiac]

I would be tempted to custom paint a train. The Bowser model is the only upcoming Pacemaker car, so if you want a different brand, you will be limited to finding the cars piecemeal on ebay or at train shows, and who knows how long that will take. Even then, if you want to stick to one manufacturer, you will have to reletter the cars if you want more than three or four.

Intermountain or Kadee PS-1 boxcar kits have separate ladders and grab irons like you are looking for. Intermountain cars are around 15 or 20 bucks each on eBay, and with some paint and decals, you can still be price-competitive with other RTR cars like Bowser or Walthers Mainline.

[wagnersteve]

12/10/23, about 3:20 p.m., EST

crblue, another boxcar used by the NYC and its subsidiaries you might consider is the fairly low 40' steel type with dimensions similar to the PRR's X29s. Broadway limited made good models of these. I have one each of their versions of boxcar red cars as follows: with Dreadnaught ends, NYC itself: with Murphy ends, Boston & Albany and Peoria & Eastern. BLI may also have done one lettered for the CCC&StL (the Big Four), which I don't have. I believe the models have the side sills as originally built, not reinforced as those on many of the cars were by the 1940s or 1950s. Not many, if any, were still in revenue service in the 1960s. Many later "house cars" (boxcars and reefers) built for the NYC and affiliated lines, plus some others, had distinctive ends and roofs named after the Despatch car shops (owned by the NYC) in East Rochester, NY, where they were built. Someone used to sell parts for those, some of which I'd like to use on models I have.

[schroed2]

Intermountain did these schemes really

www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/hoboxcars.htm

in the section called

"10 Foot Inside Height Post War Boxcars"

and to my considerable surprise, these boxcars (actually the complete section) was quite accurate...😀

[wagnersteve]

12/20/23, about 4 p.m., EST

The PRR X-29 cars and similar ones had 8'9" interior height. The cars schroed2 posted about are much later, being a variant on the ultra-familiar 1937 AAR design. I have at least one of those that InterMountain properly painted for the D&H, which didn't get any other AAR 1937 design 40-footers, at least not new. The NYC cars I posted about that BLI has made are closer to the height of the X-29s. I don't know whether any of them were assigned to Pacemaker service.

[tom]

Just keep in mind that NYC Hudsons very rarely pulled freight trains and the Pacemaker cars were just freight cars. Passenger trains were what the Hudsons really pulled. Except for publicity photos the Pacemaker cars were found in regular freight trains and not in solid consists.

[edwardsutorik]

Dec 10, 2023 13:45:08 GMT -8 tom said:

Except for publicity photos the Pacemaker cars were found in regular freight trains and not in solid consists.

Here's a photo:





"The Boston–Albany section of New York Central’s Pacemaker train for express freight service pauses at Worcester, Mass., to pick up cars in August 1949. The distinctive vermillion-and-gray boxcars were for on-line use only.
Philip R. Hastings photo"


Here's a comment on the subject by Andy Sperandeo:


"Hello,

The original Pacemaker freight service consisted of LCL merchandise trains NB-1 and BN-2 between New York City and Buffalo. Inaugurated in july 1946, these trains were run as solid consists of the 1,000 specially-equipped red-and-gray Pacemaker cars whenever possible (70 cars or less per train, of course!). This was done to take advantage of the AB-1-B brake equipment installed on these cars, which allowed faster emergency brake applications at high speed.

Steam power was originally used west of Harmon, N.Y., with electric and tri-power locomotives doing the job on the electrified New York City terminal lines. By May 1948, the Pacemakers were dieselized outside the electrified territory.

West of Buffalo, the cars could move in other symbol freights, although in August 1949 the schedule of westbound NB-1 was extended to Collinwood (Cleveland.) Meanwhile symbols BB-1 and BB-2 had been added as Pacemaker trains between Boston and Buffalo in April 1949.

The Pacemakers were successful, but became less of a premier service when the New York Central instituted its system-wide Early Bird merchandise service at the end of 1954. The introduction of Flexi-Vans in 1957 really put an end to the Pacemakers, as these intermodal vehicles were aimed at the same LCL traffic that the Pacemakers had carried. The Pacemaker boxcars were repainted freight car brown and faded ino the Central fleet.

A detailed account of the Pacemaker freight trains was published in the First Quarter 1992 edition of the NYC Historical Society's magazine, the Central Headlight. The back issue is available from the society at www.nycshs.org.

So long,

Andy"



Ed

[wagnersteve]

12/10/23, a little after 6 p.m., EST, anticipating a light supper in a few minutes after a huge brunch earlier

Ed, excellent information!

Note that "vermillion" is a term used loosely for some very different colors. The Pacemaker version was, I'm quite sure, until it sometimes faded, much closer to the very bright red the Great Northern used on many freight cars than to the basically orange color used on locos by Chessie System along with dark bluer and bright yellow.

I really liked the NYC's "Early Bird" emblem and have at least one boxcar and one reefer sporting it.

I put labels indicating the years on which liveries were applied to cars on the ends of the individual boxes in which I keep them that will help me create reasonably plausible combinations of cars on my layout.

[edwardsutorik]

Great Northern red WAS vermilion. And it was so called.


Ed

[tom]

I guess I was wrong on the Pacemaker boxcars running in solid consists. NYC had a lot of LCL business for a while. That would have been a site to see those trains.

[wagnersteve]

10/23/23, about7 p.m.

I tried to post this earlier but was called to supper and then, when finished with that, accidentally erased that. Started again, but then washed our dishes.

Ed, excellent and useful information. Tom, yes, Hudsons were normally passenger locos; and the Central probably arranged for more publicity photos than many railroads did.

Note that "vermillion" is a term rather loosely applied to some colors. The Pacemaker version of it was, I'm sure, originally much closer to the bright red that the Great Northern Railway (of the US) used on many boxcars than to the really orange color that the Chessie System used along with dark blue and bright yellow on its diesels. The bright red on some Pacemaker boxcars and trailers that weren't repainted a plainer cover ultimately faded.

I really liked the circular "Early Bird" emblem with the railroader bird checking his watch that the Central used for a while; I have at least HO two reefers and a boxcar that sport it.

I put labels indicating the year cars got repainted on the ends of the individual boxes in which I keep my cars, which will enable me to use ones of similar "vintage" together on my small layout.

[crblue]

Wow guys, this is some fantastic information!

I'm not too terribly concerned about the accuracy of a Hudson pulling it, since it will look good.

I'm glad to know that the Intermountain cars are out there, somewhere. I will keep an eye out for them, and the Trix ones also.

And as much as I'd like to paint a set, I think with an entire train of identical cars it would be too hard to make them exact. And even if the real ones weren't exact, it would look wrong to me with slight variations. Like I said before, this isn't about being prototypical, this is just about looking awesome 

[edwardsutorik]

I suggest that awesomeness will be served by running cars all done by the same manufacturer, so's the paints match. I do think you could run just a few, as apparently there were some feeder routes. I'd go with 4-6, and then make the rest of the train up out of cars that look like they belong. I wouldn't be shocked to see them combined with some express cars and/or some baggage cars. Walthers did some very nice NYC troop sleeper conversions:










Yup, them're all different.

It's a thought.......



Ed

[Baikal]

Dec 10, 2023 15:26:20 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Great Northern red WAS vermilion. And it was so called.


Ed

Vermillion's common definition is a type of red-orange.  I'm thinking similar to SLSF's "mandarin orange" or maybe more reddish like CN's 1960's color.

Wasn't the color GN used a real red, despite the RR calling it "vermillion"?  More like the reds used by ATSF, MKT, CB&Q, SP 'scarlet', SAL switchers, RI e'70s, SOO, GB&W, KCS '60s, orig NS?

[dti406]

The color of Red used on the Pacemaker boxcars was known as Pacemaker Red and the gray was Pacemaker Gray, which were available from Scalecoat.

In addition, the 1000 cars from Lot 737 were 10' inside height cars with postwar ends versus the ends on the 1937 AAR boxcars. The 25 cars from Pullman Standard were factory paint jobs and these were experimental cars with cushion underframes which were sent to various roads in small lots for testing.

In addition there were 200 cars pulled from lot 773 which were given the Pacemaker slogan but left in their normal boxcar red paint and these were 10'6" inside height cars of the 1944 AAR design. I painted up a couple to add some variety to the consist.



There were also some Pacemaker cabooses painted up, my pictures are not too good so I won't post them. Also the initial trains were hauled by Class L-3 or L-4 Mohawks.

Rick Jesionowski

[edwardsutorik]

Dec 10, 2023 19:10:01 GMT -8 Baikal said:

Dec 10, 2023 15:26:20 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

Great Northern red WAS vermilion. And it was so called.


Ed

Vermillion's common definition is a type of red-orange.

I think the common definition is wrong.

I've squoze out paint from tubes of vermilion, and I don't see any orange there. And those tubes match the GN color quite nicely.

GN's vermilion may well match other railroad reds. Back in the day, it was recommended to use Floquil SP scarlet for GN vermilion.

Q's Chinese red may well be a match for GN vermilion. Interestingly, Rapido chose to call GN vermilion "Chinese red" when they announced their GN 40' boxcars.

Vermilion is a great color, especially freshly applied to very large objects.


Ed

[edwardsutorik]

There were also a few Pacemaker PS-1 boxcars--40, I think.

C'mon Kadee!!!!!!



Ed

[dti406]

Dec 10, 2023 20:23:46 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

There were also a few Pacemaker PS-1 boxcars--40, I think.

C'mon Kadee!!!!!!



Ed

Did not have 40 only 25, and don't know if Kadee will make them as they had an experimental cushion underframe.

Rick Jesionowski

[schroed2]

Dec 10, 2023 20:56:37 GMT -8 dti406 said:

Dec 10, 2023 20:23:46 GMT -8 edwardsutorik said:

There were also a few Pacemaker PS-1 boxcars--40, I think.

C'mon Kadee!!!!!!



Ed

Did not have 40 only 25, and don't know if Kadee will make them as they had an experimental cushion underframe.

Rick Jesionowski

so far, Kadee has not done any of the 40' PS-1 boxcars with cushion underframe.

After a look at their underframe design, I can understand that.

[lvrr325]

At some point just about everyone has done a Pacemaker box car. Athearn metal, Athearn plastic, MDC, Walthers kit, Walthers RTR, Varney, Trix, Bowser, etc. Would be shocked if Accurail has not done them. It will take a little time but if you want a full train of them you should be able to round up a set.

The Athearn car can be found with multiple numbers, and MDC did a limited edition 12 pack. They still turn up. I had a pair of Walthers mainline RTR cars that sold pretty quick, they can't be too old as they were the blue box current releases come in.

Bowser's 40' box car is the PRR round roof car with a conventional top, and it has molded ladders and roofwalks. One of the few cars that's more of a low end model. But even that tooling is like 25-30 years old now.

Oh, and the Pacemaker caboose has been offered too. AHM or someone, on a Santa Fe style model, but what the heck

[dti406]

Dec 10, 2023 23:42:46 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

At some point just about everyone has done a Pacemaker box car. Athearn metal, Athearn plastic, MDC, Walthers kit, Walthers RTR, Varney, Trix, Bowser, etc. Would be shocked if Accurail has not done them. It will take a little time but if you want a full train of them you should be able to round up a set.

The Athearn car can be found with multiple numbers, and MDC did a limited edition 12 pack. They still turn up. I had a pair of Walthers mainline RTR cars that sold pretty quick, they can't be too old as they were the blue box current releases come in.

Bowser's 40' box car is the PRR round roof car with a conventional top, and it has molded ladders and roofwalks. One of the few cars that's more of a low end model. But even that tooling is like 25-30 years old now.

Oh, and the Pacemaker caboose has been offered too. AHM or someone, on a Santa Fe style model, but what the heck

Well, the only correct cars are the Intermountain 10' inside height cars with the correct ends, most of all the others are foobies as I have never seen the Trix kit, but it is not mentioned on the Canada Southern website as a plausible car matching the Lot 737 cars which was the bulk of the Pacemaker Fleet, the Walther's PS1's were PS1's but not well detailed and no cushion underframe.

Walthers did produce a 12 car set of the PS1's back in the 1970's or early 1980's.

Rick Jesionowski

[Mr. Trainiac]

Dec 11, 2023 10:41:25 GMT -8 dti406 said:

Dec 10, 2023 23:42:46 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

Well, the only correct cars are the Intermountain 10' inside height cars with the correct ends, most of all the others are foobies as I have never seen the Trix kit, but it is not mentioned on the Canada Southern website as a plausible car matching the Lot 737 cars which was the bulk of the Pacemaker Fleet, the Walther's PS1's were PS1's but not well detailed and no cushion underframe.

Walthers did produce a 12 car set of the PS1's back in the 1970's or early 1980's.

Rick Jesionowski

The Trix model has the incorrect ends but the sides and roof look correct. Like you said, it looks like it leaves Intermountain as the only correct car at the 'rivet counter' level. On the website, the most recent run of cars have 8' doors which match the 848B class (the class is also stenciled above the NYC logo). I have seen some others on eBay with the 6' door, so Intermountain has done both classes of Pacemaker boxcar.

[marknycfan]

I think Bev-Bel did 12 numbers, Bowser has 3 cars coming soon, there are others as well.

[wagnersteve]

12/11/2023, close to 8:30 p.m., EDT

What lvrr325 called "Bowser's 40' box car" is the "generic" boxcar Bowser has made, sometimes under the English name. I tend to avoid those unless I really want a paint scheme only available on such a model.

I have several of the Walthers models of express cars converted from World War II troop sleepers by the NYC and other railroads. Bear in mind that the odd trucks they originally had, as seen in the photos of Walthers cars, in Ed's post, did not work out very well in the real world. I think the design was called Allied Full-Cushion, and I believe many of those ultimately got replaced by more conventional express car trucks.

I do have a commercial model of a rather short (in length) semi-trailer in Pacemaker red and gray, I think lettered for the Boston & Albany. (My records for the road vehicles in my "hoard" are much worse than for locos and railroad freight and passenger cars.) I believe it's a fairly good match for an old trailer obviously out of service for a long time that I saw either somewhere along the former B&A or in a photo.

[edwardsutorik]

Dec 11, 2023 17:41:37 GMT -8 wagnersteve said:

12/11/2023, close to 8:30 p.m., EDT

Bear in mind that the odd trucks they originally had, as seen in the photos of Walthers cars, in Ed's post, did not work out very well in the real world. I think the design was called Allied Full-Cushion, and I believe many of those ultimately got replaced by more conventional express car trucks.

Allied Full-Cushion trucks were banned from interchange as of January 1, 1959. Nothing stopped railroads from changing them out earlier. Nothing stopped railroads from keeping them later IF they were not in interchange.

A quick view of some photos of the NYC cars showed most of them with "regular" freight trucks. Except one, that still had the Allied in 1961.

There might STILL be some under some MOW cars somewhere. Maybe even arch-bars--ya never know. I'm pretty sure you can find some Andrews-style under MOW cars, still.



Ed

[lvrr325]

Dec 11, 2023 17:41:37 GMT -8 wagnersteve said:

12/11/2023, close to 8:30 p.m., EDT

What lvrr325 called "Bowser's 40' box car" is the "generic" boxcar Bowser has made, sometimes under the English name. I tend to avoid those unless I really want a paint scheme only available on such a model.

Yes, they took the tooling for the round-roof car and put a conventional roof on it, presto generic 40' box car. I think I read someone telling that here in the past.  


Someone else mentioned, Trix's cars were RTR, not kits. I had a couple of them some years back. They have oddball axles in the trucks, I had someone steal the metal wheels off a Trix caboose and swap in some Tyco or junk plastic sets and they'd fall right out.  Another GTE show deal.  I don't think a lot were imported/sold here, other than the few I had, I never see them.  

[lvrr325]

FWIW, today I picked up seven 60s-era blue box Athearn NYC Pacemaker boxcars, NOS kits, all with different road numbers. Some are the early blue box with no white bubble on the end, and a couple have a paper end label which must have been the first transition. I wonder if these are some of the first cars to be offered with multiple road numbers at the same time?

[dti406]

Jan 21, 2024 18:39:45 GMT -8 lvrr325 said:

FWIW, today I picked up seven 60s-era blue box Athearn NYC Pacemaker boxcars, NOS kits, all with different road numbers. Some are the early blue box with no white bubble on the end, and a couple have a paper end label which must have been the first transition. I wonder if these are some of the first cars to be offered with multiple road numbers at the same time?

Who cares, the cars are totally incorrect, the only railroads that had the type of car represented by the Athearn 40' box were the IC and DSSA, it is a 1937 Mod AAR car that is 10'6" IH, while the Majority of Pacemaker Cars were 10' IH.

Rick Jesionowski