NYC Caboose color scheme ?

[traindaddy1]

I have looked at numerous photos of New York Central cabooses, on line and in catalogs, and have a question.  There are red ones, half red and black ones, red ones with black tops,  brown, etc.

From your experience, what would be the best color scheme to mimic the real stuff? Thanks.

[Bob Keller]

I looked through both volumes of the NYC olor equipment guides by Morning Sunand it is looks like there were three general colors:

Oxide brown

Jade Green

Red/Gray for Pacemaker service

All three colors were in use during the later years of the Central, but I'd guess that if you were covering the 1930s-40s, brown; and 50s to 60s Pacemaker and jade.

[chuck]

Which Morningsun books has a NYC caboose in PaceMaker colors?  I've seen oxide red and jade/century green but all of my reference material indicated the Pacemaker scheme was only applied to rolling stock/trailers.

[traindaddy1]

Bob - Chuck: Thanks for your input.

[Bob Keller]

Thge cabeese don't say "Pacemaker," but they are red and gray. Vol. 2 I think.

[chuck]

Thanks, Bob.  I don't have that volume but the two Trackside books I have on the NYC only had oxide and nasty green.  I saw a few pic's of some red and grey "preserved" units on the net but didn't know if these were "real" or wishfull thinking.  I love my PaceMaker decorated MTH bay window and have always been fond of the Lionel NYC lightning stripe grey unit but always assumed they were "fantasy" schemes.

[spankybird]

We have both the MTH and the Lionel model

Note that the Lionel has the short bay window.

[Bob Keller]

It was on p. 108 of vol. 2 of the color guide.

A 20112-series caboose which appears to me to be a steel-sided version of the traditional woodsided caboose (long body, short crow's nest near the rear). The caption said that at least five were repainted for Pacemaker mechandise service.

I also have a hazy memory of seeing a red/gray caboose with a more centered cab but I couldn't put my finger on a photo.

[traindaddy1]

FOLLOW-UP: First of all, thanks to all.  If you had a choice, for a Classic Toy Train, to choose between the currently produced solid red or red with a black top NYC caboose, which would you select? (Both are identical except for the colors - just can't decide.) Thanks.

[chuck]

The Lionel one is closer to the prototype.  NYC's had the small bay window, not the full version. The window placement is also correct for most of the NYC units.  I thinl only the prototype was delivered in oxide red and the rest were done in the incredibly fadeable Century/Jade green.  I often wondered were they got the paint form since it seemed to fade within 24 hours of being on the road.

Re dolid red or red with a balck roof, I'd probably pick red with a black roof. 

[Buckeye Riveter]

I really like the Pacemaker colors, scarlet and gray.

[traindaddy1]

Chuck - Buckeye and ALL:  Many thanks.

Now, my train is leaving the station and topic behind.  See you all at the next Stop (and ?)

All aboard.