NYC E8

[Fox14120]

 Plan on buying the new MTH NYC E8 that's being released in Aug. Anyone know what passenger cars go with it? The engine has the classic lightning bolt paint scheme all the old pics i've seen of it online don't show the cars just the engine. Originally assumed it was the two tone grey that matched it but all the ones i've seen had the open observation cars on the back and can't see those being main still on late 40's passengers but also heard they moved on to silver but doesn't match the engines then. Preferably looking for MTH ones but Lionel from the last 10 years would be ok too. Any product numbers for these would be a great help.  .

[wjstix]

As far as the prototype, NYC used Pullman green heavyweights on the 20th Century Limited until 1938 when they went to smooth-sided streamlined cars and streamlined Hudsons. Both the engines and cars were two-tone gray, but the opposite of the later scheme - that is, the cars were light gray with a dark gray band thru the windows. The first E units came in 1945 in a paint scheme set up to match those cars, but by about 1950 they had decided to reverse things so the cars were repainted dark gray cars with a light gray band thru the windows, and the engines were changed to match the cars.

In 1941 the NYC streamlined the Empire State Express using stainless-steel fluted side cars, and streamlined Hudsons using a silver and black scheme. Later, E-units pulled these cars, but remained in the two-tone gray scheme and weren't repainted to match the stainless steel cars.

By the fifties all three types of cars (Pullman green or two-tone gray heavyweights, smooth side two-tone streamlined cars, and stainless steel streamlined cars) were all in use, so it wasn't uncommon to see a train with all stainless steel cars but with a green heavyweight baggage or RPO car, and a two-tone streamlined car or two mixed in too.

[Fox14120]

 Cool thanks for the info. Know which ones to look for now the big problem is going to be finding them.