NYC Pacemaker freight car date of usage

[jackn2mpu]

A long time modeler of the New York Central and I have a question that none of my reference books seems to be able to answer. Also haven't found an online answer as well. The question is: when did the Central use the Pacemaker red/grey color scheme on their boxcars? The ones I have (P2K kits I built many years ago) have no date data on them. I am currently building some that are boxcar red (actually looks more brown than anything else) that are in the Branchline Trains Blueprint Series. They have a build date of 1949 and a repaint date of 1953. I would expect the red/grey to be a later scheme, no? Thanks much.

[tomikawaTT]

Working strictly from my memory of contemporary ads, 1949-1953 sounds about right.  I was a schook kid at the time, and remember having painted one of my wood block on wheels cars in the red and grey scheme.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[Shilshole]

IIRC from another forum, modification of post-War (blt 1945?) NYC 10ft IH cars in the 175000-175999 series to Pacemaker specs began in 1946 and continued to 1953, with the cars renumbered into the 174000-174999 series; 25 new PS-1 cars in Pacemaker vermillion/gray scheme were purchased in 1954, numbered 175000-175024.

The BCR cars represent 200 from a different lot that were temporarily assigned to Pacemaker service and retained their original numbers.

[doctorwayne]

According to the C-D-S Equipment Diagram Book, the original Pacemaker scheme first appeared on new cars delivered in 1940.  Cars were numbered 174,000 to 174,249 (6' Youngstown doors), and 174,250 to 174,999 (6' Superior doors).  Beginning in February, 1951, these cars were repainted in a slightly altered paint scheme, but remained in the same number series.  In 1954, 25 new PS-1 boxcars with 8' doors were painted in a different revised Pacemaker scheme, and, beginning in January 1958, the cars remaining in the 174,000-series were repainted and re-numbered 175,025 to 175,999. 

Wayne

[Shilshole]

According to the C-D-S Equipment Diagram Book, the original Pacemaker scheme first appeared on new cars delivered in 1940...

Obviously incorrect.  Pacemaker freight service didn't begin until 1946, the cars weren't built until 1945, renumbering back to 175000-series didn't occur until 1959: <http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-FREIGHT.htm>, scroll down to lot 737-B.

BCR cars temporarily assigned to Pacemaker service and modeled by Branchline are Lot 773-B, PS-1 cars are Lot 848-B.

[doctorwayne]

From what I understand, the original Pacemaker service started in 1935-36, and was discontinued during WWII.  It resumed again in 1946, on essentially the same schedule.  You are probably right on the 1946 date for the grey and vermillion Pacemaker paint scheme, as it would be a logical development after the war.  I re-checked the date in the Diagram Book: it does say 1940, but that may be a typo - I looked for an older copy to check this, but no longer have it.  Regardless of the date, the caption notes that the paint scheme is "as delivered", which sounds to me as if these were new cars, not repaints of older ones.  Were they perhaps reassigned before they were delivered?  In any case, thanks for the directions to the NYC info - I've bookmarked it, as the Central, which often ran through my hometown, has always been one of my favourites.

Wayne

[Shilshole]

From my readings, NYC did run an overnight LCL service between New York and Buffalo beginning in 1935-36, but not with the "Pacemaker" name.  That dedicated LCL service was discontinued during WWII.  When NY-Buffalo LCL service resumed in 1946, equipment for that service received the "Pacemaker" logo and red (vermillion) and gray colors.  (A similar LCL "Pacemaker" service on the B&A between Boston and Buffalo began began in 1948-49, at which time the NY-Buffalo service also extended to Cleveland.)

The NYC "Pacemaker" boxcars were 1945-Despatch-built equipment delivered in BCR.  When selected for "Pacemaker" service beginning in 1946, they were downrated from 110,000 to 50,000 lbs CAPY, had high-speed trucks installed and brake equipment modified, and were repainted; in contrast, the 25 1954-built PS-1s were delivered in red and gray.  Many, if not most, had limited data stenciling to restrict them from interchange (see, for example, (<http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-174131.jpg>), or had a large star stencil (i.e., larger than often seen adjacent to weight stencils) below the NYC emblem or elsewhere on the sides (see, for example, <http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-175000.jpg>), apparently to designate the same restriction.  After the "Pacemaker" service was dropped in 1957 (or 58?), the cars were restenciled for general service and could be seen offline in red and gray (see, for example, NYC175431 XM with a 6-60 reweigh stencil at <http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-175431.jpg>, note also the lot number "737-B" above emblem, and the fairly new weight data and car number stencils compared with the weathering elsewhere).

My guess is that the C-D-S info merely reflects the imprecision in their sources, a misdemeanor at worst and not atypical for large suppliers of decals/dry transfers.

[jackn2mpu]

The NYC "Pacemaker" boxcars were 1945-Despatch-built equipment delivered in BCR.  When selected for "Pacemaker" service beginning in 1946, they were downrated from 110,000 to 50,000 lbs CAPY, had high-speed trucks installed and brake equipment modified, and were repainted; in contrast, the 25 1954-built PS-1s were delivered in red and gray.  Many, if not most, had limited data stenciling to restrict them from interchange (see, for example, (<http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-174131.jpg>), or had a large star stencil (i.e., larger than often seen adjacent to weight stencils) below the NYC emblem or elsewhere on the sides (see, for example, <http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-175000.jpg>), apparently to designate the same restriction. 

The BCR Branchline cars I am building have the star mentioned under the NYC oval. These are the ones, according to Branchline, that were built in 1949 and repainted in 1953.

Thanks much to all who have responded to my call for help. Much appreciated. 

[Shilshole]

Out of curiosity, did Branchline include the lot stencil 773-B over the NYC emblem?

[jackn2mpu]

Out of curiosity, did Branchline include the lot stencil 773-B over the NYC emblem?

Yes they did. The cars I have are numbered 168003, 168256, 168770, 168995. I have another 4 to build, unfortunately those 4 car numbers are dupes of the 4 I've already built.