Which engines were used?

[Anonymous]

I am planning a layout that models the 1930's in upstate New York with, naturally, the New York Central. I already have two collections of heavyweight passenger cars, one of them the green Athearn types, the other with the light grey stripe with two white narrow stripes above and below the grey. These are IHC, Walthers, and Spectrum.

My question is, what engines were used for these trains? I cannot find any that seem to match the grey stripes. The Rivarossi J-3a is a beautiful engine but I don't think it was the one used. I don't think the Mercury was used either.

Anyone know about this?

TIA,
Martin

[orsonroy]

In the 1930's, the NYC had various passenger paint schemes. Unfortunately, none of them were anything like the cars you've got.

The vast bulk of the NYC's HUGE passenger car fleet was dark green. After that, the NYC did have several different styles of the gray scheme, but each was different, and train-specific. Unfortunately, these earlier schemes (which match the various NYC streamlined Hudsons offered by Rivarossi) are almost never offered. Usually, however, NYC passenger trains were pulled by plain black pacifics and Hudsons, so you don't have to worry about matching the cars to the engine. Heck, most trains were a hodgepodge of car paint schemes as well, so you don't even have to worry about matching the cars themselves!

There's lots of NYC passenger train information online (NYC fans only seem to care about their passenger service, even though the freight made the money), so a quick Google search will yield you lots of photographic references. Just don't search for "NYC".

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the quick response!

I have heard both sides of the story regarding the paint schemes and when they were introduced. On the IHC site, they say the Mercury was introduced in 1936, and it had a paint scheme similar to the ones I have, and that they tried several paint schemes over the following decade. I have seen a diesel with the "lightening" scheme that is probably a match, which would support what you are saying.

I have run searchers for NYC trains, and have found several good sites, but I have yet to find one with any passenger trains other than the good ol' greenies. Can you suggest a site that has photos of other passenger cars?

I do also have several freight cars, since my layout will have both. Do you know what color the hoppers were, black or rust?

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Martin --

The NYC paint scheme with the light gray window band -- found on the Walthers, Spectrum and IHC cars -- wasn't introduced until after WWII.

As Ray suggested, you're best off with non-streamlined Pacifics and Hudsons and green cars if you're modelling the 1930s.

--John

[Anonymous]

The Mercury cars of 1936 did have light gray window bands, but those didn't extend the full length of the car, and were edged in bright silver. Those cars also were lettered in bright silver. Since the Mercury cars were operated in dedicated service, and not in New York State, they don't seem to offer you much help.

According to the "New York Central Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment", NYC painted its hopper cars black until February 1941, at which time the color scheme was changed to mineral red. Beginning in the late 1950s, NYC went back to black paint on its coal hoppers.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all! I'd like to find the guy who first sold me these cars at a train show, he took advantage of my ignorance, told me these cars were used in the '30s. Oh well, anyone wanna buy some slightly used passenger cars?

Just kidding.

[Anonymous]

Yeah -- sometimes it's best just to have a sense of humor about this hobby....

[brokemoto]

The Mercury did not run in New York.

In New York State most of the power for the local passenger trains were F-12 ten-wheelers, K-3, K-10 or K-11 pacifics, the K-11s being used as much for freight as they were for passenger.

I do not know that any of these are available in HO, except in brass, maybe. There was a series a few years back in MR on how to build an F-12.

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by brokemoto

In New York State most of the power for the local passenger trains were F-12 ten-wheelers, K-3, K-10 or K-11 pacifics, the K-11s being used as much for freight as they were for passenger.

I do not know that any of these are available in HO, except in brass, maybe. There was a series a few years back in MR on how to build an F-12.

Broke,

Bowser has had a K-11 kit for sale forever. It's not up to modern detailing standards out of the box, but it IS a correct NYC engine, and can be built into a brass-quality model with work. And the Bachmann Spectrum 63" drivered 4-6-0 will work for a couple of classes of pre-WWI NYC engines.

[brokemoto]

Too bad Bowser does not do that one in N.

Actually what I want is a K-6 and a vestibule cab H-10 in N. I would consider committing certain crimes to raise the funds to buy them if someone came out with them, in N.

There is a brass H-10 out there in N (not a vestibule cab, though). From what I understand, it has three speeds: Very fast, still-too-fast and not-at-all. Four-hundred bananas is too much to pay for something that runs like that.

[orsonroy]

Heck, I'd like to see a LOT of NYC steam come out in HO or N, period. I keep bugging BLI to come out with smaller steam, like a NYC H-5 Mike ("only" used by 12 different roads!), and I'd LOVE to see one of the more modern ten wheelers in plastic. As it stands now, for my P&E/NYC portion of my layout, I have to rely on older, sometimes balky brass and plastic stand-ins.

[Sperandeo]

Hi Martin,

To get back to the question you asked, the NYC's original color scheme for the streamlined "20th Century Ltd." of 1938 had a dark gray window band on a light gray body. The dark gray was set off by "Opex Blue" pin stripes, and a couple of broad white (or aluminum gray) stripes ran lengthwise across the window area. In 1940 or 41, the Opex Blue stripes were replaced by aluminum gray, and this became the standard for all NYC smooth-side lightweight trains.

In 1946, the Central reversed its colors, and began using a light gray window band on a dark gray body. There were still stripes through the windows, but they were narrower. In 1948 the scheme was simplified by dropping the stipes through the windows, and in 1953 the shades of gray were changed to colors giving more contrast between the light and dark.

To make a long story short, the cars you describe have either the 1948 or 1953 paint scheme, and that's why they won't match steam locomotives painted for the 1930s.

So long,

Andy