Correct NYC caboose for a Mohawk L3A

There's quite a variety of cabooses that would look pretty accurate with the Mohawk.

Here's a video of No.3001 with a bay window caboose.

Did they use the Pacemaker scheme also?

The most common NYC caboose was the 19000 wood caboose. Just about everyone has done one. Few are absolutely correct. Most have the wrong trucks, wrong truck location, lack truss rods, or have the wrong ladder. Lionel's pre war scale caboose 717 is excellent. Also Mullet River did a craftsmen kit that is spot on. The rest can be modified to be closer. Lionel's bay window is excellent. The Pacemaker caboose is a cupola caboose but differs from the 19000. It is longer and has smooth sides as its made with plywood. A forum member has scratch built a correct NYC Pacemaker caboose. They have also been done in brass two rail.

Here are a few of mine. Most have been modified. In the pic is a 18000 caboose and Lionel correct Bay window.

NYC Pacemaker Caboose behind a 18000.

Pete

I like this. More research for me as well.

"They have also been done in brass two rail."

And brass 3-rail from Williams/Samhongsa back in their nice brass (Niagara, Pacific, Mike, etc) days. As this piece purports to emulate Lionel's late-30's die-cast NYC model in brass, I am presuming it has basic accuracy. I have one (lettered for the ATSF from the factory) and it is a nice brass car, with good workmanship. I've not done a point-by-point comparison.

I want to remove the ATSF, but the lettering by Samhongsa is really well-done...

D I have the Williams painted for Southern Pacific. Project #453 way down the line. The Williams body is fine but like the Lionel and MTH post 1990 cars the trucks are wrong and too far outboard. Its based on the semi scale pre war Lionel caboose rather than the 717 which has the trucks in the correct location. The trucks should be inboard of the steps.

Lionel's plastic 19000 caboose has the correct trucks (T section Bettendorf) located in the correct location and also has truss rods. Too bad the grabs and ladders are all wrong. I use the trucks from these on put them on my Lionel die cast and MTH cabeese in the correct location.

Pete

The caboose in the video is the small bay window type, Lionel makes a version of this the part number is 6-17669. While the body is pretty correct the trucks are roller bearing which are not prototypical for the steam era if those things are a concern to you.

Bogie

Here are some examples of the 19000 caboose compared with the prototype.

Located in Industry, NY. Note the trucks, ladder, and truss rods

Syracuse, NY. Better view of truck location.

Williams NYC caboose in a fantasy paint job. Wrong trucks, wrong location.

MTH Railking Diecast. Same issues as the Williams.

Lionel Diecast Caboose. Different trucks are copies of the pre war 717 trucks. wrong location.

Lionel plastic caboose. Correct trucks, location, with truss rods. Topside detail not so good.

Finally an MTH die cast caboose with trucks from the Lionel plastic caboose relocated and markers replaced with Tomar.

Still needs truss rods.

Pete

All of this information is fine. What I really need is the type of caboose pulled behind a Mohawk L3a.....was the Pacemaker scheme used with it?  That is what I need to know.  

The Pacemaker caboose was meant to go behind the Pacemaker boxcars of the same paint scheme. It probably would not have been seen on a train of mixed freight until the mid '50s when the NYC essentially decided the Pacemaker idea wasn't going to work. Most of the boxcars got repainted. No idea how the Pacemaker cabooses ended their service. There were only six made.

FWIW it was generally Mohawks that pulled the Pacemaker box cars so to answer your question a Mohawk would have likely pulled this caboose.

MONON_JIM posted:

All of this information is fine. What I really need is the type of caboose pulled behind a Mohawk L3a.....was the Pacemaker scheme used with it?  That is what I need to know.  

OK, to be specific, what era/year are you trying to model? The absolutely MOST accurate NYC "steam era" caboose would be the 19,000 series kit offered by Mullett River (now out of business I believe, but their kits should still be available). That "Pacemaker" version might be correct, again depending on the era/year you are trying to model.

The Mohawk I have was delivered in 1940, so it was in service until probably the mid to late 1950's ?  Just looking for a caboose that probably was pulled by a L3a Mohawk.  I do not model a specific time but I do like to have the proper equipment for what I do have.

MONON_JIM posted:

Did they use the Pacemaker scheme also? 

https://ogrforum.com/...yc-pacemaker-boxcars

What, me worry?