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One of the brightest images in Post-War freight railroading came from the New York Central in 1946 with the inauguration of Pacemaker Freight Serivce.  Trains NB-1 and BN-2 linked New York City and Buffalo as the line haul portion of the NYC's premium less than car load freight service that included door to door delivery of merchandise between the terminal cities and points in between.  The trains were made up of 40 foot box cars specially equipped for fast LCL service and painted in vermilion and light gray Pacemaker colors and were powered by the NYC's fast Niagara or Mowhawk locomotives.  The service proved to be a success and was expanded with dedicated trains to Boston and Cleveland.  Pacemaker boxcars moved in other scheduled freight trains to reach more distant points served by the New York Central System.  The Central's promotional photos and films made an impression that has lasted nearly 70 years and Pacemaker freight cars remain popular among O scale operators today.

 

 

In this installment of the O Scale Road Name Guide we will take a chronological look at Pacemaker boxcars and the O scale equipment that is available to model them.

 

Pacemaker service cars came from a group of 1000 standard 40 foot boxcars converted for dedicated LCL service.  They received special air brakes and Barber stabilized high speed freight trucks.  The cars were painted vermilion and light gray with white lettering.  No interior dimension data was stenciled on the car sides since the data was only required on cars in interchange service and Pacemaker cars were not allowed to leave New York Central System rails.

 

These first Pacemaker boxcars were built to the standard AAR box car design of the day.  We have two models of the 1937 AAR box car available in O scale today, one from Atlas and one from MTH.  The Atlas Pacemaker boxcars have Murphy rectangular panel roofs like the NYC prototypes.  The MTH AAR boxcars feature a Viking roof.  Both the MTH and Atlas cars have 4/5 Dreadnought ends which are incorrect.  The NYC prototypes were built with the then brand new improved Dreadnought end.

 

The Atlas 8561 AAR box car features the original 174000 series car number, all white lettering and no dimensional data.  It was made in 4 road numbers.

 

The MTH 20-93291 was also decorated in the original paint scheme.  It first appeared in the 2006 Volume I catalog and two numbers were available.  The same scheme appeared again in the 2010 Volume II catalog with two more road numbers as the 20-93499.

 

 

A total of 24 more individually numbered AAR boxcars were available from MTH in this paint scheme in the 20-90264, 20-90265, 20-909583 and 20-90584 six car sets.

 

 

 

Ten more boxcars are available in the MTH 20-3377-1 and 20-3411-1 sets that each come with a NYC Mohawk locomotive, five boxcars and a Pacemaker caboose.

 

 

After the first few years of Pacemaker service, NYC switchmen complained that the white on light gray reporting marks were hard to read.  The NYC revised the Pacemaker paint scheme with black lettering on the gray in the late 40s or early 50s.

 

Atlas models this revised paint scheme with black (car cement) roof and ends on the 8728 boxcar.  It was available in 4 numbers.

 

The Pacemaker paint scheme was further revised in 1955 with a black background to the NYC herald.  Atlas offered this paint scheme in two road numbers on the 8569 boxcar.

 

MTH has offered the late Pacemaker scheme in two numbers on the 20-93629 boxcar in the 2014 Volume II catalog.

 

 

MTH is offering twelve more late scheme cars in the 2014 Volume II catalog in the 20-90872 and 20-90873 six car sets.

 

An additional 200 boxcars entered Pacemaker service on a temporary basis.  These cars received Pacemaker lettering but remained in their standard color.  Atlas has modeled these cars in two numbers.

 

 

The final cars to enter Pacemaker Service were PS-1s, received by the NYC from Pullman-Standard in 1954.  They wore vermilion and gray with black reporting marks.

 

Lionel offered their excellent PS1 boxcar in Pacemaker colors with black reporting marks back in 2002.  It was made in only one road number.  The dimensional data is appropriate for a Pacemaker box car renumbered to the 175000 series for interchange service.

 

MTH made an operating version of their PS1 boxcar in Pacemaker colors as the 20-93186.  Two numbers are available.

 

 

There are also 12 individually numbered MTH PS1s available from the 20-90098 and 20-90099 six car sets.

 

 

Weaver has also made Pacemaker PS1s in at least 4 numbers.  Those observed on the bay have correct all red doors.

 

 

The NYC had five cabooses repainted for Pacemaker freight service.  The only commercially available O scale cabooses that come close to the prototype are the MTH standard NYC wood cabooses included in the Mohawk sets and the diecast Railking 30-8507.  But the Pacemaker cabooses were not standard NYC wood cabooses.  They were longer, having been rebuilt from 40 foot box cars.  While O scale brass models are out there several have been scratch built by the forum's own Bother Love.  Contact him if you are interested in acquiring one of your own.

 

 

Pacemaker service came to a close in the late 50s as NYC's early bird and Flexi-Van services took its place.  Some Pacemaker box cars retained their vermilion and gray colors and simply received standard capacity and dimensional data to allow them to enter interchange service.  If you model the NYC from the mid 40s to the mid 50s or any North American railroad from the late 50s through the 1960s there are Pacemaker boxcars for you.

 

If anyone has corrections or additions please share them. 

 

For those interested in O scale freight car models have a look at the O Scale Freight Car Guide series here.

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...le-freight-car-guide

 

A growing collection of information on models available for particular road names is available here.

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...me-guide-up-cabooses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by Ted Hikel
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Ted,

You always have great info.

If, I may, regarding Lionel's version of the PS-1 box cars, which have a lighter shade of 'Vermilion' and 'Gray,' than Atlas' version.

Lionel may have gotten this color paint scheme correct, as someone on another forum pointed out that in 1954, when Pullman Standard built the box cars for NYC, the colors were brighter, than the original NYC home built box cars of the '40's and early '50's.

Oh! Yeah! Ted,

Thank you for posting my Pacemaker caboose, Road #20132, which 'Brother Love' crafted for me.

It, is an early 1950's version, which has F-1 Black Car Cement and grime from wear and weathering, on it.

Ralph

Last edited by RJL

Didn't some of the MTH have wood catwalks? Aren't metal prototypical?

 

Ray

 

As far as I know all the MTH 1937 AAR box cars come with wood (plastic) running boards and all the Atlas 1937 AAR box cars come with metal running boards, irrespective of the prototypes.

 

Ralph & Howard. 

 

It is always nice to hear that people are enjoying these threads.  This one exists because of the discussion started by Malcolm's caboose project.  Thanks for commissioning the construction of that model! 

 

 

Clem

 

There are plenty of variations of Pacemaker boxcars out there.  The old Atlas boxcar would make a fair starting point.  I have one of the Lionel 6-9469 Standard O boxcars from circa the 80s based on the old MPC era tooling, not a bad car for its day.

 

Peter

 

Thanks for letting me know that you have enjoyed the thread.

 

A note on Pacemaker trailers.  The NYC did have trailers in Pacemaker colors that were used for local deliveries.  But, as far as I know, the Pacemaker trailers were never used in piggy back service.  That makes cars like this fun if not quite prototypical. 

 

Ray,

I'm sorry for not mentioning that you are responsible for the Lionel PS-1 Pacemaker box cars added to my NYC Pacemaker roster!!!!

Thank you.

 

Ted,

You are welcome and the NYC Pacemaker caboose, which I saw on another post, within this forum, which Malcolm made for someone else, made me happy as a kid in a toy and a candy, store!

I just had to have one of Malcolm's beautiful crafted NYC, Pacemaker cabooses, to go with my NYC 'P' roster.

Malcolm fashion crafted and painted the NYC 'P' caboose, as I wanted it, BUT, I did not tell Malcolm of anything of what I wanted, he sort of read my mind and produced exactly the one I wanted!!!!!

Thank you, Malcolm.

Ralph

I'm still searching around for that MTH Mohawk set and cars to build the inaugural 1946 publicity unit train. People really seem to be hanging on to them!

Here is Malcolm's caboose with an MTH Pacemaker AAR. The grays are off (apparently Atlas O's models are a much better match with similar darker gray), but everything else is a perfect match. I had Malcolm specifically paint this one to match the prototype's appearance on the inaugural train.

 

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Pacemaker 10

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Pacemaker 2

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nyc-20132

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Images (9)
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  • nyc-20132
Last edited by PC9850

Ray,

The NYC Pacemaker cabooses, which Malcolm crafted for both Nick and I, are in this post, but the original color photo. of the caboose, similar to mine, is on the front cover of; "Cabooses Of The New Haven and New York Central Railroads" "Caboose Data Book No. 1A."

Published 1989 N.J. International Inc. 77-West Nicholai St., Hicksville, New York, 11801.

Cover photo.: 'Pacemaker' train at 33rd. Street Yard, New York City, January, 1950, photo. by R.R. Wallen.

 

Bill,

Thank you for the additional info.

Ralph

Last edited by RJL
Originally Posted by Hudson5432:

NYC did not use piggyback due to low clearances, principally east of Buffalo. So the Pacemaker piggybacks are not prototypically correct. (They are attractive so I have a set...)

Great job in describing the different Pacemakers used by the RR. I enjoyed it very much.

I lived next to NYC near Rochester up to 1968. I remember NYC had a lot of "Flexi-van" service, their own version of containers that could be transferred to a special truck-trailer chassis. Has anyone modeled those?

 

I don't remember seeing "Pacemaker" scheme cars; it was a bit before my time. I have some Marx 3/16 versions of the Pacemaker boxcars and cabooses.

Last edited by Ace

Ace,

The NYC 'Pacemaker' 'LCL' freight service ran from about 1946, to the late 1950's and by then, some of the box cars were painted 'Freight Car' color, but also some stayed 'Vermilion' and 'Gray,' up, and into the '60's.

Also, by the late '50's, the 'Early Bird' service and 'Flexi-Van' service started to take over from the 'OLD' 'Pacemaker' service.

Ralph

One other detail I must point out!

Ray mentioned, that on the models of NYC's Pacemaker box cars, that MTH produced, 'Wooden' (Plastic) running boards, as opposed to Atlas' version which had the correct-'Prototypical' 'Metal' (Plastic) running boards.

The detail, that I want to point out, as per the photos. that I have, is that NYC's 'Five' 'Pacemaker' cabooses had 'Prototypical' 'Wooden' running and side-landing boards, which was crafted, realistically, by Malcolm!!!!!!!

MALCOLM is MAGICAL, and his NYC Pacemaker cabooses are all done without any, or too much info., regarding the 'Prototypical' NYC 'Pacemaker' caboose detailing!!!
Ralph

 

Last edited by RJL

I was looking to purchase some of the newley release Pacemaker Box Cars from Atlas and come back to the post once again.

And I'm glad I did since I missed so much the first time around. 

The new cars from Atlas have the black lettering and also include the interior details.

I would not have noticed all these things if not for Ted's post. 

Thank you all once again for sharing this information, definitely makes this hobby a never ending story for me.

Would love some more info on the cabooses that were run. The one I have from MTH looks nothing like the pics posted.

Were there any others that existed?

Thanks again Ted for posting this great post. 

The cabeese posted by PC9850 above are correct. I believe 6 were made from old reefers. They have been made in brass and custom built by a forum member. MTH has painted some 19000 wood cabeese in this paint scheme that could pass. The true Pacemaker caboose is longer and has the exposed frame beam. They were also sheathed in plywood which gives them a smooth finish vs individual boards of the 19000 wood caboose.

Pete

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