Microscale does make an N scale sheet of extended Gothic lettering in black: http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2...e=70082&Category_Code=ALPHA&Product_Count=111 You'd have to piece together the words "Express Car" from the individual letters in this set.
...been having to do that lately...actually had to do that on the first Pacemaker green car...with the numbers at least...9370...in four places!...AND...according to my limited resouces...'NYC' reporting marks were added to these green schemes, above the numbers, before this 1958 scheme...the Microscale sheet includes 2, count 'em 2 5" NYC reporting marks, and only 2 3" NYC reporting marks!...one needs 2 sheets to accurately letter one car! I've, for all intents and purposes, modelled this car and, even though this shot is, obviously, a shot right after conversion, I'm of the mind that they went through the first paint mod in a haphazard fashion....apart from the two-tone gray with striping, I'm thinking that the only mod to the Pacemaker green scheme, by 1957, was moving the numbers lower in all four positions and adding 3" reporting marks immediately above them... Does that sound right? This is from the Canada Southern site: http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-PASS-PAINT.htm although no pics are provided, I'm thinking the lettering, with the numbers moved lower and the 3" reporting marks, looked like the pic you posted with the two tone...only in green with imitation gold lettering....but I've never seen pics of the cars in this scheme...delux gold lettering, 3" reporting marks over the numbers, overall green. Another question I'd have is if the New York Central herald lettering moved lower, like in the two tone scheme... would LOVE to know! ~Bruce PS-I enjoy sharing discussion and info to everyone's benefit!
The only changes to paint/lettering for the first two groups of cars (prior to adoption the two-tone gray scheme in December 1958) referenced by Vail are a switch to 5" NYC and 7" roadnumbers in June 1957 and, then, a switch from "Standard Body Color" - aka Pullman green - to "Pacemaker" green sides/ends plus black F-1 car cement roof/underbody along with black enamel trucks in April 1958. This photo clearly shows an update to the reporting marks from the "as built" configuration: http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/nyc-9437.jpg
Great information! looks as if I can keep my two green ones in the 'as delivered' scheme! (except for trucks). I do have to renumber with the smaller numbers, though...and I'll get at least one more of these outside door versions to paint in the fully striped two tone. Thanks again, ~Bruce
any info on the different placement of the "New York Central" herald lettering... in the photo a few posts above, the herald is just below the roof line... in all of the others, in any door configuration, and paint scheme, the herald has moved to a lower position...the numbers have also moved lower... ~Bruce
While the Vail article describes changes to lettering colors/sizes in fair detail, it is rather vague about their exact locations. It would have been handy if the article had reproduced the various paint/lettering diagrams that Vail references, but it doesn't. As always, if you're trying to create a model representative of a particular time period, it's best to work from a photograph of the specific prototype car.
This photo of a brass model from River Raisin shows a combination of white and gold lettering: http://www.riverraisinmodels.com/photogal/history/nycexpr.jpg
that's interesting, but the inside door config will place it beyond my era...represents a scheme 'in flux' though! I'm doing my first two in the 'as delivered' green scheme, with 'high Herald' lettering, per the pic submitted above... as you can see, I need some more decal sheets (there are only two 'express car' decals in imitation gold and white...enough for one car!)...these cars have Kato wheelsets...I may switch them for MT versions I'll keep the smaller lettering, in the lower position on both of them; that pic you linked is pretty interesting...the consensus is that all the Allied trucks were removed pretty early on...but that pic shows them on the cars, in a scheme that according to references, didn't come into being until 1957....i'd hate assuming, but could it be that the 'outlawed' trucks continued on for a bit? wouldn't seem completely odd to think that some soldiered on until they were due for general service and repair..maybe not...but seems like, in any situation, there all always exceptions to every rule, and one can always find evidence to refute absolutes!...I'm just going to go with the pic I have and 'hope' they remained that way 'til '57....I do have to acquire another of these shells for the two-tone gray with striping version! ~Bruce
