NOTES ON NYC PASSENGER CAR PAINTING   As with any large fleet of cars - repainting of equipment was a slow process that may take years for all cars to be repainted. In many cases - older cars were never repainted before being retired. Information contained here is subject to correction/change as new information and verification comes to light. Dates indicate the earliest application of a paint change and in most cases, reflect a company 'drawing date' - not the actual first application of the change. Different paint shops may interpret drawings differently, resulting in minor differences in the finished cars.   Heavyweight Cars: * Prior to 1934 - Cars painted Pullman green - roof, underbody and trucks painted black. 5" Roman style gold lettering. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Boston and Albany cars lettered BOSTON & ALBANY. MCRR and CCC&STL cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES with 3" sublettering. P&LE and P&E cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES with 3" sublettering. Car numbers centered over each truck. * 1934 to 1937 - Cars painted Pullman green - roof, underbody and trucks painted black. 5" Roman style gold lettering. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Car numbers moved to center of car. Cars shopped for Air Conditioning received a 2-1/2" 'C' under the car number. Boston and Albany cars lettered BOSTON & ALBANY. MCRR and CCC&STL cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES with 3" sublettering. P&LE and P&E cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES with 3" sublettering. * 1937 to 1939 - Cars painted Pullman green - roof, underbody and trucks painted black. 5" Roman style gold lettering. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Car numbers moved to center of car. Cars shopped for Air Conditioning received a 2-1/2" 'C' under the car number. Boston and Albany cars lettered BOSTON & ALBANY. MCRR and CCC&STL cars renumbered and lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL with no sublettering. P&LE and P&E cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM with sublettering above car number. * Starting in 1939 - Cars painted Pullman green with Gothic style imitation gold ( yellow ) lettering. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Cars shopped for Air Conditioning received a 2-1/2" 'C' under the car number.Boston and Albany cars lettered BOSTON & ALBANY. P&LE and P&E cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM with sublettering. * Starting in 1940 - Cars painted Pacemaker green ( similar to Pullman green ) with Gothic style imitation gold ( yellow ) lettering. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Cars shopped for Air Conditioning received a 2-1/2" 'C' under the car number. Boston and Albany cars lettered BOSTON & ALBANY. P&LE and P&E cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM with sublettering. * Before 1953 - Pullman cars assigned to the NYC were painted Pullman green and lettered PULLMAN. Cars remained lettered PULLMAN after purchased by NYC at the end of 1948. * After March 6, 1953 - Cars equipped with air conditioning and some headend cars repainted into the post 1948 two-tone grey scheme. NYC owned former Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Only 83 of 379 former Pullman cars painted in this scheme * After May 1954 - Cars equipped with air conditioning repainted into the post 1948 two-tone grey scheme. NYC owned former Pullman cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL and sublettered PULLMAN at the ends. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Only 59 of 379 former Pullman cars painted in this scheme. * Starting in 1957 Boston and Albany cars relettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Cars with air conditioning painted two-tone grey - non air conditioned cars painted Pacemaker green. * After 1960 - Headend cars painted solid grey. Some cars received the following paint schemes between 1966 and 1968: * After July 1966 - air conditioned coaches painted two-tone gray with top aluminum stripe removed. * After October 1966 - air conditioned coaches painted Pacemaker green with imitation gold lettering and no stripes - though paint diagram instructions stated to use up grey paint first ( resulting in some cars painted solid grey ). * After December 1966 - air conditioned coaches painted Pacemaker green with imitation gold lettering and stripes. * Starting in January 1968 - air conditioned coaches painted dark grey with aluminum gray lettering and stripes.   Other paint schemes and notes: * Pacemaker cars painted BROWN with yellow striping and red ovals above car numbers * Motor Queen cars painted BROWN with FAWN window band. * James Whitcomb Riley cars painted grey with ORANGE window band. * Streamlined Mercury cars painted two-tone grey with silver accents. * A 'C' located under the car number meant the car was equipped with air conditioning. * An 'F' located under the car number meant the car was equipped with ceiling fans. * A 1-1/2" diameter solid circle under the car number meant the car was equipped with bulkhead fans * A 2" star above the car number meant the car was used as a crew coach with no change in car number.     Smoothside Lightweight Cars: * 1938 20th Century scheme - Light grey car body with dark grey window band - Blue opex stripes separating the greys. Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. * 1939 20th Century scheme - Light grey car body with dark grey window band. Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. * 1941/1942 delivered coaches - painted Pacemaker Green with yellow (imitation gold) Gothic lettering and stripes. Lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. * 1943 - Striping on two-tone grey cars revised. * 2 cars painted experimental two-tone GREEN - Cascade Vale and Imperial Palace. * 1946/1947 delivered baggage cars - painted Pacemaker Green with yellow (imitation gold) Gothic lettering ( no stripes ). Lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. * Late 1946 - First use of Dark grey body with light grey window band. Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. * 1948 - Remove narrow window band stripes. Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN with small NEW YORK CENTRAL at ends. * April 1953 - Black pinstripe around letters, numbers and stripes removed. * After May 1954 - Pullman cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL with small PULLMAN at ends. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL * After June 1958 - Pullman cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. 4" car numbers added to sleeper car sides under car name.     Pullman and ACF Stainless steel cars: * 20 ACF baggage-coaches delivered in stainless steel with Black Gothic lettering. * 2 ACF baggage-coaches ( #344 and #345 ) delivered in post 1946 two-tone grey. * PS coaches delivered in stainless steel with Black Gothic lettering. * As car roofs began to leak - some cars had F-1 car cement applied to roof to seal leaks ( F-1 car cement is BLACK )     Budd Stainless steel cars: * 1938 delivered cars - Black Roman style lettering - 2 cars only - #2560 and #2561 - both cars had window band painted orange in 1941 for service on James Whitcomb Riley. * 1939 and 1941 delivered cars - Black Gothic style lettering - 2 cars - #2562 and #2563 - both cars had window band painted orange in 1941 for service on James Whitcomb Riley. * Empire State Express cars - delivered November 1941 - RPO (2 cars), Baggage-Tavern-Lounge (2 cars), dining cars (4 cars) and tavern-obs (2 cars) lettered EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS. Coaches (16 cars) and Drawing Room-Parlor cars (6 cars) lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL * 1946-1949 delivered cars - Black Gothic lettering. Pullman cars lettered PULLMAN in the center letterboard and NEW YORK CENTRAL at the ends. * After May 1954 - Pullman cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL with small PULLMAN at ends. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL * 1958 - Letterboard painted dark grey with light aluminum grey NEW YORK CENTRAL lettering. * After June 1958 - Pullman cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. Dining cars, coaches and headend cars lettered NEW YORK CENTRAL. 4" car numbers added to sleeper car sides under car name. * As car roofs began to leak - some cars had F-1 car cement applied to roof to seal leaks ( F-1 car cement is BLACK )     Converted Troop Sleepers: * When rebuilt to express cars - painted Pacemaker Green with Yellow (imitation gold) lettering. * Leased cars 9500-9599 were painted in full two-tone grey passenger car paint with pinstriping. * Some cars repainted into a two-tone grey paint scheme ( without pinstriping - not quite the same scheme as the passenger cars ) - black EXPRESS CAR lettering in middle of light gray band - left of door. * After 1960 - cars painted solid dark grey with White lettering.     MODEL DECALS & DRY TRANSFERS: Decals and dry transfers may not accurately letter every piece of equipment and may require the use of portions of different sets to letter a specific piece of equipment.   Heavyweight cars N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CDS DRY TRANSFERS 650, 651, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673 and 674 650, 651, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673 and 674 650, 651, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673 and 674 650, 651, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 672, 673 and 674 CHAMP DECALS   BRH-232, BRH-236, PH-235 and PH-239   BRO-232, BRO-236, P-235 and P-239  MICROSCALE DECALS 60-912 87-912   48-512   1938-1940 20th Century cars N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CHAMP DECALS   BRH-34   BRO-34   Two-Tone Grey cars N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CDS DRY TRANSFERS 790 790 790 790 CHAMP DECALS   PH-33, PH-33A, PH-81   P-33, P-33A, P-81  MICROSCALE DECALS 60-932 and 60-933 (NONE NAMED CARS ONLY) 87-932 and 87-933 (NON NAMED CARS ONLY)   48-513 (NONE NAMED CARS ONLY)   Pre 1958 Stainless Steel cars N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CDS DRY TRANSFERS 788 788 788 788 CHAMP DECALS   PH-23   P-23  RAILWAY CLASSICS    DNYC48       Post 1958 Stainless Steel cars N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CDS DRY TRANSFERS 789 789 789 789  RAILWAY CLASSICS    DNYC58       Post 1941 Empire State Express N SCALE HO SCALE S SCALE O SCALE CDS DRY TRANSFERS 792 792 792 792 CHAMP DECALS   SHS-432   SOS-432     THIS PAGE UPDATED MAY 18, 2008