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The NYC illuminated 7" caboose, do not bother searching for this item. Though it has plastic windows it was not built with any lighting, the models you might find have had a light installed one way or another. This pre-war 3/16" or 1:64 Scale is just in reference to the Type-B trucks and wheels which can seem confusing. These have the Marx Type-B trucks & smaller wheels than is found on all other Marx freight cars, to help understand this the second to last photo is Type-B and the last photo is of the more common Type-D trucks & Wheels. This Tin Litho 7" series was produced with box cars, cabooses, gondolas, refrigerator and stock cars as well as tank and flat cars as well as a "coffin" tender. The post-war production saw this same series of models but this time with the Type-D 1:48 Scale trucks and wheels and with plastic couplers.

Marx had poor quality control in regard to paint color consistency and so the cars tended to have color hue variation, these were not different models and it's not the result of color-fade the paint batches were just inconsistent.

These realistic 7" metal freight cars Marx produced from 1941&1942 and again Post-War in 1946 through 1953. The metal tilt-fork couplers were first introduced in 1936 and were used on this 1941-2 line of up-market models before switching to plastic couplers in 1953 production. They all came with 8-wheel trucks Type-B Pre-war and Type-D post-war and have wonderfully detailed lithography and similar in size to the 3-rail O gauge American Flyer in size and run on 3-rail 027 track. These have the Marx Type-B truck & with smaller wheels than is found on other Marx freight cars, second to last photo shows that the Type-B does couple with the Type-D trucks & Wheels.

One thing to watch for if you are collecting these cars is that most were offered with not only the scale B-type truck, but also what is commonly known as 'high' or D-type trucks. they can and do couple, but the cars themselves mounted on the Type-D trucks appear noticeably about ¼" higher.

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On the actual NYC Pacemaker, the red-and-white diamond herald of the "The Pacemaker Service" of the New York Central was unique, it was a mix between "head end" and fast freight. Special Pacemaker Trains were dedicated to carrying LCL Merchandise. They used specially marked high-speed trucks equipped freight cars.

In 1946, the NYC offered overnight service between New York and Buffalo via BN-1/NB-2. This overnight service was resurrected after WW II with the name "Pacemaker" although BN-1/NB-2 ran on essentially the same schedule as the pre-War version which was established in 1935-36 but discontinued during the War.

In 1948-49, BB-1/BB-2 was started to serve the B&A. The Boston-Buffalo Pacemaker trains served Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Pittsfield, Albany, Utica, Rochester & Buffalo while the New York Pacemakers served NY, Yonkers, Albany, Utica, Syracuse & Buffalo. The New York & Boston Pacemakers connected at Albany, Utica and Buffalo. Around this time, NB-1/BN-2 also served Cleveland (NB-1 arrived at Collinwood around 1 pm next day, while BN-2 left Collinwood in the early afternoon.)

"Pacemaker Service" was extended beyond the terminal points of NB-1/BB-1/BN-2/BB-2 using "ordinary" freight symbol trains and local freights/yard transfers to reach points such as Watertown, Malone, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Detroit, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Toledo, Elkhart, South Bend Chicago (Polk Street), Columbus, Springfield, Indianapolis, East St. Louis, Cincinnati & Charleston WV according to NYC's 1951 Merchandise Car Schedule.

By 1957, Pacemaker Service had been dropped, or replaced in kind by Early Bird Service. Hence, PACEMAKER cars became just another boxcar in NYC parlance. - From DTI406 and our thanks.

The original Pacemaker cars were green. 200 brown temporary Pacemaker Service cars were added in 1953. These cars also had a star below the herald that indicated the car was supposed to remain on NYC home rails. I am wondering how long these 200 temporary cars remained in Pacemaker service. Also, was the star removed in the mid-to-late 1950's as the boxcar shortage ended or did the Pacemaker cars keep the star since they were specialized equipment.

Marx made five different types of couplers between 1934 and 1974. If you’ve never seen Marx couplers explained before, here’s a primer on how to identify them and use them together. And I even have a few repair tips if you need them. You’ll see tab and slot couplers more often than any other type. Some people also call them hook and slot couplers, or simply hook couplers. Marx introduced this style of coupler in 1936 and continued to use it until the end in 1974, although Marx relegated it to locomotive-to-tender connections after 1972. Marx may or may not have used it longer than anyone else, but they were the last of the big-name train manufacturers to stop using it in the United States. It wasn’t very realistic, but it was inexpensive and effective. It’s also compatible with a number of other coupler types, so a Marx car outfitted with these couplers makes a useful transition car so you can run more than one type together.

Marx had some variants on this design. Cars intended for electric train sets had their couplers attached via a brass eyelet. Cars intended for clockwork-powered train sets had their couplers attached via tabs or a dimple that allowed them to slide. Clockwork locomotives like some slack in the couplers, as it makes it easier to get the train started. Electric sets work better without that much slack. The small amount of slack you get from fixed couplers is adequate for electric sets.

The original metal version tilt-fork coupler dates to 1936, post-war it was made of plastic. Marx kept making it all the way to the end of its train production, in 1974. It was Marx’s top of the line coupler. All of the train makers wanted a coupler design that could automatically couple or uncouple so as to improve play value. The tilt - fork coupler was Marx's second and more successful effort. The tilt-fork couplers will automatically mate by running the cars into each other, as long as their height is close. It’s a good idea to check your metal tilt couplers’ height against a plastic tilt coupler for smoother running. You can adjust the height slightly by gently bending the coupler up or down.

Later tilt couplers made of plastic had a slot in them to make them compatible with tab and slot couplers. When Jim and Debby Flynn licensed the name Marx Trains and started producing trains in the old Marx style, they included a slot in their metal coupler. Some hobbyists cut a slot in their metal couplers with a Dremel cut-off wheel so they can attach a tab and slot coupler to them. A small cut at the back of the existing opening suffices. ** SiliconeUnderground - Dave Farquhar

1928-30 Joy Line early thin lithograph tinplate loop

1930-34 Marx Joy Line loop type thicker raw metal

1935-36 Marx thick loop type Joy Line 6-inch silver litho over black base

1934-35 Talgo pin coupler on 2-wheel M10000

1934-36 Talgo pin coupler on 4-wheel M10000

1936-50 Talgo pin coupler on M10005 passenger

1938-48 Talgo pin on Mercury articulated passenger 1936 to end of 1948??

1936 to end of 1974 6 inch 4-wheel Riveted Tab & Slot

1936 Riveted Tab and slot 6-inch silver lithographed on black base

1937 One way auto coupler for 8-wheel 6-inch cars with male post die cast and red base

1937-38 Tab and slot 6-inch white lithography on red base electric

1938-42 One way auto coupler for 8-wheel 6-inch cars with male post die cast - 1941 stamped steel post

1938-42 Riveted tab and slot for 6-inch 8-wheel cars

1938-48 Sliding twisted Tab & Slot for clockwork 6-inch

1948-74 Sliding punched Tab & Slot for clockwork 6-inch

1939-40 Sliding twisted Tab & Slot for clockwork silver zinc or tinplate 6-inch base

1941-53 Tilt-fork metal auto-coupler for this 7" series with Type-B 3/16 scale trucks - 1941 vertical slot on coupler

1949-51 Short metal tilt-fork auto coupler cars with taller D trucks

1948-49 Rectangular loop and hook on Canadian 198 powered 6-inch plastic passenger

1950-57 Riveted tab and slot or knuckle, 7-inch cars

1962-70 Riveted tab and slot or knuckle, 7-inch old time passenger cars

1953-1974 Tilt-fork Plastic auto couplers on tin 3/16 and plastic 027 with added slot that allowed Tab & Slot Couplers to mate

1953 to 1974 Plastic Fixed Knuckle Coupler and continued by PlastiMarx - Thanks to - Dan Schievelbein

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