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Key Model Imports E5 detailed study

Erik C LindgrenErik C LindgrenOGR Forum Member

A review for most of you; I feel it is important this content be in the OGR archives. I have been putting this off for a year and just realized last night I had not posted this on OGR. Well better late than never.

I am very proud that I worked on this assignment with Key Model Imports; a dream come true for me. My first real experience as a researcher; nonetheless I covered a lot of ground. There are a lot of misconceptions about the E5 out there from stainless panels applied to a E6 like a Pullman Standard lightweight car to fellas thinking the red paint was the first variation. It was difficult to weed through the rumors and come to hard facts. I am indebted to the guys all over that still had records and photos and notes about these fine but odd extremely unique locomotives. These were a very different kind of animal that is for sure.

PHASE ONE 1942-1948 Black painted stripes
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Last edited by Rich Melvin
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Erik C LindgrenErik C LindgrenOGR Forum Member
PHASE ONE Late Red painted stripes



In the later years these locomotives were so dirty despite acid baths and cleanings at shoppings that we decided to take a standard approach to the late E5 and make it the standard finish. Dull coating the roof was a good option that I think would have worked well however I felt it gets away from the bare stainless finish. However it would have very well simulated the heavy grime and accumulation of life on the rails for 20 years on the roof and ends that were often missed in cleanings.
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markermarkerOGR Forum Member

I think if I could have any passenger train I wanted, it would be the Exposition Flyer with a CZ car or two, and those magnificent E5's.  The trip from Chicago to San Francisco or back must have been a heck of a trip.  

 

After seeing your photos Erik, I joined the Burlington and DRGW Historical societies and picked up a few Burlington and Rio Grande books.  It was a fun excursion.  

Austin BillAustin BillOGR Forum Member

It's a tie for me between the Burlington E5's and the Grande PA's.  As I posted elsewhere - used to watch the E5 on the C&S/FW&D Texas Zephyr come thru Vernon Texas  along with lots of other folks.  We'd all go down to the station just to see it come thru.  "Big and silver and shiney and she don't make no smoke.  Screaming straight thru Texas like a mad dog cyclone"

Last edited by Austin Bill
mark smark sOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

The E5's were/are regal queens ! The stainless steel on the Silver Pilot and Nebraska Zephyr train set at the Illinois Ry Museum looks as good as the day they were built. Thanks for the contemporary pictures, Chris !

Speaking of favorite trains, the E5's occaisionly showed up on the combined Coloradoan and Nebraska Zephyr in the late '50's of my youth, spent in suburban Chicago.  Huge head end traffic (as many as 20 express cars) plus the articulated 1936 Denver Zephyr posing as the Nebraska Zephyr.

When my race has been run, I hope to be conveyed to heaven on that train - - - pulled by E5's !

Last edited by mark s
Erik C LindgrenErik C LindgrenOGR Forum Member

Maybe!? 

My Rocket E unit was the only one they built. I begged Dave at Key and the builder at FMT to make me an E in full Rocket as delivered before all the heavy mods. I love that full Rocket. Talk about rare.. one of a kind. The production models were very late into the early 50's still nice models but too far outside my era of choice 1938-1949

IMG_1245IMG_1244IMG_1243IMG_1242

 

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Rocky Mountain Rocket near Derby, Colorado in 1941 the way the GM stylists meant her to look. 

(C) photo copyright and courtesy Otto Perry OP-5904 Denver Public Library Western History Collection 

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Last edited by Erik C Lindgren

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