The Nebraska Zephyr

If I remember correctly, there is a Nebraska Zephyr at the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union that is run on their excursion tracks.

 

I am with you about having this train available in O-Gauge, but I sure hope that it is manufactured as a scale set. 3rd Rail/GGD would be a perfect match to accomplish this.

The Burlington E5 model locomotive is simply the forerunner of the E6, the main, and most obvious, difference is, the Burlington E5 units are STAINLESS STEEL. The CB&Q also had E5B units, their ONLY B units in the E series passenger line. I was certainly not uncommon to see the famous California Zephyr being hauled by an E5A, E5B, and an E7A, enroute to Denver from Chicago.

 

MTH sure would have an EXCELLENT seller, if they offered their A-B-A E6 model in the Burlington's fluted stainless steel car bodies, to look like a Burlington E5 set. I would sure purchase THAT set!

Actually THE CB&Q Nebraska Zephyr is at the Illinois Railway Museum, and the photos posted above are of THEIR train, during an excursion this past October, on the BNSF main line.

I was proven wrong again I believe. I was able to find a pic that looks like this same train, MTH 20-2359-1 Burlington Silver. Anyone have this set and can post pics or vid. I did search here but couldnt find any. The pic I found was from ebay which they were selling other TTX item. But you can see it. Dont know if this is the same  MTH item# from above. Would appreciate some info

 

Thanks. 

That's not an MTH model.  I don't recall who (Overland or Challenger???) made the E5 in plated brass O Scale.

 

MTH's 2002 E6 offering can be viewed here:

http://www.mthtrains.com/content/20-2359-1

 

The thing that makes the Nebraska Zephyr truly unique is that it is an articulated trainset.  The passenger cars are joined over the trucks, gorgeous from an appearance standpoint, difficult from a maintenance standpoint.

 

 

Rusty

As I recall, Key produced the Burlington E5A and E5B models in O Scale 2-Rail only. They were/are VERY EXPENSIVE!!!! 

Thanks for the info. Wow it looks great. Would still like to see some pics of the MTH model though.

Actually I got my response from the ebay seller, Key Model Imports E5 Phase one A unit. 

Heck, I remember seeing an E5 on a Sunday scoot one fine day.

 

Rusty

MTH did NOT make CB&Q E5A nor E5B models! MTH has ONLY made the EMC/EMD E6A & E6B "slant nose" models, plus of course the "normal" EMD E8A & E8B models. Although the MTH E8 A-B-A series were done in CB&Q, with the red nose stripe patterns, the CB&Q NEVER had any E7B, nor E8B units (ONLY E5B units). No manufacturer has done the CB&Q E5A & E5B units in O Scale, 3-Rail! Believe me, if anybody offered E5A & E5B units in 3-Rail, I would have at least one A-B-A set, probably two sets!

The only E5's currently being offered are by Kato in N Scale:

 

http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/index.html

 

Rusty

Out of curosity does have pics of MTH 20-2359-1? Would like to see pics of it. 

Have you tried going to the MTH website and "searching" that item number?

yes i did. but they are stock pictures and really dont always show the true model representation. 

On it.  Their product locator "Find It" sez all gone, no posted retail stocks.  Hey, it's been 11 years of catalogues since it was done!  Something like this linger at the retail level????  Yeah, right.

MTH or Lionel...I think they both could do a credible job with their E6 tooling...but the accurate differences might be more expensive to pull off than you think.

 

THIS is one of the reasons why I wish one of the sumos would issue a few undecs from time-to-time.  Sure, the corrugations, plating, truck skirts, etc., would not be an easy 'bash' for this one, but there are a few who would like a beautiful beast like this as a starting point to do their own road/mods.  FI, just the Santa Fe 'warbonnet' scheme...there were a few variations this icon went through in its lifetime.  Rather than expect the sumos to execute these variants, there's enough Fe-o-philes who might chose to do so themselves.  After all, lucky for US Microscale has the correct decals, O scale, to do any of the variations.  Hey, you could even use an undec as a reasonable...albeit subtlely inaccurate...starting point to do an E1!!!  The Beano's would have to pressure Microscale, however, to do the decals for that one.  Good luck.

 

just another thought....blowin' in the wind.

 

KD

Funny you should mention that KD. There was another model train I really liked after seeing it on youtube, MTH premier E8 Pennsylvania 20-2894-1. I did the same search and came up with zero. So what I did was get a list of all MTH dealers I could think of and sent them all an email to see if any would have it. Luck would have it there was one dealer who had it. I was able to get though it did come with some cosmetic issues with the antennas. This was mentioned in another thread I posted here. So it can happen to find it even if the MTH website states none. So later tonight I will do the same and see what I can come up with. Thanks all. 

Did you happen to "search" for Burlington E8? If you had, you would have discovered that MTH offered the A-B-A set, AGAIN, in the 2008, Vol 2 catalog. Item #20-2892-1. Along with PRR E8s too.

 

Thus, it hasn't really been 11 years since MTH had the Burlington E8s out!

There's an old eBay listing by Trainz that has photos of this set. The finish is silver, which is not a patch on the original stainless steel. The listing is here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTH-20...rksid=p2047675.l2557

That set is actually an E6 and NOT a CB&Q E5! The E5 model was FLUTED stainless steel, and all MTH did was paint their E6 models silver/aluminum.

Wow. You guys must be reading my mind or great minds think alike. Here is some pics from that auction. 

If you want to give yourself a bad case of purchase envy take a look at Key Imports' run of early E units (see here:http://www.keymodels.net/id11.html - the photos are by Erik Lindgren so they are outstanding, IMHO). As pointed out above the MTH set comprises later E6 engines.

Wow. Just saw them. What detail! You are right about purchase envy but for me would definitely be buyer's remorse. I did a double take when I saw the price . 

I have a Smith & Sons E5A that I got off of ebay several years ago.  I have converted it to run on 3rail track and it will pull the rails from the ties.  I would love to have the train of the goddesses behind my my E5 but for now my single Atlas dome will have to do

 

Below are pictures from Jan 2010 of my Smith & Sons E5 with my HO E5, both are now decailed for 9911A

 

 

 

 

Very interested to see these models, M.S., and at the risk of being deported or exiled to the 2-rail forum I'll post a photo of Key Imports' CB&Q E5. I don't have one, did not know about them until this thread and am amazed at the level of detail, including the replica prime mover visible through the grilles on the sides, to say nothing of the finish.

 

When checking out the brass Santa Fe early E units Key produced quite recently it's frankly staggering to see the difference between these and other manufacturers' offerings - I'll name no names. I can't imagine that these models will appear in the aftermarket for years. Check this one out here: http://www.keymodels.net/id29.html

 

However, I saw a Lionel 2003 issue Santa Fe E6 A-A set go on eBay last week for yet another ridiculous price that this particular model appears to command if mint NIB - over $1,400. It's a beautiful model but I don't understand the premium on it.

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












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.

Your basic studio shots

An outstanding model and great photos Erik, Thanks for sharing.

Wow - those are just gorgeous.   Wonderful train.

Thanks fellas.

They did turn out well.

A short video of the consist of the Expisition Flyer.
Click the link:

http://youtu.be/YeSSnywFw2I