We need Chicago & North Western Unit Coal Trains in O Scale

[Anonymous]

The Chicago and North Western was well know for unit coal trains. With the BN-CNW joint tracks to the Powder River Basin the number of coal trains increased.

Atlas O, Lionel, and MTH have produced several Six-Axle Diesel-Electric Locomotives in the Chicago & North Western paint schemes.

There have been a few CNW coal hoppers by MTH and Weaver Models.

What is missing is a true CNW unit coal train consisting of hoppers or gondolas equipped with rotary couplers for operation in a Rotary Coal Tipple.

The least expensive option is for Lionel or MTH to take the existing BathTub Coal Gondolas and apply the CNW - M&St.L paint schemes. It might be too much to ask for another Modern Coal Hopper or Gondola from Lionel, Weaver, and MTH. The have to get the most out of the Coal Gondolas and Hoppers that they already have.

Weaver Models could offer a rotary coupler for their High-Sided Open-Top Hoppers to make them work in the Lionel Rotary Coal Tipple.

Even though the Minneapolis & St. Louis was merged into the C&NW in 1961, the people at C&NW continued to use the reporting marks when needed.

Chicago & North Western had Bathtub Coal Gondolas.

Source: "The American Freight Train" by Jim Boyd
M&St.L 400 Series of Steel Body Coal Gondolas Built in 1978

Source: "C&NW Final Freight Car Roster" by C&NW Historical Society
M&St.L 220-339 Series of Aluminum Body Coal Gondolas Rebuilt in 1989

Unlike most other C&NW cars they never had a NorthWestern Herald or the specific colors of either railroad. There are a few ways to go with this paint scheme.

For the 1978 Steel Body car built by Bethlehem Johnstown my preference is a car body that is mostly Safety Yellow to constrast with the coal. If the coal is black and the car is black everything visually blends together. Since it is an O Scale Gondola, the NorthWestern Herald needs to be as large as possible.

Minneapolis & St. Louis Open-Top Hopper Schemes can be used to create a new CNW - M&St.L combination scheme.

What coal gondola variations would M&St.L and C&NW operators like to have?

A Chicago & North Western AC4400CW Diesel-Electric Locomotive pair is needed to pull these unit coal train.

The option of an End-Of-Train-Device is needed on the Final CNW or M&St.L Coal Car.

Andrew Falconer