chicago northwestern help

[Anonymous]

I am hoping one of the knowledgable people that post here can help me with some information.

Here is my story. My father was into model railroads since he was a boy. He is now getting ready retire and his interest has been rekindled. When I was a kid I ruined a train set that was his favorite. I would like to replace it for him for Christmas but haven't been able to find any information. I really don't know exactly what I am looking for but I do remember a little bit about the set. I could ask him some of the details but I really want to surprise him so if anyone could help me out or tell me where to look I would really appreciate it.

Here is what I remember. The set manufactured about 25 to 30 years ago. It was an n scale set of the chicago northwestern. It contained 2 passenger cars an observation car an engine probably had a dummy engine too. As far as I can tell it is no longer made. It looked something like this http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=486&item=5936154558&rd=1

If this is not enough information, what other info would help me find out exactly what it was?

Thanks for any help.

[Anonymous]

WELCOME ABOARD!

I'm into HO so I can't help. If there's no chance of replacing that set, then take a look at the new CB&Q, & it's CZ
just released from www.katousa.com and in LHS now.

[pbjwilson]

You could try Des Plaines Hobby in Des Plaines, IL. They stock the "local" roads.

[phone] is their phone #

Tell them what your looking for and they can probably put it together for you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I have been able to find a couple items up for auction that appear to be what I am looking for. Now my problem is deciding exactly what to get. I don't recall what my father had in his set so I guess I want to aquire what might be considered a standard grouping for a set of passenger trains. So what exactly is that?

Here are the two options I am looking at
option one -
HERE Is A LARGE CHICAGO AND NORTHWESTERN SET OF ATLAS N GUAGE LIGHTED PASSENGER CARS WITH THE ORGINAL BOXES AND WITH THE ENGINE AND CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING.

A #5021A ENGINE THAT RUNS GOOD BUT NEEDS A LUBING AND CONTACT CLEANING.
THERE ARE 4 #322 US MAIL RAILWAY POST OFFICE CARS IN GREAT SHAPE.
THERE ARE 3 "ROOMETTE PASSENGER CARS, ALL IN GOOS SHAPE.
THERE ARE 2 #930 PASSENGER CARS.
ALL OF THESE CARS ARE IN GREAT SHAPE, JUST THE ENGINE NEEDS A LITTLE ATTENTION BUT AM SURE IT WILL WORK GREAT AFTER CLEANING AND LUBING SINE THIS SET WAS ON A SHELF FOR MANY YEARS.

option two -
Con-Cor E8 A-B-A Set Chicago & Northwestern - MIB - a17 N SCALE
Powered A unit runs excellent. Unpowered B & A units. Mint in orignal boxes.

They both would probably end up bidding out at a similar level and really the cost is not too much of a consideration up to a certain point. Option one has more cars for the money. Option two doesn't have all the cars but does have a dummy locomotive which would seem like a plus.

What advice can you give me? I may end up bidding on both if it doesn't get too high but I do have a limit. If I do bid on both, are these two manufacturers going to be interchangable?

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the C&NW didn't own any E-unit Bs - at least, I've never seen a photo of a real one and Lifelike don't offer one in their Proto 2k range despite having the A units. Most of the photos I've seen of their trains have an AA pairing as motive power, though I can't help much beyond that - all the photos I've seen only showed the first three or four cars behind the locos and these would seem to be baggage and RPO cars. I would suggest the first set as being the best option of the two you mention.

[Anonymous]

Your correct, the CNW never owned any E unit B's only A's. But I have seen a few photos of UP B units mixed up with CNW A's on the City's trains.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I really don't know much about model railroading. My dad had pretty much gotten away from it when I was old enough to remember. Now that he is reaching retirement age and has some free time his interest is rekindled and he keeps talking about the CNW set that he had. He liked it so much I think because it was a local railroad that he rode as a kid.

My four year old son is also a train fanatic begining with the wooden Thomas train sets and is now the proud owner of his first HO set. It is such a hoot to watch him play with his grandpa and his trains. I have never seen my dad act like a 10 year old boy until I saw him playing with my son and his trains. I will bid whatever it takes to get the first lot I mentioned. If my dad finds it lacking we can always add on to it. Here is a picture of the set I am bidding on. Let me know what you think.

[Anonymous]

I would say go for it. That looks like a decent consist, and if you were able to track down another loco it would look very convincing. Not sure about the number of RPOs in the lot - personally I'd be looking to have one RPO and a couple of Baggage cars, though you shouldn't have too much trouble tracking down extra cars. Individual cars tend to go quite cheaply on eBay in my experience.

[Anonymous]

25 years ago I was deep into n scale and the atlas set you are bidding would have been the set at the time. It was made by rivorissi in itlay and was very well done. the engine runs fairly well , but with a new type transformer it will run super. mrc will do fine. good luck on getting the set.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by saxd9

Thanks for the replies. I really don't know much about model railroading. My dad had pretty much gotten away from it when I was old enough to remember. Now that he is reaching retirement age and has some free time his interest is rekindled and he keeps talking about the CNW set that he had. He liked it so much I think because it was a local railroad that he rode as a kid.

My four year old son is also a train fanatic begining with the wooden Thomas train sets and is now the proud owner of his first HO set. It is such a hoot to watch him play with his grandpa and his trains. I have never seen my dad act like a 10 year old boy until I saw him playing with my son and his trains. I will bid whatever it takes to get the first lot I mentioned. If my dad finds it lacking we can always add on to it. Here is a picture of the set I am bidding on. Let me know what you think.

Nice![8D] Good Luck on getting the set![:)]

[Anonymous]

I don't know if you live in Chicago or not, but in the back of all Model Railroad magazines is a Retailor's Directory. I went to College in Elmhurst Illinois and one noteworthy event in Elmhurst is the long trains that ran (and still run) through it when I went to college there a few decades...cough ...cough ago...lol.

I don't know the name of the hobby store, but its been there since I went to college and I went to college in Elmhurst in the mid-60's on. Look in the Model Railroader's Retail Directory for a hobby shop in Elmhurst Illinois; if anyone knows what was on the Chicago Northwestern's it will be those guys. The phone call will be cheap even if long distance.

A point of note: don't try to duplicate what your father had, most N scale ran like crap back then. Better to get him the RR he wants in the type of train he likes (passenger apparently) using todays technology; you and he will be happy you did. I'm an N scaler and most old N scale stuff weren't good runner's - not all - but most.

And why not help build a small layout with your father, I'm sure it will be an experience you will remember long after he is gone.

Cheers!

[railman]

Here is some proto information on the famed...CNW '400'.., across the great divide, on the 'Trains' forum....
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=23766&REPLY_ID=230908#230908

[Anonymous]

Being a life long Chicago'an I love to look at those old consist's. I grew up where the Burlington Route was King. I am looking for a POLISHED CB&Q consist myself.
Good luck putting this together for your father. He will be pleased.

[PennsyHoosier]

Rick Nicholson's point is very good about the quality of N scale yesterday and today. Get the consist, more or less, and then recreate with some of the better quality materials from today. I did the same with one of my dad's Lionel sets that I, er, "blew up ." The "recreated" set is around his tree right now.

FWIW. I used to ride the CNW into Chicago as a kid to go to the hobby shops downtown. Those are some of my fondest memories. And I still watch the Trains.com webcam in Rochelle. It reminds me of my railfanning days as a boy.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by PennsyHoosier



FWIW. I used to ride the CNW into Chicago as a kid to go to the hobby shops downtown.

I use to zip into downtown from Glen Ellyn on the old CNW, then it's successor, the RTA.

Al's hobby shop may be the one rsn48 referred to. 630-832-4908

[richhotrain]

Be sure to check out the Chicago North Western Historical Society site. Lots of great info, including a Photos section and a Modeling section.

www.cnwhs.org/