Chicago, Burlington & Quincy CB&Q EMD E5A & Silver Streak Zephyr 6 Unit Set DC **N Scale – KATO

To call the Silver Streak Zephyr famous before its time would be to do the all-corrugated, slick stainless steel train a disservice. Named after a movie of the same name which featured the CB&Qs distinctive corrugated equipment, the Silver Streak Zephyr and its specially built EMD E5A unit Silver Bullet was a short distance luxury train that operated between Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City with stops in Omaha and St. Joseph.

Like the train it pulled, the EMD E5A was a unique piece of equipment – specially built just for the CB&Q so that they could have a locomotive which matched their Budd built corrugated cars, the EMD E5A was wrapped in shining stainless steel and ribbed with corrugated fluting that gave the CB&Qs trains an unmatched streamlined look.

The EMD E5 was built as a 2000 horsepower (despite the E in the name of the locomotive series originally referring to an Eighteen hundred horsepower engine specification) locomotive for passenger service specifically for the Chicago Burlington & Quincy. The major difference between the E5 and its other early E-unit brothers was its stainless steel finish and distinctive fluting, specifically chosen to match the CB&Qs corrugated passenger trains such as the California Zephyr, Nebraska Zephyr, and Silver Streak Zephyr.

EMD E5A #9909 Silver Bullet was built specially for service with the Silver Streak Zephyr and was fitted with Skirts on the trucks and a covered cowl to emphasize the sleek, streamlined look of the locomotive and train.

Individual EMD E5A locomotive releases have a variety of different printing patterns on the nose to reflect the general use versions of the CB&Q E5A locomotive, as well as have un-skirted trucks that reflect the locomotive’s later appearance when they would have been used to pull trains such as the California Zephyr.

The EMD E5 has a distinctive raised angular radiator grill arrangement on the roof that was specific for that locomotive.

A special feature of the new Kato EMD E5A is that the front coupler cowling can be removed on both the skirted and un-skirted units in order to mount a Kato magnetic knuckle coupler  this allows modelers to double head these locomotives when pulling longer trains such as the California Zephyr! Please note that the optional couplers are only included with the single locomotive releases.

Another point of interest is that all E5’s were custom built with stainless steel corrugated sides so as to match the CB&Qs stainless cars; a feature that gives these locomotives a noticeable shine and makes the matching Silver Streak Zephyr Zephyr so elegant.

FEATURES:

• Locomotive: Equipped with a mix of body and truck mounted KATO magnetic knuckle couplers
• Locomotive: Directional Golden White LED headlights and illuminated preprinted numberboards
• Locomotive: Drop in DCC compatible with the Train Control Systems K0D8-E Decoder
• Cars: Smooth rolling blackened metal wheels with all-wheel electrical pickup
• Cars: Ability to be lit with optional 11-211/212 Version 2 LED Interior lighting kits
• Cars: Illuminated marker lights on tail car