Just got an e-mail announcement from Internet Hobbies saying that the BLI California Zephyrs had finally arrived. I have no plans of getting one. I do however wonder how the recent Con-Cor Zephyr will stack up against the “new kid on the block”? I saw the Con-Cor at my LHS and was very impressed with the quality and operation of it.
Tom
BLI just put new pictures on their web page also.
http://www.broadway-limited.com/products/images/calzephyr/new1/cz02.jpg
We’re talking about apples and oranges here – the California Zephyr being marketed by BLI was nothing at all like the Pioneer Zephyr sold by Con-Cor. The Con-Cor Zephyr is a model of the original Burlington 3-car Zephyr that ran as a single unit. The California Zephyr was a regular sized passenger train that ran between Chicago and San Francisco and involved three separate railroads; the Burlington, Rio Grande, and Northern Pacific.
Cacole, thanks for the explanation. What is the price tag on the California Zephyr?
I know that it is something I’ll never afford in my teenage years!
Are you sitting down? I don’t want you to faint and hurt yourself when you hear the price. This is one of those cases where, if you have to ask, you obviously can’t afford it.
The California Zephyr in its heyday was a quarter of a mile long, 10 or 12-car passenger train pulled by an A-B-A locomotive set on the Burlington, an A-B-B-A set on the Rio Grande across the Rocky Mountains, and an A-B-A set on the Westerm Pacific through the Feather River Canyon.
Sorry, but I mis-identified the Western Pacific as Northern Pacific in my earlier post.
If you have a subscription to Model Railroader, look at the advertisement for First Hobby in Decatur, Illinois, on page 27 of the December 2005 issue.
A-B Sets: $329.99
A or B unit separately: $167.49
California Zephyr Passenger Cars: $57.99 to $61.99 EACH!!!
So, for an A-B-A or A-B-B engine set and passenger cars, you’re looking at something in the neighborhood of $1,192, give or take a couple hundred depending on how many passenger cars you want to run. Plus Shipping.
I think I’ll let someone else buy the one that BLI was going to make for me.
woooooohoooooohooooooohoooooo----ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—little dizzy!
Seriously, I was expecting something in that range, knowing its such a long train, but 2700! I ws expecting something more like $1300!
Charles,
Thanks for the clarification between the Burlington Zephyr and the California Zephyr. [:)] I’m still learning this stuff…[%-)]
Tom
Im with Cacole, the BLI Zephyrs is over my head too. However the Con Cor does make the California Zephyr in 85’ corrugated passenger cars and the Dome Obs car would be a great touch, cant see getting a bank loan for the BLI.
However I almost mentioned the above pricing with the Finanacial officer of the Feather River Route as a dinner topic, while looking at the hot meal she prepared and knowing I would be sleeping indoors again, thought better of it.LOL…John
By my estimation : around $2000 will get you 12 cars plus the three loco sets. expensive by good value if that makes any sense. It depends on your priorities. Here in South Africa our currency is very weak against the dollar. Nonetheless I have ordered the zephyr - With postage the 12 cars will cost me half a months salary (as a senior engineer). But I REALLY want it!!
I have bought a 3 unit set of WP F3’s from Genesis. But at some point I would like to mix in some F7s - so we will se what my NOvember 13th cheque brings…
I figured I can get the DRG&W and CBQ locos any time. Right now I was just determined to get the cars.
To cheer you up I think the BLI pricing on the cars is fair. The concor California Zepyhr is and approximate model. The BLI cars are the first time the zephyr has been accurately modelled in HO at a reasonable price. Reasonable? - well the alternative is brass at $300 or more per car…
CHeers, and enjoy tthe zephyr.
PS I’m also very interested in the Pioneer Zephyr. Its just a little early for the period I model…
The eleven cars for the Western Pacific section will be about seven hundred dollars and will be pulled by a Genesis set of ABB F3’s. The WP did not use any ABA sets in any of the books I have. All total, the price for the WP train that I want is under one thousand dollars. Now I grant you this is not cheap, but I hope they will be worth the money.
I am not sure how you get 2700 unless you are referring to all the total cars for all three railroads. Anyway, that would be nice but I am not sure that would benefie anyone since the train running from Chicago to Oakland could not be duplicated on any one model railroad and be convincing. I don’t believe that would be a good investment since most plastic models in general do not
Thanks bangert1.
My Genesis Western Pacific F3’s are an ABB set.
I was figuring to possibly get Alco PAs for the DRG&W - bit of variety?
Can you comment on the CB&Q motive power? Would E8’s ever have been appropriate or should I stick to F’s?
Thanks in advance,
After thinking about my original figure of $2,700, I realized that it couldn’t possibly be that much. I think the battery on my TI-99 calculator is getting weak and causing erroneous results. Usually they are so outrageously erroneous, that it’s more obvious.
The recalculated price would be $1,192 for a 12-car A-B-A or A-B-B set. Sorry about that.
But still more than I’m willing to spend on a passenger train.
The CB&Q purchased 3 ABA sets of ph II F3’s for the CZ. These were soon replaced with normal 2 or 3 unit sets of E’s. IIRC, the numbers of the F3’s were 9960ABC-9962ABC. The F’s wound up in the general freight pool. The E’s could vary from E5 through E9 locomotives. Only the E5’s had ‘B’ units and most of the E5’s were transferred to the C&S/FW&D subsidiary. I remember seeing 3 unit sets of mixed E7/E8/E9 ‘motors’ on the train in the 60’s.
The Rio Grande used ABA sets of PA’s(and even repainted in a special paint scheme to match the train). These were soon replaced with 4 or 5 units sets of passenger F’s.
The WP bought ABB sets of F3’s for the train, and later purchased FP7’s as well.
Jim Bernier