Con-Cor’s N scale Zephyr is a winner

An excellent replica of a famous early streamlined passenger train – the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s Zephyr is now available in N scale. The drawbar-coupled, articulated three-car model combines fine detail, clever construction, and jaw-dropping performance – our sample crept at just 1 mph!

The train. A joint project by the Budd Co., the Electro-Motive Corp., and the CB&Q, the Zephyr made headlines in 1934 for its 13-hour “dawn to dusk” non-stop run between Denver and Chicago. [The Zephyr’s impact on passenger railroading is the subject of this month’s Information Desk. – Ed.]

The model. Con-Cor packages its Zephyr in a large cardboard box with the power car and two trailing cars nestled in individual cut-outs in a soft foam block. Reasoning that few modelers will want to disassemble the train to store it, Con-Cor’s packaging also has a separate trainset-sized cutout. Illustrated directions are included, as is a nifty reproduction of a CB&Q booklet on the prototype.

A modest amount of initial assembly is required. The first step is removing the car shells from the frames. I used the flat of a hobby knife to carefully spread one side of the car away from the frame, then I slipped a business card in place to keep the body from latching back in place while I repeated the process on the other side.

Each car contains a printed circuit board. The high- mounted PC boards don’t interfere with the model’s interior detail. Turning over the PC board in the middle car reveals an NMRA-recommended eight-pin decoder socket with room to install a small digital command control (DCC) decoder such as Digitrax’s DN143IP.

The instructions warn that installation of a decoder voids Cor-Cor’s warranty. The PC board also has contacts for a speaker for sound-capable decoders. The base of the middle car has speaker holes.

The middle car has notched drawbars at either end that firmly snap onto posts mounted on the adjoining cars. I placed the two U-shaped plastic diaphragms between the cars, connected the eight-pin wire jumpers that link the PC boards, then snapped the body shells back in place.

Details and finish. The model is an eye-pleaser, with separately applied wire grabs, flush-mounted tinted windows, crisp lettering, and a smooth silver finish that recalls the prototype’s shot-welded stainless steel. The three-car trainset closely matches prototype drawings printed in the January 1999 issue of Model Railroader.

Con-Cor’s Zephyr puts on quite a light show. In addition to the constant-voltage light-emitting diode (LED) directional headlight and taillight, the model has front and rear marker lights, and its entire passenger compartment is brightly illuminated in a bluish-green that’s reminiscent of fluorescent lighting seen through a tinted window. The interior lights are noticeable under normal room lighting, which probably means they are brighter than real life. It looks great though.

Operation. The Zephyr continued its winning ways on the test track, with smooth, quiet performance throughout its speed range. As mentioned, slow-speed performance was consistently under 1 scale mile-per-hour with just a hint of cogging. At 12 volts the N scale train reached a top speed of 138 mph, about 26 mph faster than the real thing. Although the model lacks couplers, I tested the drawbar pull anyway and recorded .64 of an ounce. That’s enough to haul itself up grades and around curves with power to spare should Con-Cor decide to make a fourth car as an add-on. (The CB&Q added a fourth car when the Zephyr entered revenue service.)

Con-Cor says the Zephyr can negotiate 9¾” curves. Looking at the closely coupled trainset, I had my doubts. Sure enough, our sample ran just fine on a figure-8 of 9¾” Kato Unitrack. However, the model looks unrealistic on such tight curves.

With its excellent detail, lighting, and performance, Con-Cor’s Zephyr is an outstanding replica of a historically significant train and a sure-fire attention-getter on any layout.

Con-Cor N scale Zephyr

Price: $379
Manufacturer
Con-Cor International Ltd.
8101 E. Research Court
Tucson, AZ 85710
www.all-railroads.com
Description
Plastic three-car articulated power car and trainset
Road names
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR and painted silver but unlettered

Con-Cor Zephyr features

Directional lighting
Eight-pin DCC decoder socket
Flush-fitting windows
Five-pole contour 36″ metal wheels, correctly gauged
Separately applied handrails
16-wheel electrical pickup
Trainset weight: 3 ounces
Detailed interiors
Interior lighting in second and third cars