Models
Due to the Zephyr's place in American railroad history, many model railroaders have built their own versions of the Pioneer Zephyr in miniature. Several model manufacturers are now producing commercial ready-to-run models or kits of the train for modelers to build. This list is sorted by the manufacturer's release date:
- American Flyer introduced one of the earliest versions of the Zephyr in 1934. Originally sold as a 3-car set, the body shells were produced in sand-cast aluminum and hand-polished to represent the stainless steel-skinned prototype. Additional cars became available and the locomotive or "power unit" underwent some refinements during production; and a less expensive stamped lithographed steel version was also produced. The Zephyr set appeared in the 1934-1938 American Flyer catalogs. With the purchase of the American Flyer line in 1937 by the A. C. Gilbert Company, a new line of 3/16th scale O gauge trains moved into production phasing out the Zephyrs and previous O-gauge products collectively known as "Chicago Flyer".
- Challenger Imports imported limited production ready-to-run brass models in HO scale (1:87) of the 4-car Pioneer Zephyr, Mark Twain Zephyr and the Boston and Maine Railroad's Maine Cheshire and Maine Minuteman in 1993.
- Fine N-Scale Products released a kit in 1996 in N scale (1:160) that includes an option for car number 500.
- Con-Cor made limited-run models available in both HO scale and N scale that were released in 2005, and then again in 2012.
- River Raisin Models released a ready-to-run model in S scale of both the Pioneer Zephyr (in three- and four-car configurations) and the similar Flying Yankee, in 2005.
- MTH Electric Trains released a limited production ready-to-run model of the three-car Pioneer Zephyr in O scale (1:48) in 2005.
- In 2007, Fisher-Price released an engine called "Knight" for their GeoTrax Rail & Road System that is clearly inspired by the Zephyr.
Read more about this topic: Pioneer Zephyr
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