Revell - 2301 - Locomotive, Diesel, Baldwin VO-1000 - Chicago & North Western - 1047

Model Information: Arnold first produced this model in 1962. It was one of their earliest N Scale locomotives. This model was never retooled as Arnold gained increasing capability and sophistication in their production of N Scale engines, and was consequently retired by the early 1970s. No, it doesn't run very well and yes the body shell lacks detail and crisp painting. But, as one of the first N Scale models, it is of historical significance. It roughly models a Baldwin Switcher that could be inspired by a VO-1000, but that is giving a very wide latitude to the term 'roughly'. It has pizza cutter wheels that really are so deep they won't handle turnouts well much less run on Code 55 track.

Prototype History: The Baldwin VO-1000 was a diesel-electric locomotive (switcher) built by Baldwin Locomotive Works between January, 1939 and December, 1946. The 236,260–242,200 lb (107,170–109,860 kg) units were powered by a normally aspirated eight-cylinder diesel engine rated at 1,000 horsepower (746 kW), and rode on a pair of two-axle trucks in a B-B wheel arrangement. These were either the AAR Type-A switcher trucks, or the Batz truck originally developed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as a leading truck for steam locomotives. 548 examples of this model were built for American railroads, including examples for the Army and Navy.

Between June and August, 1945 Baldwin supplied 30 Co-Co road locomotives with 8-cylinder VO engines for export to the Soviet Union as their Дб20 (Db20) class.

There are at least eight intact examples of the VO-1000 that are known to survive today, most of which are owned by museums or historical societies. However, a VO-1000m is owned by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, a local freight carrier based out of Schellville, California.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company (reporting mark CNW) was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s.

Until 1972, when the company was sold to its employees, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway. The C&NW became one of the longest railroads in the United States as a result of mergers with other railroads, such as the Chicago Great Western Railway, Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and others.

By 1995, track sales and abandonment had reduced the total mileage back to about 5,000. The majority of the abandoned and sold lines were lightly trafficked branches in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Large line sales, such as those that resulted in the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad further helped reduce the railroad to a mainline core with several regional feeders and branches.

The company was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in April 1995 and ceased to exist.

Brand/Importer Information: Revell was Arnold’s importer in the 60s.

Starting in 1967, Arnold and Revell, Inc. of Venice, California entered into a distribution relationship. These new trains would be called MicroTRAINs. The first catalog, dated 1967, shows first generation Arnold rapido F-units on the cover.

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