For over 100 years, commuter trains helped make Chicago the rail hub of the nation. Faced with replacing its aging fleet of equipment, the Chicago & North Western turned to St. Louis Car Co. for a new type of suburban commuter car in 1955. Inspired by similar cars on the Burlington, the all-new bilevel cars provided seating on two levels and could carry up to 169 riders. Wide center doors allowed people to get on or off quickly, speeding station stops. Roller bearing trucks, coil springs and cushioned draft gear made the ride quieter and smoother. Electrical power for lights, heat and air conditioning was supplied by a generator refitted to diesels assigned to commuter service (one of the first applications of head-end power). Both the public and the North Western were pleased with the new design. And in 1958, the CNW ordered almost identical bilevel cars from Pullman-Standard to re-equip its Chicago to Green Bay, Wisconsin, trains.

In 1960, special coaches with a small engineer's compartment at one end were built by Pullman-Standard. This allowed trains to operate in push-pull fashion, eliminating time consuming and costly switching of the engine at the end of each trip. Over the next several years, additional coaches and cab cars were ordered from P-S.

For the next 40 years, these cars were a fixture of Chicago-land commuter trains. The Rock Island later used the design and as the suburban service was transferred from private to public operation, the cars were repainted for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Today, many are still in operation as part of the METRA fleet (While the remaining cars are slated for retirement by 2005, at least four, including the first coach and cab car, have been preserved at railroad museums.), and some are used by Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express.

Modeling suburban service will be fast and easy with these new replicas of both coach and cab cars. Models come fully assembled and ready for service with all the details found on the prototypes, including full interiors, flush-fitting tinted windows, removable roof with separate details, working diaphragms and more. Each car also includes separate wire grab irons and number decals. Authentic trucks with RP-25 metal wheels and knuckle couplers (optional horn-hooks are also provided) are standard equipment, as are swinging coupler pockets for better performance on layout curves. Each car also has factory-installed electrical pickups for use with the Bilevel Car Lighting Kit (#933-1058, sold separately) that provides uniform illumination throughout the car and installs in minutes with no special tools.

Be sure to check our Web-site for period motive power to pull your trains, including Walthers Trainline(R) F40PH in METRA (#931-303), Virginia Rail Express (#931-328) and various Amtrak schemes.