Growing up in MN, seeing a freight Burlington Northern train rolling by was a common site. I was always excited when I would see a Billy Goat mixed in for Great Northern. If you are a fan of Great Northern and a new comer to z scale, you may wonder how well GN is represented in z scale. Well good news, as time goes we are seeing more and more choices.
Great Northern Z Scale Locomotives
While a train usually has one or two locomotives and a bunch of cars, locomotives still they are our favorite. Your z scale Great Northern locomotive selection isn’t huge but again as z scale grows, so does the variety. For steam locomotives, you can find a Glacier Green 2-8-2 Mikado from AZL. Your best bet may be the after market but you may still find a new one on a dealers shelf. They are tender drive and a real work of art. Marklin made a Great Northern Mikado as well. Not as detailed but still a fine representation by the manufacture who started it all. For diesel power, MTL offered a GN Sky Blue F-7 A/B and a GP9. AZL has an SD45 and a F-3 A&B. You will also find a few custom painted options around as well.
Great Northern Z Scale Rolling Stock
For Great Northern freight, most of the current manufactures in z scale feature Great Northern. One of my favorite z scale manufactures is Full Throttle. This small company continues to churn out unique offerings and have z scale GN hoppers, wood chip cars, covered hoppers and small reefers. AZL has a nice choice of Great Northern freight including my favorite some small 2 Bay Hoppers. MTL continues to sprinkle in some z scale freight including a 10 car GN Circus Care Set. So named for their variety of color. More choices pop up every few months.
Great Northern Z Scale Passenger Cars
Even passenger cars have become readily available in z scale. MTL released as Sky Blue Set that you will have to shop the aftermarket for as well as a few Empire Builders. AZL has released a stunning collection of the Great Northern Empire Builder in z scale. They really are impressive! I fear they will sell out fast!
