Date Expected- 03/30/2026
9549 C&NW 4-6-2 "Yellow Jacket", #617, 1952 Appearance, No-Sound / DCC-Ready, HO
The Chicago and North Western Railway was well-known for its extensive passenger service across the Midwest, with its famous “400” series of trains becoming a symbol of travel between Chicago and the Upper Midwest. When the time came to modernize these iconic trains, the railroad sought a streamlined locomotive to match their sleek design. The result was the Class ES Pacific steam locomotive.
Built in 1930 by Alco, the ES locomotives were originally intended for the “400s.” However, before the engines were even delivered, C&NW management decided to shift focus away from streamlined steam power and instead placed orders for new diesel locomotives from General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division. As a result, the ES locomotives were reassigned to other passenger services until they were retired and scrapped in 1953. Crews affectionately nicknamed them “Yellow Jackets” because of their distinctive yellow and green paint schemes.
For this first production run of the “Yellow Jackets,” we are recreating models from three distinct prototypical eras, each with era-specific details and paint schemes. This includes the locomotives’ renumbering during the early 1950s. Additionally, we’re excited to offer two fantasy schemes for this run, featuring liveries for the Seaboard Air Line and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois. All models have hand-crafted brass boilers, cabs, and tender bodies, and die cast locomotive and tender chassis.
Industry-leading Model Features:
• ALL-NEW Paragon4 Sound & Control System
• Synchronized Puffing Smoke with Chuff Sound
• Variable Puffing Smoke Intensity and timing
• Integral DCC Decoder with Back EMF for Industry Best Slow Speed Operation in DC and DCC
• Precision Drive Mechanism engineered for continuous heavy load towing and smooth slow speed operation
• 5-Pole Can Motor with Skew Wound Armature
• Handcrafted Brass Boiler, Cab, and Tender Body, and Heavy Die Cast Chassis for Increased Tractive Effort
• Premium Caliber Painting with Authentic Paint Scheme
• Prototypical Light Operation with Separately Controllable Headlight, Numberboard Lights, and cab light
• Factory-installed Engineer and Fireman Figures
• Prototypically Accurate Models for 1942, 1944, and 1952 appearances
• Many Separately Applied Details such as Handrails, Grab Irons, Ladders, Piping, Cab Glass, Whistle, Brass Bell, Markers, Numberboards, Air Tanks, and Many Others
• Equipped with Rubber Traction Tires for Increased Pulling Power
• Recommended Minimum Radius: 18 inches
• Accurate Prototypical Sounds for the C&NW Yellow Jacket
Broadway Limited Imports is proud to introduce Paragon4: The new benchmark for premium HO sound-equipped locomotives. These DC and DCC-Sound equipped locomotives feature the ALL-NEW Paragon4 sound and control system. Each Paragon4 locomotive comes with BLI's own integral DCC Decoder factory installed. Paragon4 locomotives offer Dual Mode DC and DCC operation with superb back EMF motor control, improved DC motor control, built-in capacitor pack for more reliable electrical pick-up, industry best on-board sound with Rolling Thunder functionality, Pro Lighting Mode for prototypical light control, Switcher model for precise low speed control, recordable DCC operation for automated playback, and the same excellent detail level as Broadway Limited's Paragon3 Series models.
Paragon4 Sound & Control System Features:
• Operates in DC & DCC with improved DC speed control (use DCMaster for DC Sound)
• Built-In capacitor pack to navigate imperfect track
• Capacitor Pack automatically disabled on program track for full compatibility with JMRI Decoder Pro
• Pro Lighting Mode offers individual control of all lights on model
• Switcher Mode for precise low speed control.
• Record & Play Operation - Records and plays back sounds and movements once or repeatedly for automatic operation
• High Resolution Audio
• Quillable Whistle for various whistle lengths and patterns
• Choice of 3 selectable whistle
• Alternate Whistle / Horn where applicable for locomotive with air horn and steam whistle - both the main whistle and alternate can be easily played
• Adjustable bell ringing interval for faster or slower bell
• Numerous user-mappable functions with available keys
• Johnson Bar Sound at Direction Change
• Multiple realistic passenger and crew sounds play on command
• Grade Crossing Automatic Signal
• Automatic Forward / Reverse Signal - When activated, stopping triggers and stop whistle toot. When moving forward from a stopped position, toots twice. When moving in reverse. toots three times.
• Chuff sound intensity varies with load
• Individually adjustable sound volumes for each effect
• EZ Reset Button for quick return to factory default settings