Lionel Spotlights CP Rail Grain Train Set

Most railroaders don't often take the time to appreciate the rich history and diversity in the Canadian rail system, but Lionel's latest spotlight will have you paying more attention. 

They've got a new set that brings the Canadian Pacific's agricultural service to life in magnificent color and style. You can read the full details and history of this CP Rail Gran Train set straight from Lionel below. 

New Product Spotlight – CP Rail Grain Train Set

Now the excitement of those long and colorful unit trains of Canadian grain can be brought to layouts of any size with this new Ready-to-Run set. Based on some of the many popular paint schemes of the Canadian cylindrical covered hoppers and powered by a locomotive in the attractive “Dual Flags” scheme of CP Rail, this set is ready for the wheat rush.
set

Beginning in 1972, the Canadian government began financing the construction of several thousand covered hoppers for agricultural service. These would finally bring an end to the days of loading grain in 4o foot boxcars. Most of the cars were financed by the national government and wore a variety of colorful schemes. They were leased to Canadian Pacific and Canadian National with CPWX or CNWX reporting marks on the cars.
Alberta

Several provincial governments also supplied cars to the pool. The bright blue Alberta cars featured unique names of towns and counties. Saskatchewan has recently added new cars in one of the most colorful schemes yet. In addition to all of these, the major Canadian railroads ordered their own cars. All together, these cars operated out of a general pool so they would be available wherever and whenever needed.

Much of the grain carried in these cars was destined for ports and shipment overseas. As CP and CN expanded their networks in the 1990s with the purchase of some strategic American railroads the sight of the Canadian covered hoppers and locomotives south of the border became even more common.

Now you can handle this lucrative traffic on your railroad with the new CP Rail Grain Train. This complete set includes a CW-80 transformer, 60″ x 40″ oval of FasTrack, U36B locomotive, three covered hoppers and a caboose. The locomotive features:

• Transformer Controlled Forward / Neutral / Reverse
• RailSounds RTR including diesel engine revving, horn, bell and operator-activated crew dialog
• Dual Motors
• Traction Tires
• Metal Frame
• Operating Headlight
• Illuminated Cab Interior
• Dual Operating Couplers
• Engineer and conductor figures

The covered hoppers feature operating couplers, and sprung die-cast metal trucks. The caboose features a metal frame, ladders, smokestack and trucks plus interior illumination. All of the cars and locomotive will negotiate an O-27 curve.

I think this is a stunningly beautiful starter set. It has some of the most colorful cars and stylish logos of any I've seen in a long time, and it's enough to brighten up any young railroader's collection. The distinctive Canadian flair is just icing on the cake for me, making it an even more unique and visually attractive little train. The "dual flags" motif on the locomotive is a fun reminder of the rail's increasing presence in the States. Just imagine this picturesque train rolling through golden grain fields on a backdrop of rich blue sky.  

Once you do, I can't imagine anyone regretting this train's vibrant addition to their layout or collection. You can keep an eye out for this rainbow-colored train on the DASH Marketplace, along with other amazing Lionel starter sets and grain cars.