ALCo RS36 CNW

These are N scale 3D printable files for the American Locomotive Company (ALCo) RS36 in Chicago & North Western Railway markings, specifically modeled for CNW No. 4259. Designed to fit on an Atlas RS11 frame.

The RS36 was one of ALCo's later road-switcher designs, produced between 1962 and 1963 as part of the company's effort to offer a competitive 1,800-horsepower road-switcher in the face of growing pressure from EMD's GP series. Powered by the ALCo 12-251B prime mover, the RS36 was a development of the successful RS11 and RS32 lineage. Only 40 RS36s were built in total — making it one of the rarest members of ALCo's road-switcher family — and the Chicago & North Western purchased just one. CNW No. 4259 was therefore the only RS36 the railroad ever owned, and the only RS36 ever to wear CNW yellow and green — a singular locomotive in every sense.

The Chicago & North Western Railway was one of ALCo's most loyal customers throughout the diesel era, operating a diverse fleet of ALCo road-switchers across its network spanning from Chicago to the upper Midwest and the Great Plains. No. 4259 worked in the railroad's distinctive yellow and green livery — one of the most recognizable paint schemes in Midwestern railroading — handling the mixed freight and agricultural traffic that defined CNW operations across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas. As the railroad's sole RS36, it was a one-of-a-kind machine on a railroad that otherwise favored EMD power in its later years, making it a fascinating outlier and a prized subject for CNW and ALCo modelers alike.

After purchase, your digital files will be available for immediate direct download from your order confirmation. These files are for Personal Use Only — if you are interested in a commercial license, please contact us.

Please allow a few weeks for 3D printing and shipping. Decals are shipped separately — please allow some additional time for decal printing and shipping after ordering.