Great Northern (GN)

Great Northern Railway built one of America's most successful privately funded transcontinental railroads, connecting the Pacific Northwest with the Midwest. Today, Great Northern model trains remain highly collectible thanks to the railroad's mountain operations, colorful locomotive paint schemes, and famous passenger service.

Collectors searching for Great Northern model trains often seek GN locomotives, freight cars, cabooses, and streamlined passenger equipment representing both the steam and diesel eras.

The Empire Builder became Great Northern's signature passenger train, while the Oriental Limited also helped establish the railroad's reputation for premium transcontinental service. These iconic trains continue to inspire collectors recreating classic western passenger operations.

Great Northern's routes through the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Range also make GN equipment a favorite for layouts featuring dramatic scenery and heavy mountain railroading.

Collectors frequently search for Great Northern F7, GP9, SDP45, SD45, and other diesel locomotives finished in Glacier Green or the later Big Sky Blue paint scheme. Steam locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, and cabooses are also popular additions to Great Northern collections.

If you're looking for Great Northern model trains for sale, our inventory may include new, pre-owned, vintage, collectible, discontinued, retired, and hard-to-find GN locomotives, freight cars, passenger equipment, cabooses, and complete train sets.

Great Northern models have been produced by many leading manufacturers, including Lionel, Atlas, Athearn, Bachmann, Broadway Limited, Walthers, Rapido, InterMountain, ScaleTrains, and Kato. Availability varies by locomotive, scale, and production run.

Whether you're building a classic Empire Builder consist or a freight train crossing the Rockies, Great Northern equipment has been produced in nearly every major model train scale.

Great Northern collections often include Glacier Green and Big Sky Blue locomotives, Empire Builder passenger equipment, freight cars, and railroad models collected over many years. If you're considering selling a larger collection, Trainz reviews qualifying collections and estate collections containing multiple pieces.

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Does the Great Northern Railway still exist?

No. In 1970, the Great Northern Railway merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad, along with several other western railroads, to form Burlington Northern.

What is the Great Northern Railway best known for?

Great Northern is best known for the Empire Builder, transcontinental service through the northern United States, mountain railroading, and its Glacier Green and Big Sky Blue locomotive paint schemes.

What are the most collectible Great Northern model trains?

Collectors frequently search for Empire Builder passenger equipment, F7, GP9, SDP45, SD45 locomotives, Glacier Green diesels, Big Sky Blue locomotives, freight cars, and cabooses.

Who makes Great Northern model trains?

Manufacturers including Lionel, Atlas, Athearn, Bachmann, Broadway Limited, Walthers, Rapido, InterMountain, ScaleTrains, and Kato have produced Great Northern locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, cabooses, and train sets.