Representing the dawn of modern steam power on one of America’s most legendary railroads, the Norfolk & Western K-1 4-8-2 “Mountain” Class stands as a foundational piece of N&W steam history. Built in the early 1920s as the railroad’s first true Mountain-type locomotives, the K-1 fleet ushered in a new era of heavy passenger and fast freight capability across the rugged grades of Appalachia.
While overshadowed in later decades by the streamlined J’s, massive A’s, and mighty Y-class articulateds, the K-1s were the locomotives that proved the Norfolk & Western’s philosophy of in-house engineering and robust, purpose-built performance. Their distinct profile, boiler proportions, and tender designs set the stage for the masterworks that would follow.
For the first time ever, a prototypically accurate K-1 is being produced in O Scale, exclusively from Sunset Models 3rd Rail, built in museum-quality brass with full road-specific detailing across multiple numbers.
Road Numbers Offered
N&W 100 – with 22,000 gallon tender
N&W 109 – with 16,000 gallon tender
N&W 114 - with 16,000 gallon tender
N&W 115 – with 22,000 gallon tender
Model Features
• ALL Brass Construction
• Fully Detailed Backhead with lighted gauges and firebox flicker
• Operating Sand and Turret Hatches, Cab Vents, Doors, and Windows
• Sprung Drivers and Tender Trucks
• Advanced electronics: 3R ERR Cruise/TMCC/Railsounds compatible with TMCC/Legacy/DCS, 3R Conventional for your choice of sound, and 2R ESU Loksound 5.0. Blunami is available as well
• Compatible with Legacy, DCS, TMCC, and Conventional Operation
• Super Smoke System and Coil Couplers (3-Rail Only)
• Powerful Can Motor Drive ensuring smooth, quiet performance under load
• ERR Cruise is compatible with Legacy, DCS, TMCC, and Conventional control systems, Blunami is not and indepently operated through the iPhone or Andriod Apps.
Smoke will not "puff" with Blunami, only constant for the time being...
A Pioneering Mountain-Type, Recreated at Last
The Norfolk & Western was famous for its world-class steam, but every giant has an origin — and the K-1 class is where N&W’s celebrated lineage of high-efficiency, high-power locomotives truly began. These locomotives hauled premier passenger trains, wartime troop movements, and fast freight alike, laying the groundwork for the engineering innovations that made the railroad legendary.
Sunset Models / 3rd Rail is proud to offer the first correct brass O Scale model of the K-1 ever produced, honoring a locomotive class long overlooked but critical to the N&W story.
Reserve yours today and bring the origins of Norfolk & Western steam excellence to your O Scale roster.
