What's better than a surprise? How about when that surprise is a run of GE B36-7 Locomotives, DCC and LokSound ONLY, in new, attractive paint schemes? Rapido is proud to announce five different B36-7s. Each has its own unique twist to it. Let's dig into the small details.

When you think of SPSF, I bet "Kodachrome" is the first thing that crosses your mind. (No, not the song.) With its attractive red and yellow, it screams "80s" (and failed mergers...). With its Stratolite, unique rooftop details and the signature red number boards, the SF 7497 surely is a sight to behold. But what about those Espee fans?

Glad you asked! For Southern Pacific, we are offering TWO B36-7 Schemes! First up is what we're calling the "Late" version, which is sometimes referred to as "lobotomized." What this means is the Mars light and red emergency light have been removed and a Stratolite has been added above the headlight. This bracket is an all-new piece tooled up just for this run! (We really are SP-centric...) Two road numbers are available: 7759 and 7769. For anyone thinking why I chose 7769, this photo of the lineup in Chicago was the inspiration.

The second SP B36-7 scheme is the famous "Speed Lettering", which was applied to two locos (7758 and 7766) in the mid 90s. Externally, these are virtually the same as the "Late" versions.

How could we forget the east? Conrail wraps up this run of HO Scale B36-7 Locos with two iconic schemes: The Juniata repaints with white sill and the Conrail Quality repaints. You couldn't set foot on the Water Level Route without seeing one of these leading a high-speed van train. Both of these schemes feature front-only ditch lights, the iconic Juniata style font for the number boards and JBS CR repaint logo on the conductors side.

There are three road numbers to choose from in the white sill stripe versions: 5024, 5046 and 5055. For CR-Q, the road numbers are: 5008, 5039 and 5056. As with the previous run, the red marker lights will be working and the ditch lights will flash when the horn is activated. Buy all three and recreate your Chicago high priority intermodal!

Now a word of warning on ordering this run of HO Scale B36-7 Locomotives: DON'T WAIT! This run has extremely limited quantities. Late last year, the factory notified us that they had an open production window and needed a ready-made project immediately. Enter the B36-7s. So with that in mind, we are certain these will sell FAST. This means bug your local hobby shop or dealer... NOW!

With that lovely stern message out, let's take a look at the catalog. Click on the photo below to browse through item numbers.

If you're still browsing and want some of the HO Scale B36-7 Locomotives, why are you still reading this? Put your orders in immediately! Go...go...go!

Click here to visit the B36-7 web site. If we are sold out at Rapido, have no fear! Your dealer may have ordered already or can order from his or her distributor.

We've been hearing the requests for the 53' Husky Stack Well Cars. (For the sake of space in the newsletter, it's being shortened to 53' Well Cars.) And we are proud to present another run of these cars, by themselves - which means they will not feature containers. Just like the B36-7s above, these are also limited in quantity, but there should be enough for everyone if you act fast! OK, enough jibber jabber, let's take a look at the features and schemes.

WAIT! Did we mention we upgraded the tooling to allow the walkways to be properly see-through?

On this run of 53' Well Cars, we are offering six paint schemes; four TTX variations, Canadian Pacific and Ferromex. We should point out that Ferromex is a new scheme and has been popular in the western part of North America. This is your chance to grab a few! We are also doing the Race for the Cure scheme again.

$5 from every sale of a Race for the Cure model will be donated to Lionel Strang's One More Year campaign with the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation to support mental health of cancer patients.

But what about those car details? Glad you were forced to ask!

The Rapido 53' Husky Stack Well Car features an all die-cast body, injection molded end handrails and brake detail and a combination of etched and plastic walkways. Those trucks you see are free-rolling 70-tons, which have separate break shoe detailing. This is an all-around sturdy, yet highly detailed car that you can easily run loaded or empty!

Just a friendly reminder, containers ARE NOT being offered with the well cars. This offering is just the 53' Well Cars, by themselves.

Need to check out those road and item numbers? They're all listed in our fancy catalogue. Check them out by clicking the photo below.

These cars won't be available for long, so make sure you grab a few ASAP! As with the B36-7, the 53' Well Cars come in limited quantities, so chances are if you wait - you'll miss out! Contact your favorite dealer or hobby shop. Please click here to visit the web site.

Time to go pre-modern and introduce the USRA Single Sheathed Boxcar! During World War I, US railroads struggled to keep wartime traffic moving, with plenty of car shortages and the constant need for more freight to be moved. To solve this issue, President Wilson formed the United States Railway Association, or USRA for short. Their first task was to develop common designs for freight cars, one of which came in the form of a 40' single-sheathed wooden boxcar. Over 25,000 copies were built, starting in 1918.

Did we mention OVER 25,000 USRA Single Sheathed Cars were built? that's enough to fill over 3 Elkhart Yards (For you western folk, think Colton...). That's a lot of cars! These were originally delivered to 22 different railroads and lasted well into the 1950s, many in their original form. Several railroads would later rebuild these cars with steel sides. OK, that's enough history class for today, let's see those 3D renders and model features.

Rapido’s new model of the USRA Single Sheathed Boxcars features an all-new body with correct steel underframe and correct free-standing details.

This is the full list of features:

Those underframes sure are detailed!

And now time for the graphic part - the master list of schemes. Scroll down to check them out.

Who wants to see a catalog? The USRA Single Sheathed Boxcar catalog features everything you need to know about road numbers and the ever-important item numbers. Click the photo below for more info.

Ah, the order deadline part. As soon as we get pre-production samples, clean them up and possibly paint them, then we'll have a better idea of when to announce the deadline date. Until them, keep a close eye on anything related to the USRA Single Sheathed Boxcars.

Click here for more information or to order direct!

It's all about the box. For the first time in N Scale, the PC&F B-100-40 Boxcars will grace the rails! SP fans rejoice! This important and popular car only had 250 copies produced. This may not seem like a lot, but they played a pivotal role in lumber, paper and other services for SP. These cars were built with the iconic full Hydra-Cushion underframe, half-height waffle sides, a capacity of 5195-cu ft, Car Pac loaders and 12' doors. They could be seen throughout North America. Many are still in service today, wearing their SP paint, Golden West blue or patched out for UP and Columbus and Greenville.

Lots to love on this utilitarian car! We made sure that we packed as much detail into the N Scale PC&F B-100-40 Boxcar as possible. Plus there will be two variations like it's bigger brother: The as-delivered with the door bar and the modified Amtrak versions with the door wheel.

Did you say Amtrak? Yes! You can now run those long "Amfreight" consists iconic to the late 1990s and early 2000s. We know you want to! (And we know those Amtrak N Scalers exist!) The N Scale B-100 will wear two iconic Amtrak schemes!

The N Scale B-100-40 Boxcar features:

Now let's take a look at those wonderful schemes! Scroll down to check them out.

Can't forget the B-100-40 Boxcar catalog. It's loaded with everything you need to know to order one or all 250 cars. (By the way, that's only 78 feet! Go on! order all of them!) Click the photo below to escape my rambling and see the catalog.

Once we have a sample of the N Scale B-100-40 Boxcar, we'll have a better idea of when the order deadline can be set. until then, keep a lookout on our social media or future newsletters.

Please click here for more info or to order direct.

This pretty switcher is being offered by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, through Rapido. For every SW1200 #30 that we sell, 20% goes to the GNRHS! Now that's a great offer! Click here to buy one today!

Number 30 is offered with DCC and ESU LokSound, in the attractive green, orange and yellow striping. Now you can safely switch out your grain and flour mills safely.

But, don't hesitate! Only 60 of these GNRHS Exclusive SW1200s were produced and as of now, we're almost 50% sold out. Don't let "Rocky" down; place your order today!

Who likes surprises? We now have a limited number of HO Scale Edmonton Transit New Look Buses available for purchase! These will be available as Deluxe ONLY, and they are in stock! Click on the link and search for Edmonton in the "find" field. Now, for the photos!

The Edmonton Transit New Looks are available with five different routes to pick from: 51/Capilano, 38/University, 70/Coliseum, 23/Kingsway Mall and 10/West Jasper Pl. (Sorry fans, there's no Connor McDavid Road yet - he'd have to actually win for that to happen!) (Ed: No, but I hear they are seriously considering a Carey Price Street. Shwing!)

Please click here for more info or to order direct. Remember to search for Edmonton in the search field.

We didn't make that many of these. It's not like we expected the Oilers to get past the first round. (Ed: Ouch!) So order yours today!

Last newsletter we announced the HO Scale Autoflood III Rapid Discharge Hopper Cars. What we did not mention was since that time, we added Unnumbered Six-Packs for each road name. Now you can create an unlimited amount of cars for you unit trains!

Since we made the change, we also edited the Hopper catalog. So, click the photo below to check out the unnumbered additions!

Usually we do offer unnumbered cars as six-packs for all of our freight cars, but it requires a 50% down payment up front. Due to the popularity of the AutoFlood Coal Hoppers, we have waived that requirement - so buy, buy, buy!

In a few days, it'll be June 15th. This means it's the eleventh hour to get your orders in for the HO Scale North American Bilevel Commuter Car, the HO Scale F59PH Locomotive and the HO Scale 1980s Chevrolet Caprice and Impala Vehicles. Last month we showed off the samples of the Bilevels. This month we have hand-painted samples AND a new video! Go ahead, read on!

We locked Dan Darnell in his workshop until he could finish painting up four samples of our new HO Scale North American Bilevel Commuter Cars.

We also recorded a new video, which you can watch by clicking here, the photo above and below. (Hurry back, we have a bunch of photos we want to show you!)

I'll keep it short and sweet here, check out the fantastic job Dan did on the Bilevel Commuter Cars. They're a show-stopper, for sure!

Impressed, eh? I know I am! These Bilevel Commuter Cars look great, which means they'll look even better on your layout hauling commuters to and from work or play. But what we really want to highlight is how they roll. Do you have any Bilevel cars on your layout now? Do they roll well? Guess what? Ours do! When Jordan unboxed these samples on an almost-level table, they rolled right off the table!

I'd like to stress how much research, time and effort went into these cars and how extensive our tooling variations are. 20 years ago it may have been OK to make a quasi-accurate model of North America's most popular commuter cars and paint it in a ton of paint schemes, not accurate for any of them.

Those days are gone. We've tooled a total of 12 different car variations. We are doing justice to Bombardier's iconic Bilevel commuter cars for the first time. Some people saw this announcement and said, "Oh, I've got that already." Like the RDC and many other successful Rapido products, our models are a cut above the old models that you already have. We hope you will give these a try.

With this in mind, it's time to check out the Bilevel Commuter Cars' catalog. It's nice and shiny, so click the photo below to whisk away!

Remember the date: June 15th, 2021. Please click here for more info or to order direct. Don't let the train leave you behind!

Now's the time to take one more look at the HO Scale F59PH Locomotive, which is nearing the order deadline.

We also were busy taking a few new photos of the F59PH Locomotive on the Railview Historical Society's amazing layout in Markham. The F59PH just fits right in at home with those awesome Bilevel Commuter Cars. Let the photos do the talking.

As of right now, two of the three Metrolink schemes are at risk: the delivery scheme shown above and the ribbon scheme. Please encourage everyone you know to order those schemes so they can be produced.

Ready to flip through a virtual catalog? Everything you wanted to know about the F59PH Locomotives is listed below; you just need to click the photo!

This is it! This is the final call for F59PH Locomotive orders. This iconic and important passenger locomotive is one you simply cannot afford to miss - plus you'll need some to pull those Bilevel Commuter Cars!

I know what you're thinking: "But they just announced the Chevrolet Caprice and Impalas last month, but their order deadline is this month!" Fear not, we aren't pulling any fast ones on you. We will be making a fair amount of stock on these vehicles, but to ensure you get the color and style you want, make sure you get your initial preorders in before June 15th.

Jordan and Jeremy recorded a clever video about these vehicles, check it out by clicking here or the photo above and below.

Greasy, eh? Nothing better than a wacky-waving, arms flailing inflatable tube man! Believe it or not, this video has been in the making for over 8 months now. But what about those new Chevrolet Caprice and Impala samples? Superb looking, right?

More photos! We want more photos! Keep scrolling, there's more... lots more!

Alright, time to look at the Chevrolet Caprice and Impala catalog. It's filled with all sorts of pretty photos of the color schemes and vehicle types being offered. Click the photo below to check it out.

Don't panic! The order deadline might be approaching on June 15th for the Chevrolet Caprice and Impala vehicles, but we will still have a good amount of stock. But that doesn't mean you should count on these cars to be around for long!

July will be a busy month for celebration and order deadlines. (Maybe even announcements *Wink*) But get your pen and paper to mark down these popular items closing out in July: The D10 Class Steam Locomotive and the Alco RS-11 Locomotive.

Last time we saw the D10 Class Steam Locomotive, it was in the form of an unpainted sample that had just arrived from the factory.

We've since received a new and improved sample that Dan is painting so we can photograph it and make a video before the order deadline. So please subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow our Facebook page to ensure you don't miss it.

Now, back to the D10 details.

The D10 Class Ten-Wheeler might not have been the most iconic steam locomotive in Canada, but it was the most built for CPR, from 1905 through 1913. This venerable steamer was seen in freight and passenger service all across Canada, as well as some of CPR's lines in the US. It lasted right until the end of steam.

The D10’s appearance changed over the years with variations in headlights, fuel type, walkways and tenders, to name a few. That means we had to work that much harder to design EVERYTHING! The D10 Class Steam Locomotive features many optional details to accurately portray these locomotives in several configurations and subclasses. These details include:

Credit Valley Railway Co. is also offering two exclusive paint schemes: Credit Valley #1057 and CPR #1057. Click on the photos to visit their web site.

Woowoo! Time to re-introduce the D10 Class Locomotive catalogue. Below are three pages of everything you need to know about the D10. Click the photo below to check it out!

The D10 Class Steam Locomotive is officially on the order deadline clock. Time runs out on July 15th, 2021 for those orders, so don't delay - order yours today! Click here for more info or to order direct.

What's more awesome than a diesel locomotive that chugs, smokes and makes a lot of noise? Nothing! That's why we love the Alco RS-11 Locomotive. This venerable 1800hp road switcher could be seen throughout American roads, from the southeast to the northwest. And of course, each RS-11 varied in details and carbodies - this means we had to work even harder to get everything just right.

Before we dive into the details, we want to remind everyone how much easier it will be to remove the shell on the RS-11 Locomotives. Instead of twenty screws, fourteen clips, things that won't move and a book of expletives, the body is held in place by just three screws at each end. One attaches the coupler box to the pilot. The other two hold the body to the frame. That’s it!

Now, onto those details!

Here are the RS-11 Locomotive features:

Every RS-11 Locomotive scheme in one photo? Glad you asked! Scroll down to see every paint scheme we're offering on run 2.

The RS-11 Locomotive might be awesome, but it's not as awesome as our superb catalogs! Click the photo below to see everything you ever wanted to know about the RS-11s.

July 15th, 2021 is an important "save the date" for the RS-11 Locomotive. Don't risk sending in your orders after - make sure to stamp and mail them as soon as possible, otherwise the RS-11 will chug away without you.

It's the middle of the year already, which means summer is almost here. But that doesn't mean we're slowing down! Lots of factory updates to get through, as well as a heartwarming story. Read on to find out!

A few weeks ago, a young railfan named Nicholas Meschino (with the help of his mother, Laura) set out to earn 100 subscribers for his YouTube channel "The Trainspotters." (Give him a sub!) But he ran into a roadblock from the a group within the railfan community. He posted his request on a Facebook group, which was promptly met with lots of negativity from people that went out of their way to post a reply. We were not impressed.

This certainly does not reflect well on our community. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. We just so happened to be scrolling by, saw his post and wanted to help him out. Remember, you were young once, too.

But this isn't just about subscribers or recognition. This is about helping show the next generation that this hobby is a welcome place. After all, this hobby survives on friendliness and the new generations.

Nicholas has reached 100 subscribers! Thanks to everyone who helped him! But most importantly, thank you Nicholas and Laura, for reminding us that this is still just a hobby and we're supposed to have fun!

What's happening at Rapido? Possibly the most intriguing section of the newsletter is the Factory/Tooling Updates as well as what's soon to ship from the warehouse. Let's start off with the latest arrivals.

By the time you read this, the HO New Look Buses will be arriving at the dealers and hobby shops. These beauts arrived last week, had their glamour shots and were out the door in a hurry!

Even though they just arrived, don't expect the HO New Look Buses to be around for long! (Kind of like a certain southern Ontario city's hockey team.) Hey, if you admire these photos for too long, they might just disappear - so don't wait, go grab one today!

Last month we mentioned the balance of the HO Scale SW1200 shipment would be arriving soon. Well, because of shipping delays (see Jason's essay below), these are still en route. They are scheduled to depart from Hong Kong port tomorrow. Fingers are crossed.

Once they arrive, we expect it will be a week or so turnaround and into the hands of dealers, hobby shops and you! But let's admire a few of those before they get here.

The HO Scale SW1200 was very popular, and most of our additional stock has already sold. If you did not order any yet, you may be out of luck.

The GARX 37' Meat Reefer is almost here! Did you forget about it like I did? (Ed: Bill is going to ask me to fire you.) (Bill: No I'm not! I don't want to go back to writing newsletters!) In a couple of weeks the warehouse will take delivery of all 14 paint schemes of the meat reefers. Look for these to hit the shelves in late June, early July.

Here come the Later Phase F40PHs! This includes the commuter roads, plus Amtrak, CSX and the Ski Train locos. They'll be shipping later this month from the factory.

Guess what? It's an E8 Locomotive update! Well, sort of. Here's a photo of the chassis weight on a scale. I'd say that's a pretty hefty weight! 458 grams is over 16 ounces. Yes, just the weight by itself is over a pound! These babies will HAUL.

We haven't seen an update on the HO Scale Procor GPU tank Car lately, so here's one. Looking good, I must say. These will leave the factory this month, along with the PRR X31a Boxcar. Those have actually been ready for a month. They are waiting for our new semi-scale couplers, which are being made now.

Ready to see something great? The factory just sent us a few photos of the CN RSC-14 Locomotives and the CP RS-18u Rebuilds. These look GREAT!

The RS-18u Rebuilds and RSC-14 Locomotives will have a painted sample arriving sometime in the not so distant future. (Ed: You do know that Dan is just painting these samples, right?) Um... Yeah. Keep an eye on our Facebook or a future newsletter to see them!

We'll be announcing the order deadline shortly, but please reserve yours today.

In comparison to many industries such as tourism and restaurants, model railroading has been largely spared the negative effects of COVID. Apart from an extended shutdown in February/March 2020, production of model trains was almost normal for most of last year. In fact, our hobby has received a boost in interest and sales as many people rediscovered their love of model trains during the various lockdowns.

However, COVID has had a knock-on effect which is now hurting us in a big way. It started late last year. Normally, factory workers go home a couple of weeks before Chinese New Year and return a couple of weeks after. This past year, a number of provinces in China advised their citizens to come home early or risk not coming home at all. Many workers at model train factories in Guangdong province thus went home early and this caused many model train deliveries to be delayed. Our HO Scale SW1200 was one victim of this delay.

The next hurdle has been a global microchip shortage. Most of the world's microchips are produced in one massive complex in Taiwan. The demand for microchips has far exceeded supply, and every industry is affected. For Rapido, this meant that our B36-7s sat in the factory for three weeks - mostly assembled! - waiting for circuit boards. Decoder manufacturers are in the same crunch, and model train companies around the world are not able to get the decoders we need for our models.

Now we have another hurdle - kick us when we're down! - in the way of a global shipping container shortage and congestion at ports. In the almost 17 years I've been in this business, I have never seen anything like this.

The cost to ship a container has gone from about $5000 to $15000. Because model trains are relatively small for their value, most of our shipments go LCL, or less-than-container load. The normal time from pickup at our factory to delivery at Rapido HQ is about five weeks. To give you an idea of shipping times now, our second SW1200 shipment left the factory on May 14th. All going well, it will arrive here around July 15th.

The delays are caused by the aforementioned container shortage, exacerbated by a COVID outbreak at the port that almost model train manufacturers use: Yantian, in Shenzhen. When the shipments arrive at the west coast, they normally get on a train within three days. Now it's taking two weeks. Our HO scale Meat Reefers are in Prince Rupert, British Columbia now. Every day we get the same message: "Container Waiting to be Loaded Onto Carriage for Inland Movement."

Why am I telling you all this? Well, for two reasons. Firstly, we at Rapido like to keep our customers informed. When something goes wrong, we tell you. We're not big on spin at Rapido. Back in 2012 I was looking at the future financing of the company. At a meeting with my uncle and a financial adviser, the adviser said "You don't want shareholders. You don't want to have to report to them." To which my uncle - a corporate lawyer - replied, "Have you see Jason's newsletters? He tells his customers more information than most CEOs tell their shareholders."

Obviously, when shipments are delayed this has an impact on cash flow. I recommend you pick up the July issue of Railroad Model Craftsman as my column explains the ins and outs of cash flow for the model train industry. And for other reasons, too! It's a great magazine.

The July issue of RMC, along with my monthly column

The second reason I am telling you is so you know why there will be some delays in deliveries in the coming months. I know we are all eager to get the latest models in, but please have patience and bear with us. Stuff is going to take a bit longer to get here.

Rapido will get through this slowdown, as we've got through many tougher periods in the past. In 2007 our entire production was put on the back burner because the factory owner got a huge contract to make plastic plates and cutlery! Even with the current headaches, things are a lot better than they used to be...

Thanks, Jason! This newsletter is really long. Good thing we cut out those two huge sections we were going to include.

And thank you, our four remaining readers, for sticking with us right to the bottom. We're working on a super-duper new locomotive announcement which we hope to be able to share with you later this month. And I mean TOTALLY NEW.

Until next time,

Bobby