One of our favorite criticisms on YouTube is that we don't look professional enough. So Jordan and Jeremy have responded with our most professionalist-looking video yet. It is so professional, they are both wearing snazzy suits. And doing that hand/fingers thing.

Click here or on the image above to watch our new product launch video. You could just read the rest of the newsletter, but in the video... stuff... moves....

This is possibly as close as we've come to a proper documentary about the model train industry and Jason's personal experiences starting and running Rapido. There are tons of clips from past Rapido videos so its not just Jason's face for half an hour, even if he is on board The Canadian...

If you've got some quiet time over the holidays it's worth watching this one. Click here or on the picture of Jason's stubbly face to watch.

Bill takes a close look at the first samples of the HO scale USRA Single-Sheathed Boxcars as well as the CP clones. Just look at his layout - isn't it gorgeous? He's been working on it for just over a year. Jason's been working on his for eight years, and he has less scenery completed. Hmmm...

While the order deadline has passed for these cars, we have not yet sent the numbers to the factory as we're waiting on the corrections Bill mentions in the video. So it's not too late to get your orders in.

Click here or on the picture to watch the video; click here for more information or to order the USRA cars; and click here for more info or to order the CP clones.

Santa Fe RR56 Reefer with Matt and Craig

Here's another one that we put live after the last newsletter came out - Craig gives the historical background and Matt shows off the model features of the HO scale RR56 Reefer. These cars operated all over North America and they look fabulous, especially the see-through grille with the generator visible behind it. Don't forget your reefer sound unit, available separately.

Click here or on the picture above to watch. Like the USRA boxcars, the numbers won't go to the factory for these until next month so you can still order. Click here to order yours today!

And now let's get on with the new announcements!

NEW! HO Scale EMD GP38 Locomotive (That "Other" Four Axle Loco)

January of 1966 might not have been the most memorable time in history for current events, but out in La Grange, Illinois, Electro-Motive Division was busy getting ready to roll out the brand new General Purpose "38" locomotive model. The EMD GP38 Locomotive was a 2,000 horse-powered beast, equipped with a fairly new 16-645 prime mover, which would pave the way for the GP38-2, GP40 and 40-2 line of locomotives.

Many variations were built, right down to different steps, battery boxes and more. Rapido has not overlooked a single detail on ALL of these variations. In fact, we spent hours measuring a GP38, as well as strained our eyes on drawings. This is the real deal! Scroll down for an intense look at the 3D renders.

What's it like to run a High Hood GP38? Well, you could put the hood up on your car and drive down the street, but we wouldn't suggest that. Instead, we are giving you the opportunity to own the highest detailed Southern and NS GP38 ever made in HO scale. From the hood-end mounted bell right down to the melodious Nathan P3s, the Southern 38s were certainly eye and ear pleasers.

The Southern GP38s would last well into the 90s on Norfolk Southern in a variety of mainline, local and yard duties. By the early 2000s, they were either retired or sold to make way for the arrival of SD70M-2s that would share the same number series.

For the PC version, here's an often overlooked detail: The cab signal box. Note, not only is it in place, BUT the grab iron has been moved to accommodate it!

Penn Central might not have been the most successful railroad, but it sure did have a fair amount of GP products. PC bought the most GP38 Locomotives with 263 and would later acquire 15 more from the PRSL through merger. After the formation of Conrail, many GP38s would be sold off to various roads, including Burlington Northern and eventually BNSF.

What about those HO Scale GP38 features? Glad you asked! Here's a list of everything I could think of:

Now, about those schemes... Scroll down to see the roads being offered on the first run of HO Scale GP38 Locomotives.

Ready to look at the catalog? It compliments the GP38 model very nicely. Click the photo below to view the pdf.

Are you impressed, yet? We certainly are! But just in case you were curious, we'll have samples of the HO Scale EMD GP38 Locos first, then announce an order deadline for this awesome project. So keep a close eye on future newsletters.

Now, as your friendly writer of the newsletter, I am very partial to this next announcement. This is the HO Scale Rebuilt M420 Locomotive. But this also includes the BC Rail and Providence & Worcester (Pronounced "woos-stah" by those people that enjoy brown bread and steamed hot dogs.)

Now, this next part needs to be read very carefully: The rebuilt Canadian National 3500 versions ARE NOT conditional. Meaning there is no minimum total quantity required for production. But the BC Rail and P&W versions ARE conditional. The order deadline for the conditional models is March 15th, 2022.

We honestly don't know what the demand is for the BC and P&W versions of the M420. The truth is that there is very expensive new tooling needed for the BC and P&W versions so we need to sell enough to make it worthwhile. In contrast, the CN 3500 version only requires a couple of new slides and some new details. It is much more affordable, and we know we will sell enough to make it work financially.

The CN versions will feature the rebuilt long hoods, with the knuckle buster door latches, front ditch lights, paper air filters, retention tank and the horn relocated on the long hood, with piping. Upon receiving many of these upgrades in the mid 90s, the MLW M420 Locomotives continued to ply away at local and mainline work. Notably, these were the last MLWs on CN's roster.

By 1997 and 1998, many would be scrapped or sold to second-hand owners. In fact, many still continue to operate for shortlines across North America today. On this run, we will offer the repainted CN stripes scheme with correct stripe height and four road numbers in CN North America.

We also will offer Minnesota Commercial and my favorite, Oil Creek & Titusville. Minnesota Commercial will be a conditional announcement, but we're fairly confident you Minnesotans will come through. Bring on the Purple Rain and make John Gohmann proud and meet that goal!

Perhaps the classiest looking M420 Locomotives? (Sorry CN fans!) British Columbia purchased 16 M420s, split in groups of eight A and eight B units. The A units were originally delivered with steps similar to CN's, but were rebuilt with a unique ladder arrangement which was similar to the M630s. During those rebuilds, BC added additional rock lights in the anticlimber face, turned at an angle to "criss-cross" and light up any obstacle ahead of them, especially around the Anderson and Seton Lake areas.

The B units or "cabless boosters" were equipped with remote control radio equipment to work as Locotrol units. Many times they could be found in groups of two on road trains. It wasn't uncommon to see one tucked behind an SD40-2 or similar consist in the late 1980s. By the early to mid 90s the B units and the A units were either scrapped from wrecks or sold off. One very prominent locomotive still earns its keep on the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in Scranton, PA. (Yes, we are announcing that scheme to my delight... and constant bugging.)

The BC units also carried dynamic brakes, something the CN and P&W M420s did not have. They also had the standard BC style plow, K5L or K5H horns mounted on the bell bracket as well as smaller fuel tanks. This caused the frame to be reversed (and caused Jason to almost regret announcing these...) which means we need to tool a new frame for these. So with that said, EVERY BC loco and the single D-L loco on this announcement is CONDITIONAL. I am once again asking you to help us out and get your preorders in before March 15th, 2022 to get this project going! (Jordan had his funny looking turbo thingy, us BC and D-L fans surley can have ours.)

Providence & Worcester was the only American road that purchased the M420R Locomotive variant, with five in a pretty orange, brown and white scheme. They were unique in that they rode on AAR trucks, which required different spacing. The P&W units also feature Gyralites on the front and rear, giving the appearance of a single headlight casting with the Gyralite above it.

All five remained on P&W's roster into the late 1990s, experiencing a few different paint schemes. We are doing the as-delivered and the final scheme they wore with the angular nose stripe. This is FULLY CONDITIONAL, so that means you must get your pre-orders in to advance this project. We know you can!

Just in case that was too much reading and you skipped right to the features, here they are, but in list form. First the new features of the HO Scale M420:

Plus the usual features of the M420s:

Here come the schemes and variations! Scroll down to check out the M420 Locomotives being offered this time around. They're in three groups: CN version, BC and P&W.

It's everyone's favorite Saturday Night pastime! No, not Hockey Night in Canada. It's Rapido Catalogue time! Click the photo below to check out the M420s.

The CN M420 Locomotives do not have the conditional tag applied to them. The BC Rail and P&W locos, do however. So that means if you want the BC Rail, Delaware-Lackawanna or P&W versions ORDER NOW and often! This also means samples will not be seen unless we get enough orders to go ahead, so don't wait for March 15th, 2022!

The CN 3500s are in tooling and we expect our first samples in the early spring. After that we will announce an order deadline for the 3500s.

It's 2015 at Exporail. Jason has just announced an ambitious, but comprehensive list of future HO Scale steam locomotives, the CP H1a/b Hudson being one of them. Fast forward to 2021 and the dream is now a reality! (Just a few years behind, but who's counting?)

The H1a and H1b class was designed by Henry Blane Bowen, Canadian Pacific's Chief of Motive Power and Rolling Stock. What followed was a state-of-the-art 4-6-4 Hudson. In fact, these twenty locomotives were so successful that CP would later craft the Royal Hudsons, building upon the H1s successful design.

The H1s 4-6-4 Hudsons were delivered in two groups, with ten H1a engines being first. These were numbered 2800-2809. Next up were the H1b engines, arriving in 1930. Those locos were numbered 2810-2819. The locomotives were used on mainline passenger trains across CP’s system. The H1a and H1b, along with the Royal Hudson classes survived until the end of the steam era, with the first retirements occurring in 1957.

The HO Scale H1a and H1b class features:

But how could we forget the most famous H1...

CP 2816 has a long and rich history running for CP at the height of the glory days of steam. But life for 2816 would start again in 1998, 38 years after it was donated to Steamtown. CP purchased 2816 and immediately sent it for an extensive overhaul. 2816 now resides as the crown jewel of the fleet, a sort of "ambassador" for the railroad. During its post-restoration career, 2816 gained the nickname the “Empress” as it hauled excursions. It even became a movie star, garnering a leading roll in the spectacular IMAX film “Rocky Mountain Express” in 2011.

As part of its restoration #2816 was converted to burn oil by pairing it with an original oil tender from a Royal Hudson. Other amenities such as diesel control and ditch lights were fitted to bring 2816 into compliance with modern standards, as well as a second generator to help power these new devices. A second whistle was also added alongside the stack.

Rapido is excited to announce, in addition to the H1a and H1b announcement, that we are offering CP 2816 in all its glory! Developed with the help and guidance of CP’s steam restoration team, Rapido’s HO scale model of #2816 will include the correct oil tender, working ditch lights, and the additional details that have been added, post rebuild. The loco will be sold in a high quality custom wood display box.

Now, are you ready for all of the schemes and variations you crave? Well, look no further, we have the steam! Scroll down to see EVERY H1a/b Steam Loco we are producing.

Chugga-chugga-Catalogue! OK, makes no sense at all, but if you wish to see a PDF listing of everything H1a/b Hudson, click the photo below.

Excited about the CP H1a/b Steam Locomotive? Whether you like CP 2816 or need a fleet to model the early 50s, the announcement is finally here! We'll announce an order deadline once we have a sample. Hopefully much quicker than the D10 went. (Heh)

Only one order deadline so far, but it is quite possibly one of the most important. This is reserved for the HO Scale Rohr Turboliner. And we have a surprise for you!

Isn't that pretty neat? A working HO Scale Turboliner sample and some amazing editing by Jeremy (the artist, not the videographer!) and voila! A jaw-dropping leaf-less scene, where the Turboliner looks like it's moving at a good clip on its way to Brockville...er Albany.

Now, we said we were working on a painted sample and we weren't lying. Dan is hard at work to get it done for January and a date on Dave Abeles' layout. Once filmed, we will pack it up and send it off for the public to view it at Springfield. We can't wait! In the meantime, here's a few non-painted pre-production sample shots we wanted to share.

Can't forget the catalog. Click the photo below to view the Turboliner in pdf form.

The HO Scale Rohr Turboliner is a unique and amazing train: high speeds, comfort and because Jordan really likes it. So keep an eye out for that video and for the painted sample and don't forget to mark your calendars on February 15th, to get all of your orders in!

We're still getting lots of new samples from the factories so we will most likely announce one or two more projects with a February 15th order deadline. Expect a newsletter from us in mid-to-late January with additional products. I think the E8 orders will almost certainly be due on the 15th as well, but we're still waiting on the final sample and we don't want to count our chickens before they've hatched...

A new website, lots of new photos and much more for this edition of Second Section, December 25th, 2021. So off we go!

In January we will be launching a new website with all sorts of added features and additions. The good part is the new version will be better than the old. BUT the unfortunate part is both websites will be down for at least a week while the new one is brought online in January of 2022. PLEASE make sure you have all the info you need from the website before the changeover takes place.

We anticipate this will occur sometime during the second week of January.

The Amherst Railway Society's annual Springfield train show is on January 29th and 30th. This should mark the first time this event will be held in-person since 2020, two years ago. We can't wait to show you ALL of the new items we have and maybe we might just have a surprise or two to announce.

As you know, the Omicron variant of COVID is wreaking havoc across Canada and there is a chance that we will not be permitted to do the show. Please follow our Facebook page where we will make the announcement should that occur.

The good people over at Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, are hosting a 60th Anniversary fundraiser. Their goal is $180,000 (CAD) to restore VIA dome car Sibley Park, CN steam locomotive 6153 AND a third vehicle - but there's a catch. For every $50 raised, you get to vote which one!

A great event for a great cause! Click here to donate! And when you get a chance, check them out in Saint Constant, Quebec. They have a wonderful collection of equipment. My favorite is CP 4744, the one and only MLW M640.

These are currently enroute:

Leaving the factory soon:

Matching EP-5 Jets! Almost like we were standing in New Haven.

The prettiest HO Scale EP-5 of the bunch... Well, maybe not.

Look! All of the N Scale New Looks!

Check out these early samples of the HO Scale U25B Locomotives! Still a way to go before everything is finalized, so what you see may be refined before final production, but we are getting closer to announcing an order deadline. Stay tuned.

LOTS of new photos, from the HO Scale Bilevels to the F59PH locomotives. Scroll away!

Metrolink Bilevels! The early stages. They still need most of the blue striping added.

HO Scale Bilevel bodies getting paint before having lettering applied.

Here are a bunch of HO Scale Bilevel pilot assemblies.

That's a lot of HO Scale Bilevel trucks.

A whole bunch of HO Scale AutoFlood III Hopper sides, ready for printing.

They're ALREADY painting and printing the HO Scale AutoFlood III Hoppers! Shouldn't be long before we see them.

Ribbons! Lots of them on this Metrolink F59PH

Where it all began. The "original F59", wearing the attractive green and white. As you can see, this shell is almost fully assembled.

It may not have been the flashiest scheme, but it certainly screams "LA" on this F59PH.

N scale New Look Buses in the print shop. These are almost ready to ship!

N scale Procor GP20 Tank Cars in the paint shop.

What makes a locomotive unique? Is it the paint it wears? The railroad it works for? Or is it just "neat?" That's always an interesting question I have as a railfan and modeler. For me, it's anything Alco or MLW. The way the Century and M series look to me is just rugged. But mostly it's because of the 251 power plant. As Tim Allen would say "MORE POWER!"

One of the locomotives I really enjoy is the British Columbia version of the M420. As any BC fan knows, you need four rock lights and two-tone green, along with the Dogwood logo to complete the look. It just has a unique look to it. I really can't tell you why, maybe it's their melodious Nathan K5H horns or the fact that they were seen on the less photographed Dawson Creek Subdivision, hauling wood products.

Do you see what I have to put up with? Oh, brother.

To me, what really sets this group of eight A and eight B units apart is that many of the A units made it to second-hand owners, but only a few were repainted. Enter Genesee Valley / Delaware-Lackawanna's 2045, which was ex BCOL 645. It now serves over 2,000 miles away from its original home, on an all-Alco/MLW powered road.

Now remember, this is 2021. An all-251 powered railroad is pretty rare by today's standards. But seeing 2045 soldiering on makes me smile. And adding in a shameless plug, get your orders in! This is one time where I can say this is a model that I would love to have! (Everyone else here has had their one model; it's my time!) Need more photos?

If you ever get a chance to see the Delaware-Lackawanna in action, it's worth enjoying their operation on the old Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad's Pocono Mountain road. It runs up a hefty grade from the Delaware Water Gap to Scranton. Just imagine six Alcos and MLWs digging, fully notched out with a good-sized train behind it. It may not be the Dawson Creek Sub, but it might be just as good, if not better.

No. Please stop interrupting this newsletter. So what if you own the company. YOU'RE REALLY ANNOYING.

Another action-packed newsletter comes to a close, with a little help from Jason. Hopefully this year Santa Rapido brought you everything you wanted (Like BC M420s and how I, Bobby, would be disappointed if you didn't order them.)

From our family at Rapido to yours, Merry Christmas and have a very (safe) and enjoyable New Year! 2022 is almost here and you never know what we will bring you in January! 😉

Until next time,

Bobby

The Only Poobah of Newsletters