Have you booked your trip to the Illinois Railway Museum, yet? Don't forget on Sunday, October 2nd, and Monday, October 3rd, we will be hosting our public and dealer open houses! Mark your calendars now!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the IRM in October!

The HO Scale 3800 cu.ft. Cylindrical Hoppers are back! And they return READY TO BUY! This is a surprise run and are currently in transit to the warehouse as you read this. This means: get your orders in ASAP! Limited edition, available first-come, first-served - this is not a pre-order announcement!

We even have a video for these cars. Click here or the photo below to watch!

This view of the Credit Valley Railway exclusive patched TH&B hopper shows off all of that great detail.

The prototype 3800 cu.ft. Cylindrical Hoppers were designed for carrying bulk commodities like powdered minerals and industrial chemicals, including cement and potash. They are 100-tons in capacity with four hopper compartments totaling 3800-3850 cubic feet and are fitted with either round or trough hatches. These cars have travelled to every corner of Canada and the United States. (Alaska, too!)

Our HO Scale 3800 cu.ft. Cylindrical Hopper model features:

As mentioned above, Credit Valley Railway is doing an exclusive version of the TH&B patched scheme. Click here to visit their website.

Ready to check out the 3800 Hopper Car schemes? Scroll down, you'll recognize the ones returning, but we've added a few new ones, too!

Of course, you need to look through the 3800 Hopper catalogue! Click the photo below to open the PDF.

The HO Scale 3800 cu.ft. Cylindrical Hoppers won't last long on the shelves, so make sure you reserve yours today before they're gone! Head over to our website or order through your favourite dealer today. Remember, quantities will be limited!

Built between August 1964 and June 1966 the American Car & Foundry (ACF) 3500 cu.ft. covered hopper was an early innovator in pressure differential unloading and a marketing masterclass thanks to the "Flexi Flo" tag coined by the car's biggest customer, the New York Central Railroad. A total of 220 cars were built at Milton, Pennsylvania by ACF.

Want to watch the video about the N Scale Flexi Flo? Click here or the photo below.

Still new at the time of the Penn Central merger, many cars were simply patched with PC prefix and logo and renumbered. However, plenty made it through those turbulent years with their full NYC paint untouched. Under Conrail many cars were patch painted again. Some others were repainted, with Conrail applying at least three different schemes.

In fact, did you know that many of these Flexi Flo Hoppers were still in use well into the mid 2010s? The reason the majority was retired as the fleet hit the federal age limit for interchange service.

Here are the N Scale Flexi Flo Hopper features:

Ready to see ALL 12 schemes pus two painted, unlettered cars being offered on the initial run? Scroll on down.

The super-duper Flexi Flo catalog is here to guide you through the many road and item numbers were are offering. Click the photo below to open the PDF.

Ready to start those orders for the N Scale ACF Flexi Flo Covered Hopper? The order deadline is November 15th, 2022. These samples need very little work done to them so we're just about ready to roll. Please order yours today!

Stop the press! We have BRAND NEW HO Scale GP38 Locomotive samples to show you! These are VERY EARLY production samples, so many things can and will change before final production.

Need to see the GP38 catalog again? You're in luck! Click the photo below to open the PDF.

There's still plenty of time to order the HO Scale GP38 Locomotive as we have not yet announced the order deadline. But we're getting closer to announcing one! Keep tabs on a future newsletter for that.

Lots of new videos, a show report and a surprise! Let's go!

Now let's hand it over to Matt for a quick review on the St. Louis RPM he attended with Dan Darnell in July.

MATT: Thanks Bobby!

What to say about the 2022 St. Louis RPM meet? I honestly don’t remember the St. Louis RPM ever being so well attended. This year the hall had been expanded for more room from previous years and, from what I saw, the space was filled! Why don’t I know for sure? Because you, the modelers, came out in force so neither Dan Darnell nor I could get away long enough to check out the whole show. And that's the way we likes it!

As usual we had our tables chock full of new product which always leads to great conversations. The new GP38 Locomotive and NSC Centerbeam samples had arrived, quite literally, 20 minutes before I departed for Collinsville. So those models were a surprise for the meet.

Many attendees continue to offer their expertise on prototypes and the usual product suggestions. I know I have already been in contact with a few of these people for future product releases! Without them, our models would be good but not as good as they are. And for that, we thank you!

Back to you, Bobby!

BOBBY: Thanks, Matt! Good to know the show went well!

Did anyone notice those HO Scale Procor 5820 Hoppers in the photos above? Let's take a closer look at these beauties!

Most of the Procor 5820 Hoppers are sold out, but we have a few left. Please visit our website or speak to your dealer before they are all gone!

Want to see what was involved with the HO Scale H16-44 3D scan? Everything you need to know is in the video!

Click Here or the photo above to watch.

The HO Scale Bilevels are here! That means a brand-new unboxing video is in-store for you. Watch as Josh points out all of the features of this awesome car.

Click Here or the photo above to watch.

Ever wonder how to properly display your prized possessions in a display case? We didn't think so, but just in case you were wondering, Jeremy highlights everything you need to know about the NEW AND IMPROVED, more versatile Long Display Case!

Click Here or the photo above to watch.

How it all started for the creation of our very own book, People Moving People: The History of VIA Rail Canada. Ride along with Jason and Jordan, aptly on board The Ocean, as they attempt to make a video about the new book. They failed miserably, but we think you will be entertained.

Click Here or the photo above to watch.

LOTS of new items are arriving, both at your dealer and to our warehouse soon! What could they be? Let's find out:

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Have a look at some of the latest photos from our factories!

E8s aplenty! The first shipment is leaving around August 20th, arriving here in late October or early November.

Ready to power your City of LA? These UP E8s are hopping to go!

Check out that Trainphone antenna on the PRR E8s!

Nothing looks better than a green Southern E8 pulling the Crescent!

The IC scheme really was a beauty! Even better on an E8 Locomotive.

Lots of E8 internal guts and chassis here.

Here is a batch of VIA Rails being painted.

A UP E8 gets some finer details applied.

E8 Loco GRILLES! They are being prepped for painting.

Classic Southern Pacific PAs!

The lightning stripe looks excellent on the sleek PA Locomotive lines.

The Rio Grande yellow really stands out on these PA Locomotives.

A contemporary New Haven PA Locomotive.

Check out this Seaboard Manor Sleeper!

A closer look at the detail on the Manor Sleeper.

It's the RTL Turboliner! It's about time! Jordan will be really happy!

Check out all these RTL Turboliner seats! How many other manufacturers replicate the upholstery patterns on their models? Not many!

Ready to see the UTLX X-3 Tank car? These are in the printing room.

Whoa, that's a lot of X-3 end caps!

Jason's favorite Budd Baggage-Dorm.

This Budd Baggage-Dorm means business.

An ACL Budd Baggage-Dorm.

A Seaboard Budd Baggage-Dorm.

And here are the first of the Budd Baggage-Dorm Cars all packed up and ready to be picked up!

I have a monthly column in Railroad Model Craftsman, and I wrote the September article while on the train from Montreal to Toronto. I have to tell you - I was in the zone. It was a gorgeous day, the sun was behind me, and I was really caught up in the moment of riding one of my favourite trains on my favourite route.

It got me thinking about train travel. Did you know that a lot of Canadian model railroaders have never been on a VIA train? Or that a lot of American model railroaders have never been on an Amtrak train? In my column, I urge my fellow modellers to make train travel a part of your vacation plans, even if there is no convenient train service in your state or province. 

In February 2020, the kids and I had a reservation on The Ocean between Montreal and Halifax. Our train from Toronto was cancelled due to the tracks being blocked, so I got a one-way car rental and drove to Montreal. We managed to ride The Ocean, and I'm glad we did! COVID shut everything down the next month, and it was the last train we took for a long time! The only reason for our travel was to ride the train. 

Over the last few weeks some of the Rapido crew have done the same thing - travel for the sake of taking the train. First Mohan, Jordan, Josh, My Two Dans and I went to Moncton to visit a friend who was retiring from a 45-year career at VIA Rail Canada. 

We rode home on The Ocean, and we were very fortunate to be able to sleep in a Chateau sleeper, built in 1955 by Budd for Canadian Pacific. I absolutely love Chateau sleepers. Riding in one of these is riding in history, and the upper roomette in a Chateau is my favourite sleeping accommodation in North America. It's just so cozy, and the ride quality is excellent.

At the end of July, I had to fly to Boston to pick up my son, Boaz, who was doing a summer program there. Obviously, the logical way to get home from Boston was to take the train to New York, then Washington, and then Chicago! This was an adventure! We took two trips in Acela, something I'd only done once before. Rapido's own Paul Cutler III managed to catch our train racing through Mansfield, MA at about 130 MPH:

Our trip on the Capitol Limited was my first on this train in 16 years, and my first time ever in a Superliner bedroom. I'd only travelled in roomettes and the family bedroom before. This was an exciting trip, not only for the great scenery and great people, but also because... we hit a truck!

I've ridden hundreds of trains in my lifetime, and I have never had to say these words to my travelling companion: "What did we just hit?" Boaz watched it happen from our bedroom window. Thankfully, there was only one minor injury. Hats off to Amtrak: we were only delayed by an hour and ten minutes. Once the emergency crews were satisfied that nobody on board was injured and the train crews were satisfied that the train wasn't damaged, we were off. 

As I'm writing this, the Shron family is packing for a trip on The Canadian. We travel to Winnipeg several times a year and The Canadian is the travel method of choice for the kids and me, at least one way. This time we've actually booked both ways on #1 and #2. When Sidura's flights were arbitrarily cancelled by Air Canada and she was rebooked on flights at 5:30 in the morning, she turned to me and said, "Call VIA and get me a roomette."

Maybe the train isn't so convenient for you. Maybe it doesn't go through your hometown or it takes longer than flying. As I hope you can see from this brief travelog, it is an absolutely wonderful way to travel. Please consider making travel on VIA or Amtrak a part of your next vacation or business trip. There is no better way to go.

Thanks, Jason! Sounds like everyone had a good time aboard The Ocean. September is almost here, so we'll see you again soon!

Until then,

Bobby