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Dear Rapido Customer,
In this issue of Rapido News:
- Rapido Open House
- October 16th Order Deadlines
- November 15th Order Deadlines
- New Product Announcements
- Delivery Updates
- TurboTrain Update from Jason
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Rapido Open House - Essex Steam Train & Riverboat!
Sunday, October 15th is our Rapido Meet and Greet at the Valley Railroad, home of the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat in Essex, Connecticut. No need to RSVP. Just come to the railroad between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (no admission fee is required) and you'll find our display in the big red building behind the station. We look forward to seeing you in person! You can then buy tickets to ride the train and boat -- it's a great day out!
We're doing a Live Stream from our Dealer Open House on Monday at 11:30 EDT and we will have lots of new announcements! Please follow us on Facebook to ensure you don't miss it!
We look forward to seeing everyone in Essex, Connecticut, this weekend!
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The awesome SP Dome Lounge render. | |
Check out the interior and that attention to detail! | |
Check out the SP Dome Lounge catalog below by clicking the photo. It will open as a PDF. | |
Monday, October 16th is preliminary order deadline for the HO Scale SP Dome Lounge car. Order by then and get a 5% pre-order discount! Order often; order lots! | |
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HO Scale GE 44-Tonner Locomotive
The GE 44-Tonner Locomotive has far exceeded any expectations we had for this amazing locomotive! We're just a few days away from the October 16th pre-order deadline, so let's take a quick look at them. First, we have a new video. You can watch it by clicking here, the photo above or below.
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Good watch, eh? Ready to see the newest HO Scale 44-Tonner samples? We have some photos below for your enjoyment. Please note that while these samples show many of the optional detail parts that we have tooled, the actual combinations may be complete fiction!
All 44-Tonners come with our new Mo-Power capacitor system!
| A side angle view of the Phase Ic. | This is the Phase III version. | |
This is the Phase IV version with those unique CN pilot details.
The rest of the details may not be so CN... Hey! These are samples!
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Here's something you can contribute to!
The Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society owns ex-NYO&W 44-Tonner #105. Rapido is pleased to support their restoration efforts by donating 5% of the sales of all O&W 44-Tonner models to the O&WRHS to be used in this effort. Further information about #105 can be found by clicking here.
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Trainworld is taking orders for the Long Island Rail Road's one and only 44-tonner, #400. The 400 wears the "Tichy" scheme with a modified "one-of-a-kind" herald on the cab. This is a must-get for any LIRR fan!
Check out more by clicking here or the photo below.
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The LIRR 3D CAD render. Isn't it pretty? | |
Hobbytyme Distributors is offering an exclusive run of three different HO Scale 44-Tonners. Check out the schemes in the photo below, or download the Hobbytyme PDF by clicking here. | |
Check out the catalog by clicking on the photo below. | |
Just a few days are left to pre-order your HO Scale GE 44-Tonner. You won't want to miss this small yet venerable switching locomotive! | |
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HO Scale GMD-1 Locomotive
The HO Scale GMD-1 Locomotive is that locomotive you need for those road switcher jobs. With the October 16th order deadline fast approaching, we're going to take another look starting off with our two GMD-1 videos. Click here or on the photo above for an introductory video about the GMD-1 and the CN 5304 Boxcar.
Click here or on the photo below to watch the video about our two special charity-supporting models.
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In this run - the first since 2017 - we are producing the 1900-series and the 1400-series GMD-1 locomotives. The 1900s were equipped with steam generators for passenger service and switching, and were later relegated to freight service. The 1400s were rebuilt as such in 1988 and remained in service until 2021. The paint schemes can be seen below. | |
Ready to get involved? The HO Scale GMD-1 Locomotive has two very special schemes being offered: The Waterloo Central 1012 and Winnipeg Railway Museum 1900. 10% of all sales of these special schemes will be donated to those respective organizations. | |
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HO Scale North American BiLevel Commuter Cars - New Versions!
October, October, October! If you've been reading the last two deadline blurbs you'll note the order deadline is October 16th. This also includes the HO Scale North American BiLevel Commuter Cars. But before we close out this popular car, let's take a look at the newest video. Click here, the photo above or below.
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Yes, that video showed a 10-car train being pushed around by one F59PH locomotive, including some steep grades. Just try that with your non-Rapido BiLevels. Good luck!
Now, we have the BiLevel catalog below. Click the photo to open the PDF.
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HO Scale NSC 5304 cu.ft. CN Combination Door Boxcar
Truly Canadian, but also truly NORTH AMERICAN! The HO Scale NSC 5304 cu.ft. Combination Door Boxcar plied the rails all throughout North America, serving in the wood and paper industry. And Jason needs them for his layout.
Click here or on the image below to watch our new video. If you've already watched the new GMD-1 video, this one is almost, but not quite, completely different. (It's the same video...)
| Combination doors, etched detail parts and an all-around attention to detail. | Click the photo below to see the PDF sales catalogue. | |
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HO Scale PA and PB Locomotives - Including the ATSF EMD Repower
November 15th is the deadline for both the new run of PA and PB-1 locomotives and the unique Santa Fe repowered units. Click below for more information, and watch for a new video soon!
| The 3D CAD renders of the ATSF EMD repowered PAs. | |
The signature humps to fit the 567 prime movers. | Because the Santa Fe repowered PA units are just so unique, we have TWO sales catalogs: one for them and one for the regular PA and PB units. Click on each image to download. | |
Those HO Scale PA Locomotives will look great on your layout, so don't delay. Preorder them today and secure yours before the preorder period runs out. | |
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HO Scale Budd Gallery Cars - CB&Q/BN/Metra Versions
Hooray! The time has come for the HO Scale Budd Gallery Cars to meet their order deadline on November 15th, 2023. Next month we'll have a spiffy video to show, but until then check out some of the early samples we just got in.
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Every cab car variation! Note: ALL details were applied by the factory for samples.
Correct HEP details will be applied for final production.
| Note the rotary beacon on top of the cab. | Remember, this is an early sample, so some details or window tints have not been applied yet. | Here is the Gallery car catalog in PDF format. Click the photo below to open it. | Just about a month to go for the HO Scale Budd Gallery Cars, so don't hold back! Chicagoland modelers: orders these so we know you actually buy stuff. That way, we can make you more stuff in future! Please order these by the truckload! | |
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HO Scale F30 Flatcars and MOW Service Cars
A new run of HO Scale F30 Flatcars along with the new MOW Service Cars has everyone excited. As a heads up, we'll have an intensive video overview slated for next month, so be ready by keeping tabs on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
Come check out the catalog in PDF form. Note: It features ALL of the car styles.
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HO Scale National Steel Car Ballast Hopper
The recently announced NSC Ballast Hoppers will also be closing out on November 15th. This popular car will be everything you need to fill out that ballast train on your layout. And as we get closer to November, we'll have a video featuring nothing but these cars!
Until then, check out the NSC Ballast hopper catalogue by clicking the photo below. It'll open as a PDF.
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The HO Scale NSC Ballast Hoppers have a quick turnaround from announcement to order deadline, but we'll be ready. Will you? You won't want to miss out on filling out those MOW trains with fresh ballast for your right-of-way! | |
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HO Scale AutoFlood III Hoppers - New Schemes!
Last month the HO Scale AutoFlood III Rapid Discharge Hopper Car roared back to life with a new run of schemes. Now, we want to remind you that in one month from now, on November 15th, 2023, we'll close out the preorder deadline. Until then, check out the neatly arranged Rapid Discharge Hopper catalog by clicking on the photo below.
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NEW! HO Scale Northern Pacific "Day-Nite" Coach
Rapido and the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association are extremely excited to announce the conditional release of Northern Pacific Day-Night Coaches in both the Loewy and Streamline paint schemes. This is car series 588 to 599 that served in the North Coast Limited from initial production to the end of the NP, and beyond. Purchased starting in 1946, these coaches were built by Pullman-Standard.
Please note that this is a Conditional Release – This car will only be produced if the NPRHA and Rapido receive sufficient orders to justify the production investment.
To sweeten the deal, any orders placed before January 15, 2024 will receive a 5% pre-order discount!
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Impressive! The NP Day-Nite coach looks great as a 3D CAD render. | |
Can't forget the interiors! Authentic two-by-two seating. | This and possible future North Coast Limited models are being developed as a close partnership between the NPRHA and Rapido Trains Inc., and more cars will follow only if this project is a success. Please do your part and get your reservations in ASAP so this car is merely the start of a long line of high quality NCL cars! | |
No detail left out on the undercarriage. | |
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Here are the details of our HO Scale NP Day-Nite Coach:
- Designed from original blueprints and field measurements of existing cars
- Accurate interior and exterior paint and lettering, approved by the NPRHA
- Highly detailed underbody arrangements
- Accurate truck and skirt tooling
- Fully detailed interior configuration, tinted windows where appropriate
- Multi-color interior decoration
- Full flicker-free track-powered interior lighting
- Accurate free-rolling trucks
- Metal magnetic knuckle couplers
And now for the schemes! Scroll down to check them out.
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Check out the PDF catalog for the NP Day-Nite Coach by clicking the photo below. | |
As mentioned, the HO Scale NP Day-Nite Coach is a conditional announcement. So your orders power this run! Also don't forget that any orders placed before January 15, 2024 will receive a 5% pre-order discount! | |
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NEW! HO Scale Northern Pacific Drop Bottom Gondola
Rapido is excited to announce our next HO freight car - the Northern Pacific 41’-6” drop bottom gondola! We have teamed up with members of the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association to bring you this all-new HO model of the NP’s unique gondola.
The Pressed Steel Car Company built 500 41’-6” drop bottom gondolas for the Northern Pacific in 1940. Numbered in the 50000-50499 series these cars were used in general service on the NP, in particular coal and ore service. Additional groups of cars were built with just minor changes in construction, primarily on the under-frame. Over their long service lives many were assigned to pulpwood loading, and many more were given extended height sides for use in woodchip and beet loading.
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The inside-interior detail is second to none. 3D CAD render, subject to revisions. | |
The wood chip versions look rugged. | |
Check out the cross bracing inside. | |
Between 1966 and 1968 groups of these cars were renumbered into the 58250-58749 series. Some cars lasted into the BN era, though it is unlikely that many got more than a patch out paint job at this late a date. The last cars were removed from service in 1982, although some still soldiered on in BN work service. | |
Even the release rod is visible! | |
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Rapido’s HO Scale NP Drop Bottom Gondola features:
- Designed from original blueprints and field measurements
- Fully detailed interior and underframe
- Rapido semi-scale metal couplers
- Free-rolling trucks with turned metal wheels
- Accurate paint and decoration
- Multiple road numbers per scheme
Now check out the paint schemes below!
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In addition to Rapido’s offering of the standard gondola, the NPRHA has commissioned a unique model of the extended height woodchip cars. They are also offering exclusive additional car numbers on the standard gondolas so that you can round out your fleet! | |
Below is the NP Drop Bottom Gondola sales pack. It'll open as a PDF. | |
Ready to order your HO Scale NP Drop Bottom Gondola? Start rolling those orders in by the gondola load! Corny, yes. (Ed: I was about to say something...) But keep afloat, as these cars are already in tooling and we'll have samples to show off in the near future. | |
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Shipping and Arrival Updates
LOTS of new items are arriving soon! What could they be? Let's find out:
Shipping Now:
Shipping this month:
In Transit:
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HO Scale Northeastern Caboose - shipping now! | |
A classic staple of 70s and 80s railroading: The Chessie System. | The Central Railroad of New Jersey. | The CNJ "Coast Guard" scheme. | The original Lehigh Valley scheme. | The Lehigh Valley with the diamond logo. | HO Scale Union Pacific ACR Boxcar - hipping now! | |
Be Specific - Ship Union Pacific. | |
Road of the Streamliners. | |
HO Scale Great Northern 40' Boxcar - shipping now | |
Red creates a powerful look. | |
Check out the orange and green plus the big sky blue versions. | |
HO Scale Budd Slumbercoach - first production samples | |
The Slumbercoach interior. This takes passenger car interiors to a new level of cool. | |
A highly customized HO scale Turbo from our first run rounds the curve at Lyn on Jason's Kingston Subdivision layout. | |
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I'll hand this one over to Jason, our Turbo expert.
JASON: Thanks, Bobby.
As many of you know, we've redesigned the HO scale TurboTrain to bring it up to par with our current models. The original run, which came out 15 years ago, had serious design issues. I was still relatively new at the model train business (Rapido is 19 years old next month) and I just did not really know what I was doing. I remember not really understanding what Back-EMF was, so I didn't ask for it. Back-EMF significantly improves performance of DCC-equipped models.
Another flaw was the single-axle trucks. They had too much drag, which made it very difficult for the train to pull itself, especially a full 9-car Canadian version.
| The redesigned single-axle truck is very smooth rolling, and the supports are of a more sturdy construction. | |
Upgrading the tooling took a very long time. The factory that produced the original TurboTrain is extremely busy. They do very good work now - they were also inexperienced when the first run came out - but they are very slow. I finally approved the design changes in the spring. Josh and I then spent four months finalizing the artworks.
When the first run of the Turbo came out, I was Rapido's only project manager. Now as president of both Rapido Trains Inc. and Rapido Trains UK, I don't have quite the same amount of time as I used to. So, I say that Josh and I spent four months working on the artworks. In fact it probably took Josh three weeks spread out over four months and the rest of the time was waiting for me to get back to him with comments. The team has fired me as a project manager, and I've been told never to come near a project again.
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Artwork improvements include a more correct blue tone for the Penn Central/USDOT models. | |
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I'm pleased to say that we corrected many of the mistakes that I made in the 2008 artworks, and we are updating the Amtrak colors to meet the standards laid out for us by Amtrak. Other subtle improvements you'll notice are:
- The trains are not so glossy.
- Penn Central/USDOT models are now correctly painted blue rather than purple.
- VIA and CN car numbers are at the correct ends of the cars.
- VIA sets 2 and 3 have the dome-top grab irons as added in the late 1970s.
- Interior colours and decoration are vastly improved.
- Lighting is much better, and headlights are warm white instead of space lasers.
The new TurboTrain is being moved to the Rapido factory for production, so it won't take as long as production did at our old factory. We expect delivery in the first half of 2024. Thank you to everyone for your patience.
Back to you, Bobby!
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BOBBY: Thanks, Jason! Did you buy half of our entire VIA Turbo production run?
JASON: Almost...
BOBBY: I thought so!
We'll be back on Monday with our new fall announcements!
Until then,
Bobby Allard
Grand Poobah of Newsletters
Rapido Trains Inc.
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USA: PO Box 796, Higganum, CT 06441
Canada: 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, ON L3R 5H5
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