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Rapido Newsletter Vol. 193
©2024 Rapido Trains Inc.
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Dear Rapido Customer,
The weather might be cooling down but our announcements are heating up. You'll especially want to stay tuned for more information about our anniversary event. Grab a warm apple cider and pumpkin spiced doughnut, as you settle in for Rapido News 193.
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In this 193rd issue...
- Important Product Updates
- October Order Deadlines
- November Order Deadlines
- New Product Announcements
- New Videos
- Upcoming Shows
- New Updates
- An Interview With Alex Kung
If you are using a web-based email service such as Gmail, be sure to click on the link near the bottom of the email that says something like "[Message clipped] View entire message". That will ensure you don't miss any of this newsletter.
Please note that all renders, pre-production samples and artwork are subject to change before the final product release.
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Rapido’s 20th Anniversary Celebration — November 12th
Next month is our 20th anniversary. To celebrate, we'll be hosting a free day at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum with most of the Rapido team, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. That's on November 12, 2024.
We will be recording sounds from the preserved Toronto Gloucester subway cars, tootling around in one of our GM Fishbowl buses, riding streetcars, serving snacks, showing off our latest and greatest projects, and giving away some neat merch to celebrate our 20th anniversary!
If you are planning to attend, please send an email to trains@rapidotrains.com with subject line Anniversary Event. We want to make sure we bring enough nosh.
We are still working on a "Ride the Rapido" charter to take place in 2025. More information on that to come.
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HO Scale GP40 — KCS Versions and November 15th Order Deadline
GP40 fans, we've got some big news for you regarding the status of this project. First, the order deadline for this project has been set for November 15th, 2024. This is the one month warning for the GP40s!
Secondly, we are adding a new version and two roadnames: Kansas City Southern and a NREX patch-out. These will feature ditch lights, beacons, blanked out nose lights, and either standard or extended range dynamic brake hatches. Check out the renders we have of these models.
| Gray, with the giant KCS wordmark and the blanked out light on the nose were major spotting features of the KCS GP40s. | Here is the NREX ex-KCS patch-out version. Note the giant strike-through on the side. | Below are the artw mockups for this new addition. | Now, let's take a look at the very first set of GP40 samples we have received. We're super excited to show these off! Please keep in mind that these are subject to change once they go into production. | |
The brand-new KCS GP40 sample above and the MKT and Slug sit below.
Check out that neat-o slug!
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The Canadian National still has some tooling changes that will be made.
Below is the Cotton Belt GP40.
| Those Illinois Central hatches on the non-dynamic section look superb. Below you can see those awesome see-through fan grilles. | Check out those licensed Cannon & Company fans. Below you can see the giant bulb reflector light housing of the Western Pacific GP40s. |  | |
Yee-haw, let's get to the HO Scale GP40 Locomotive features:
- Measured from a real GP40
- Road-specific details for each model
- EMD, GMD variants as well as rebuilt GP40Rs
- Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions
- Incredible underframe detail including traction motor cables, air filters and a silly number of separately applied parts
- Road-specific battery box doors
- Dynamic and non-dynamic brake options
- Separate grab irons and handrails installed at the factory
- Operating headlights, rear lights, class lights, ditch lights and beacons (where appropriate)
- Highly detailed cab interior
- Correct fuel tank sizes per road number
- Multiple styles of stepwells
- See-through, etched steps
- Appropriate cab or nose headlights
- Multiple truck side frames tooled
- Different, prototype specific dynamic-brake hatches and air filters
- DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound (ESU LokSound) options
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted operation in DCC
Here are the rest of the paint schemes.
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Order your GP40s now and check out the updated catalog below. | |
Check out this early sample of the boxcar. More information to come! | |
HO Scale Trenton Works 6637cu.ft. BC Rail Boxcar — A Preview!
Are you ready for a surprise look at the upcoming BC Rail freight car in development? This month we'd like to share a quick preview of the HO Scale Trenton Works 6637cu.ft. BC Rail Boxcar, which is tooled and almost ready to launch. There are still a few tweaks yet to be done, so look out for this in an upcoming launch newsletter soon!
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HO Scale 1937 AAR Boxcar — New Schemes
Let's throw it over to our transitional freight car expert, Ted Culotta, for a quick in-depth look at some of the changes we've made to the HO scale 1937 AAR Boxcar project.
Ted: We've added four new schemes to the HO Scale 1937 AAR Boxcar project. In addition to our current schemes, we are adding:
- Florida East Coast (bright blue and yellow "Speedway to America's Playground" scheme)
- Lancaster and Chester
- Ontario Northland
- Southern Pacific
On top of that, these Rapido models are the most accurate HO ‘37 AAR boxcars ever produced, including road number specific details — the right brakes, trucks, doors and hardware, running boards, and other details such as correct trust stencils.
The main features of the HO Scale 1937 AAR Boxcars:
- Truly square corners — no funny draft angles
- Early 1937 AAR underframe with two properly located stringers — no weirdly spaced four stringers
- Uber* accurate lettering from artwork by Ted Culotta
*uber: adj., from the German meaning beyond or above; not to be confused with a car service
Let's go through the schemes, one-by-one, starting with the Lancaster and Chester.
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The Lancaster and Chester was and still is a shortline in South Carolina. For much of the Diesel Transition era, it acquired boxcars secondhand from the Southern Railway, including signature 36' double sheathed truss rod cars and unusual 40' PS-1s with 9' door openings, as well as many, many 1937 AAR Boxcars like L and C 908 shown here. There were a few versions of the attractive blue and grey scheme with the recognizable logo. | |
Ontario Northland had a modest fleet of 1937 AAR Boxcars that were nearly identical to the Canadian National’s, down to the “NSC-2” ends. However, they were constructed in 1947-1948 and delivered with open grid metal running boards. These cars were intended for newsprint service, with many traveling back and forth to Canadian and US newspaper printing facilities. They were seen all over both countries. In the mid-to-late 60s, they were repainted in the familiar green scheme with large square and circle logo and ran this way well into the 1970s and well beyond in MOW service. | The Florida East Coast bolstered their boxcar fleet through the purchase of 1937 AAR Boxcars from Magor Car Co. in 1945. They were initially painted freight car red with white stenciling and slogans. Cars were repainted in the 1960s like FEC 21009 shown here, in an blue scheme with yellow stenciling and slogans. This attractive scheme is being offered by Rapido in its initial release of ‘37 AAR boxcars | |
The SP had over 7,000 1937 AAR Boxcars (plus an additional 750 for the T&NO) making it one of the largest fleets of any road. They were fixtures from the late 30s well into the second gen diesel era. They wore just about every scheme that SP had in that period, too. Unless you model narrow gauge in the hollers of West Virginia, you need at least one of these and if you model the West, you should have a half-dozen for sure.
Bobby: Thanks, Ted! You clearly know what you are talking about! Now everyone please go ahead and get to ordering these cars! They are in tooling
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HO Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefer
We've heard the requests and now we are excited to offer the HO Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefer with individual road numbers so you can buy the versions with the unique names separately!
For Lineage and Cryo-Trans, each car has a unique name on the giant sliding door. Below we have the art and name for each car we are offering.
| Order the HO Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefers and check out the catalog for individual car name listings. | |
- HO Scale Toronto's First Subway — Final Deadline 💀
- HO Scale Canadian National Track Geometry Vehicle 1501 — Conditional Deadline 👻
- N Scale Metra F40PHM-2 Locomotive — Conditional Deadline 👻
- N Scale Budd Gallery Cars — Conditional Deadline 👻
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October Order Deadlines Video
Jeremy's been feverishly working to get all of the new videos done in time. Here's October's deadline video. You can watch it above or by clicking here.
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HO Scale Toronto's First Subway
The Toronto's First Subway is ready to close out and head off to production! This is the last call to guarantee your order before October 15th.
Please note: the A-B-B-A car sets underwent a price increase last month. All orders placed BEFORE September 1st will not be affected by the price increase.
| Additionally, we added the platform for sale on its own, so you don't just have to buy the display set. Note that the track will extend to the end the based to be integrated into your layout. | |
Last call for orders! The train is leaving the station soon, so mind the gap and climb aboard. Order below or open the updated Toronto's First Subway catalogue.
Oh, and did we mention the interior lights will flicker (intentionally) in DCC? This is going to be so cool!
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Here comes CN 1501 through Onondaga. Photo courtesy of Joseph Bishop. | |
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HO Scale Canadian National Track Geometry Vehicle 1501
The Canadian National 1501 conditional order deadline is October 15th! The more orders we get, the better this project can be! Remember, everyone needs a track geometry vehicle for their collection.
Order below and check out the mini catalogue.
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N Scale F40PHM-2 Locomotive
The F40PHM-2 Locomotive has been a very popular item. In fact, we've seen the preliminary orders roll in and we can say we are very excited to push this project forward! We're even more excited to show off the first 3D CAD render of the F40PHM-2. Check them out below! And before you jump to the next model, be sure to take advantage of your last chance to get that 5% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT, which ends on October 15th. Check back on our social media or newsletter for news about the final order deadline, which will come early next year.
| Order those N scale F40PHM-2s. You know you want to! In fact, while we are on the topic... | |
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N Scale Budd Gallery Cars
Those N Scale Budd Gallery Car orders are looking good, but you still have a chance to reserve even more before the October 15th deadline. The first stab at the 3D design can be seen above. Don't forget that you can take advantage of the 5% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT, which ends in just a few days, for these Gallery Cars as well.
| Order the N Scale Budd Gallery Cars below. | |
- HO Scale GP40 and Slug — Final Deadline (please see first section)
- N Scale Budd R— Final Deadline
- N Scale F59PH Locomotive — Conditional Deadline
- N Scale Bilevel Cars — Conditional Deadline
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N Scale Budd RDCs
We finally have our first samples of the N scale RDCs! And they look and run great! We'll be shooting a video soon so you can see it in action. There are some tooling corrections to be made, but the factory is already working on them.
In the meantime, get your orders in as the deadline is November 15th!
| The RDC Phase II above and the SP Phase 1 version below with those gigantic train number boards! | See-through windows and seats! Plus detailed underframes. Our N RDCs have it all! | |
Please order your fleet of N scale Budd RDCs by the order deadline.
For those of you modelling Montreal commuter service with its 11-RDC consists, we are so, so sorry. Hopefully your wife approves of you choosing to buy our RDCs over a family vacation!
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N Scale F59PH Locomotive
OK N scalers, this is the time to shine. The N Scale F59PH Locomotive needs a bit of a push to cross the conditional order finish line, which is set for November 15th. We haven't quite hit the mark with these like the N F40PHM-2s, but would love to see more F59PH orders roll in!
For all you commuter collectors, rest assured the F59s and Bilevels — if we get enough orders to make them — will be arriving several months after the Metra F40PHM-2s and Gallery Cars. You can budget for both!
| Make sure to check out the catalog below for our numerous American offerings, including Metrolink, Tri-Rail, Metra and TRE. | |
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N Scale Bilevel Commuter Cars
Just like the F59PH, the N Scale Bilevel Commuter Cars need a little extra push. Now some of us here aren't too worried about this, but Jason is. As we've said from the start: let's prove him wrong! This is the one month alert for the November 15th conditional order deadline. You'll still receive a 5% early bird discount if you order by then. We know you can make this happen!
| Order the N Bilevel Cars by clicking the buttons below. | |
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NEW! HO Scale P32AC-DM Locomotive
Back in November of 2023, Jeff and I set out to measure a piece of equipment operated by Metro-North Railroad. Upon our arrival, we noticed there was a shiny P32AC-DM Locomotive sitting out front, but this was, at the time, completely unrelated to what we were there to measure. (Coincidently, I was preparing to chop up a bunch of P42 shells to kitbash a P32AC-DM.) Our host from M-N was heavily invested in the P32 and pitched it to us as a future project. We left the shops convinced!
Fast forward to October 5th where we teased everyone at the Metro-North Croton-Harmon Open House with 3D printed samples of the P32AC-DM. And we're finally excited to bring you the full announcement, packed with decorated 3D CAD renders, info and more! These renders are subject to revision upon production, since Jeff is just about done with the design for the P32s.
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Live, from the Metro-North Open House, it's the 3D printed sample and the 208. | |
Here's the decorated 3D CAD render of 208 again. Doesn't it just look great? | |
Dual-powered locomotives are nothing new to New York commuter operations. Since the early 1900s, the main concern was diesel emissions inside the tunnels that led to Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station. Metro-North and Amtrak were looking to replace their aging fleet of EMD FL9s with a modern dual-mode diesel. Enter the GE P32AC-DM “Genesis” Series II Locomotive in the late 1990s — M-N ordered 30 and Amtrak received 18. P32AC-DM may be a mouthful, but it is an acronym for: Passenger, 3200 horsepower, Alternating Current, Dual-Mode. The P32AC-DM is the cousin to the similar diesel-only P40 and P42DC passenger locomotives. | |
The P32AC-DM is loaded with details, both visible and underneath the frame! | |
The Amtrak® P32AC-DMs still make their living on Empire Service®, out of Penn Station to Albany-Rensselear, as well as services to Toronto and Montreal. Metro-North’s P32AC-DM fleet continues to travel the entire system, into and out of Grand Central Terminal on M-N’s Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines. CDOT owns four, numbered 228-231, and uses joint fleet utilization, operating the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury Lines. In the 2020s, M-N wrapped a few P32s in heritage schemes as well as a special employee tribute scheme. | |
A rare catch! 211, the New York Central heritage unit and the Employee Tribute P32 hustle the annual inspection train through Ardsley-On-Hudson. Maybe we should make the ex-E-L Phoebe Snow tail cars? 🤔 Photo courtesy of Bobby Allard. | |
CDOT 231 blasts out of a tunnel along the Hudson River. The McGinnis colors sure look great and fit the body lines well. Photo courtesy of Nick Wilson. | |
The "new" Phase III Empire Service® version, blasting out of the short Tunnel at Garrison, NY. Photo courtesy of Bobby Allard. | |
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Before we get into the HO Scale P32AC-DM features, we wanted to tell you that Jeff, the PM, is still currently working on the Amtrak® versions. This includes the shorter air tanks, nose arrangements and more. The third rail shoes will also be disengaged in the up position. Once Amtrak® trains leave the Empire Connection and are on Metro-North territory, the third rail configurations change. On Amtrak® into New York Penn Station, the third rail is configured for over-running. On Metro-North it is for under-running, where the shoes sit under the third rail.
We're looking forward to announcing the Amtrak® versions very shortly in both the Phase III as-delivered and Empire Service® versions — with fully decorated 3D CAD renders! Stay tuned.
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Amtrak® Phase III in the as-delivered scheme. Note the neat fade these had towards the rear. Photo by John Bartley, courtesy of the Kevin EuDaly collection. | |
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Check out the HO Scale P32AC-DM Locomotive features:
- Newly tooled from blueprints and measurements
- Many unique dual-mode underbody components
- Krupp - MaK High Speed Bolsterless Truck with third rail shoe detail
- Piping detail never seen before on a Genesis model
- ATC/Cab signal under-pilot detail (ACSES box)
- P32AC-DM rounded grille over rear radiator
- Nose and rear HEP plugs
- Operating headlight, ditch lights, and marker lights
- Step lights
- Separately applied wire grabs
- Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC power
- DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound - ESU LokSound V5 Decoder
Metro-North specific features:
- Unique antenna array
- Nose with hatch
- Long air tanks
- Third rail shoes engaged
Amtrak® specific features:
- Unique antenna array
- Original and retrofitted nose options
- Short air tanks
- Third rail shoes disengaged
Here are the awesome looking schemes for this run.
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As soon as the Amtrak® details are finalized, these are going into tooling! We're aiming for samples for Springfield, but given our luck lately they will probably arrive a week late!
Start your orders up! Order the HO scale P32AC-DM locomotive, below.
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NEW! HO Scale 44-Tonner Locomotive
The HO Scale 44-Tonner is back by popular demand! This small yet rugged switcher makes a triumphant return with new schemes, a repeat of the industrial schemes and... TWO NEW new phase variations! Welcome Phases Ia/Ib to the 44-Tonner fray. Let's dig in.
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The classic lines of the CB&Q scheme fit the 44-Tonners very well. Photo courtesy of Chuck Zeiler. | |
Middletown & New Jersey's 44-Tonner has a pretty look with the blue and the yellow. Photo courtesy of the M&NJRHS. | |
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The 44-Tonners had a compact design driven by a 1937 labor agreement with the railroad unions that specified that all locomotives over 90,000 pounds required the use of a fireman. At a target weight of 44 tons (88,000 pounds), these diesels allowed the railroads to use only an engineer, thus saving crew costs. They were perfect for light switching, industrial and shop use.
In our new run, we are offering two additional versions that have never been available before in plastic: Phase Ia/b (with side-sill mounted steps) and Phase II. This is in addition to the Phase Ic, Phase III and IV models produced in our first run — allowing us to produce a wide variety of unique and accurate models.
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It wouldn't be a true Rapido release without New Haven, right? Photo courtesy of NHRHTA. | Due to popular demand (and due to the fact that we screwed up the order quantities on the first run), we are re-running the industrial schemes again! This includes the yellow, red and blue schemes. | |
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Check out the HO Scale 44-Tonner Locomotive features:
- Multiple phases and detail variations
- Phase Ia/b (Never offered before in plastic!)
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Phase II (Never offered before in plastic!)
- Phase Ic (with and without lighted hood side number boards)
- Phase III with positionable top hood hatches
- Phase IV
- Pacific Electric includes the trolley poles!
- Heavy, die-cast chassis and fuel tank
- Correct fuel tank skirting in two styles
- Separately applied door latches
- Full cab interior
- Photo-etched cab steps
- Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
- Smooth running, strong coreless motor with dual flywheels
- DC models are DCC ready with NEXT-18 decoder socket and speakers
- DCC models are sound equipped with ESU decoders and sounds
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC power
Below are the schemes for this run.
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The 44-Tonner is one heavy hauler, so that means it's time to dig deep and lift up all of those orders into the order bin.
We have an order deadline for these beauties of February 17th, 2025. Delivery will be late 2025. Please place your order today!
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NEW! HO Scale Greenbrier Transverse Coil Car
Next up is a car I wanted so badly, I kitbashed it myself.
In early 2023, I (Bobby) noticed a new coil car roaming the rails. After some quick research I learned that this was a Greenbrier car, with many built less than a year earlier and most still on the factory floor. Jump ahead to our yearly meetings, I showed off my kitbash and somehow the HO Scale Greenbrier Transverse Coil Car project was born!
Now, for the first time ever, we are producing one of the newest railcars in the industry as an HO scale model. Let's check out the 3D CAD renders.
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The Transverse Coil Car is Greenbrier’s answer to the coil steel railcar market. This five-trough coil gondola can house up to five rolled steel coils in various sizes, reducing the number of trucks on highways carrying multiple smaller steel coils. As of mid-2024, Greenbrier has produced over 2,500 of these cars with more on the way.
Now before you ask, "did Bobby guess with the measurements, since he built his own cars?" Of course not! I worked with original drawings of these cars, as well as field measurements and highly detailed photos to bring out a car that far surpasses the cars I built. 😐 Between the P32 and this car, my wallet is not safe. Although if I design them, does that mean I get them for free, Jason?
Jason: Um, no. I'll give you a great price if your order 30 or more.
Bobby: 😐
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The original cars that Bobby kitbashed, painted and weathered. | |
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Currently, Norfolk Southern and Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer, a UP subsidiary, have the most cars rostered or leased, with more on the way. It is interesting to note, since things have changed in the rail industry, many cars are currently being leased or filed under different reporting marks than their own. This can make it very confusing to keep track of ownership of each car. For instance, NS and UP leases a fleet with AOK (Arkansas & Oklahoma Railroad) reporting marks, but with the NS logo on the hood.
And who would have thought that a two-year-old car would already be patched for another railroad? South Shore Freight owns 150 ex-GBRX (Greenbrier's marks), with patches over the reporting marks and on the hood. This inspired us to make a Railroad of Lies patch-out!
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Here are the HO Scale Greenbrier Transverse Coil Car features:
- Original car drawings used along with field measurements
- Durable metal underframe gondola for maximum weight
- Etched-metal walkways
- Metal grab irons and cut levers
- Highly detailed underframe
- Semi-scale metal knuckle couplers
- 100-ton trucks with profiled metal wheelsets
- Available as single car or six-packs unless noted
And now for the schemes, which you can observe below.
| Go ahead, start "rolling" in those HO scale Coil Car orders. | |
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RPM Chicagoland 2024 - Naperville, IL — October 11th and 12th
Come on down to the Northern Illinois University Conference Center today and tomorrow and say hello to Jeff and Ted! They have a bunch of new samples on display, including a 3D printout of the P32AC-DM. Ask any question you want and enjoy this year's version of the RPM Chicagoland, which is happening right now!
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NMRA British Region Convention — October 25th to the 27th
Friends overseas, Bill will be traveling to the NMRA British Region Convention in October to show off a display of models. This neat show is located in the village of Cookham, Berkshire, UK. In fact, if you want to fly in just to see this show, it's only 30 minutes from Heathrow! What a deal! See you then. Cheers! Ta! Jolly good show, what?
Jason: Please stop.
Bobby: Right-o, guv'nor!
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Trainfest — November 23rd and 24th
After a year off, Trainfest returns! This year it'll be bigger and better than ever and we're contributing to the fun. Come down to the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee, on November 23rd and the 24th. We'll have tons of samples and smiles to display. See you then!
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Tooling, Shipping and Arrival Updates
LOTS of new items will be arriving soon!
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The BN Gallery Cars. They look great! | |
Metra Gallery Cars look excellent. | |
Note the neat BNSF Railway letterboard in the Zephyr font. | |
Above is a PRR X23 Boxcar and a group of R7 Reefers. | The National Car Company and Mathieson Dry Ice Reefers. | |
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From Fixing Model Trains in Warranty to Automating Puppets in a TV Show
The following is an interview between Natasha Shaikh, the Marketing & PR Manager at Rapido, and Alex Kung, a member of the Warranty team.
Natasha Shaikh: Alex, you're a man of many talents! So let's start with the basics. What exactly do you do here at Rapido and how did you get started?
Alex Kung: I work in Warranty, and I've been with Rapido for almost two years now. Funny enough, I discovered Rapido while working at Little Canada. I was doing some research and realized Rapido was practically around the corner from where I lived. It was too perfect to pass up, so I applied — and here I am!
NS: That’s really cool! We love our friends at Little Canada. But your world doesn’t just revolve around model trains. What else are you involved in outside of Rapido?
AK: I’m into scale model building, prop making, clock repairs, robot building, costuming — you name it! I'm part of the 501st Canadian Garrison (for you Star Wars fans out there), the R2D2 Builders Club, Star Trek's Klingon Assault Group (KAG), the Toronto Ghostbusters, and even Doctor Who fan groups. I also volunteer with a local clock club, mentor a student theater group, and help run events at Anime North, one of the biggest anime conventions in North America. It's a packed schedule, but I love every minute of it.
NS: Wow, that is... a lot. I am honestly shocked you have time to work on other projects between all that. Speaking of which, I recently heard you worked on a cool project with some familiar faces. Tell us about that.
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If you caught our GP9rm video, you may remember a misplaced Klingon running away from Jason the Cyberman. Alex certainly makes a convincing Klingon. | |
AK: Yeah, that was a fun one! Gazelle Automations, who I've helped in the past, reached out to me. They’re puppeteers and were working on new Thunderbirds episodes filmed in England. They needed a circuit to automate the mouth movements on their puppets using audio input. I designed and built a unit for them, and they liked it so much they told their friends at BBC. Next thing you know, I’m building one for them too!
NS: And this resulted in a new show you worked on for CBC Kids, right? It sounds like it has a real connection to your love for model trains.
AK: Yes, CBC Kids launched a new preschool series called Go Togo. It's produced by Justin and Lindsay Lee from Gazelle Automations, and it's all about public transit vehicles teaching early math concepts. The fun part is that the vehicles are all animatronics, so they really look like they’re coming to life! I believe, in an interview, Lindsay said she was inspired after visiting the Halton County Radial Railway Museum, and now they’ve brought these trains, buses, and streetcars to life in a way that feels like playing with model trains — except for preschoolers.
NS: That’s amazing! And another connection to more friends of Rapido. We also very much love working with and hanging out at Halton County. Is there a specific vehicle or transit agency that inspired the designs on the show?
|  |  | Talk about bare bones. Alex's work and testing on the animatronic eye movements. | |
AK: The vehicles are all meant to be fairly generic, but the bus in Go Togo is definitely based on the iconic fishbowl buses. Of course, CBC made a few design tweaks to give them a more playful, toy-like vibe for kids.
NS: Sounds like a new fishbowl for Rapido to obtain a 1:1 scale version of (I'm joking!). Now that the show has released, do you have anymore exciting projects on the horizon?
AK: Honestly, I don’t take on too many commissions because my plate is already overflowing! But if something particularly cool comes up or a friend asks for help, I’m always open to it. You never know where the next adventure will take you.
NS: Alright, Alex, last but not least: if you could pick any railcar for Rapido to make next, what would it be?
AK: I’m a huge fan of the TTC, so I’d love to see a new PCC or CLRV streetcar (👀) — preferably with no drive system cutting into the interior. It’s all about the details, right?
NS: Absolutely! Thanks, Alex, for sharing your story. It’s pretty obvious your extracurriculars and your full time work are all really connected by both precision and creativity.
AK: It all ties back to model trains in one way or another — you just need to know where to look.
NS: For those looking to find out more or watch CBC's new show Go Togo (maybe with your kids or grandkids!), you can catch it here on CBC Gem — for free! For those outside of Canada, the rights have not yet been distributed in the USA, but you can still watch clips on their YouTube channel.
|  | The animatronic eyes at work in this nicely captured GIF. | |
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Wow, that's really neat. Are there any hobbies outside of model railroading that you all participate in? Anything parallel to it like Alex here?
Speaking of creepy eyes, another spooky newsletter comes to a close! In just a few weeks it'll be Halloween, which means all sorts of mysteries to unveil. In fact, we just might have our own mystery to announce. You'll just have to wait to find out more! 👻🎁
Bobby Allard
Newsletter Reporter
Rapido World News Channel
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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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