Rapido News 196 - It's Festivus For the Rest of Us!

Rapido Newsletter Vol. 196

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Dear Rapido Customer,

It's beginning to look a lot like... order deadline-mas! OK, maybe not the same ring to it, but we have PLENTY of important order deadlines, updates and new videos to share. Let's go right to ~~Santa's~~ Bobert's workshop to find out more!

In this 196th issue...

A Note About Customer Service
HO Scale Burlington Northern C30-7
N Scale F59PH and Bilevel Car Update — Project Is a "GO"!
December Order Deadlines
January Order Deadlines
New Videos
Upcoming Shows
Factory Updates

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.

A Note About Customer Service

Rapido has long prided itself on having the best customer service in the industry. We've built a solid reputation over the years by responding to our customers' needs in an expedient manner, and frankly, we've been letting you down lately. As such, we sincerely apologize for these delays you may have been experiencing when reaching out to us. Recently, we’ve encountered significant technical difficulties, which, combined with a surge in emails and calls, have left us overwhelmed and unable to respond as promptly as we’d like. The "why" is our problem, however, not yours.

Please know that we are taking this situation very seriously. To address these challenges and make things right again, we have actively hired additional staff for our Warranty and Operations teams and are also reviewing and fixing our internal processes to ensure smoother communication and more timely responses moving forward.

Your patience and understanding mean so much to us, and we are committed to getting back on track as quickly as possible. Thank you for bearing with us during this time. You can, of course, still reach out to us through our Warranty form for help or Customer Service for assistance with Products and Orders. We will do our utmost best to help resolve any outstanding issues and respond to any feedback regarding our service.

Thank you again for your patience.

HO Scale Burlington Northern C30-7 Factory Paint Error

The excitement for the HO Scale C30-7 Locomotive arrival is in full swing, but upon us inspecting each roadname, we found a major flaw on the Burlington Northern units. The factory painted the top of the anticlimber Cascade Green instead of black. Our artwork was correct... and even the first samples from the factory were correct. Apparently the QC manager was seriously partying before these parts went through the paint shop.

To fix this error we are sending the BN locomotives back to the factory to be corrected. We're sending them by air, so we're hoping we can get them back before Chinese New Year at the end of January. If there are any customs holdups, it may be March before they are back here.

Please bear with us, as we know this unfortunately puts a damper on the excitement of the C30-7 arrival. We are still very much committed to producing excellent models that we can be proud of and that you can be proud of too.

NEW! THE SLIGHTLY-LESS-PREMIUM MYSTERY BOX!

We heard the call for a more affordable mystery box and we have your answer! This year we are also offering a "slightly less premium" mystery box along with our usual offering. In this box, you are guaranteed a DC/Silent HO scale locomotive, at least one other piece of HO scale equipment, a Rapido Christmas ornament, Rapido's delicious sea salt dark chocolate, and the possibility of other Rapido goodies like usual! We promise that whatever you get, it will still be worth WAY MORE than the purchase price.

Please keep in mind that many of our DC locomotives come equipped with a factory-installed speaker to be converted for DCC use (all you need is a decoder).

Definitely take a chance and order your Christmas Mystery Box today for yourself or the modeler in your life today! Order by December 16th or until supplies last (and they're going really fast!).

Side effects may include purchasing more model trains or an addiction to Rapido's dark chocolate.

Disclaimer: Boxes will be shipped out first come, first served. Box arrival is subject to your local shipping times and delays. No warranties implied or otherwise offered.

Order Your Box Today!

The Rapido Mystery Box

HURRY! We're almost out of sound locomotives, and Dan Garcia has asked us to stop raiding his personal collection! Our PREMIUM Christmas Mystery Box will be available only while quantities last! Check out some of the latest unboxings from some very happy customers below.

Order Your Mystery Box Today!

N Scale F59PH and Bilevel Car Update — Project Is a "GO"!

N scalers, we have some GREAT news for you that's hot off the press. The N Scale F59PH and the Bilevel Commuter Cars have presold enough models and are moving to tooling. Get up and do your happy dance, run outside and scream or just give yourself a high five from one hand to the other, whatever you need to do because you made this happen!

Once we have tooled samples ready to be shown, we will announce a final order deadline. Until then, keep checking back for progress on this awesome project on our social media, through our newsletter or the product delivery page.

Order the N F59PH Locomotive

Order the N Bilevel Commuter Cars

HO Scale E-Units — Final Deadline
HO Scale D&RGW Steel Riveted Caboose — Final Deadline

HO Scale E-Units

The Rapido E-Units are closing out on December 16th. That's just a few days away! Click here or on the image above for a quick video covering all the great paint schemes.

The famous Rock Island Bicentennial E-Unit.

Photo by Ray Cook, courtesy of the Kevin EuDaly collection.

Want to learn more about the history of the classic "E-Unit"? You can, by clicking here to see the masterclass on these.

Now, let's check out some more action shots of the E-Units, courtesy of the Kevin EuDaly collection and Bob Zenk.

SCL 583 sits in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Photo by Larry Eastwood, courtesy of the Kevin EuDaly collection.

SP 6050 looks awesome in the bloody nose scheme. Photo courtesy of Bob Zenk.

It was more important for us to get our factories to deliver our latest models so we did not ask them for decorated samples for our new E8 production run. If you have not seen Rapido's E-Units models in person, please have a look at the photos below. This is from our most recently delivered E8 production run.

The new run of E8 and E9 locomotives will have a similar level of quality, finish and detail.

Here are the paint schemes for this production run of E8s and E9s:

You don't want to miss these exciting new Rapido E8 and E9 paint schemes. Please click on the links below or contact your favorite hobby shop today to reserve yours! Delivery will be in late 2025.

Click Here to Open Catalog

Order the E-Units

HO Scale Denver & Rio Grande Western Steel Riveted Caboose

The HO Scale Denver & Rio Grande Western 01400 Series Steel Riveted Caboose is getting ready to close out! We simply cannot wait for this beautiful caboose to hit the production stage. But before we wave goodbye to it, let's take a quick stroll through the sample photos.

Also please note, we are waiting on new samples that will feature the updated window dimensions. Once we receive the new samples we'll make sure to post to our Facebook and in a future newsletter.

Here's a later modernized version with roller bearings and the thermo pane windows.

Note the D&RGW-style marker and "EOT" lights. And, by the way, they work too!

Download the sales catalog for full model features. In the meantime, have a look at the paint schemes!

This is the first time the D&RGW steel riveted cabooses have been made in ready-to-run plastic. You do not want to miss these. Please orders your today!

Click Here to Open Catalog

Order the D&RGW Steel Riveted Caboose

HO Scale SW9 Locomotive — Final Deadline
HO Scale GP9u and Slug — Final Deadline

The Illinois Central version.

HO Scale SW9 Locomotive

Hello SW9 Locomotive fans! Now that we have our first pre-production samples in hand, it's time to announce the final order deadline of January 15, 2025.

Now, let's get right to the samples! Remember, these are still early and many details will be subject to refinement for production. We'll start it off with the never before in plastic Santa Fe version. Check out all of that detail, including the cloth above the windshields and those ATSF-specific louvers and exhaust screens.

The ATSF still have some tooling adjustments to be made, but these are looking fabulous!

Look at all those louvers!

EMD's SW9 series was a popular yard and light duty switcher locomotive that many class one and shortlines purchased between 1950 and 1953. With over 800 examples built in the United States and Canada, these locomotives were a common sight on the rails for decades. Many still exist today.

Need more roadname-specific info? Check out the HO Scale SW9 page for features of each road. Each scheme we are offering has detail variations, making these switchers the most detailed as possible!

The New York Central (above) and the Canadian Pacific (below) versions.

The SW9 Locomotive Features:

Highly detailed cab interior
See-through metal etched parts
Many road specific details
Heavy diecast frame
Diecast gear boxes for added weight
Rapido Semi Scale metal couplers
Full LED lighting, including: operating beacons/flashing lights where appropriate
DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/ESU LokSound
MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC power
Minimum 18" radius

Nine popular schemes plus two "industrial-style" unlettered schemes in a red and yellow/black variations! See them below.

There are other SW9 models out there, but there is only one Rapido. Often imitated, never duplicated - you'll want the Rapido SW9 for your layout. Please order from your favorite hobby shop or directly from us!

Click Here to Open Catalog

Order the SW9 Locomotive

NEW! HO Scale CP GP9u and GP9u + Slug Sets

WILD INFO! The HO Scale Canadian Pacific GP9u and GP9u + Slug Set now has an order deadline for January 15, 2025! CP's GP9u formed the backbone of their yard and road switcher fleet for many decades, from the 1980s right into the 2010s. Just like the prototypes, our GP9u locomotives replicate all of the details right down to roadnumber-specific mother and slug sets.

Check out two different slug versions above and below!

The 3D decorated render shows off what they'll look like with paint!

An ex SW1200RS slug, now masquerading as 1023. Note the grille-less front and missing stack. Photo courtesy of Dave Minshall.

CP sourced their slug cores from their retired SW8, SW900 and SW1200RS fleet. As such, each Rapido mother and slug set comes with a roadnumber-specific pairing, as CP generally kept the sets together until retirement.

Want to know more about the history of these neat rebuilds and slugs? Find out more when you read the GP9u Masterclass.

The Rapido HO Scale CP GP9u Locomotive features:

Heavy diecast frame with super detailed piping and traction cables
Detailed Blomberg trucks, with and without outside brake shoes
Traction motor details on gearbox
Working track lights, class lights, control stand lights and flashing belt pack lights on select mother-slug sets (Late sets)
Multiple battery box styles
Spark arrestors or open exhaust stacks as appropriate
Metal side handrails
Working ditch lights
Front and rear plows or curved plate pilots on appropriate road numbers
Footboard pilots on mother units
Detailed walkway tread

Check out the single locomotive schemes below.

Here are the HO Scale Slug features:

Multiple slug body variations: SW8, SW900 and the SW1200RS
Fully powered! Motor tucked into frame and body
Heavy diecast frame with super detailed piping and traction cables
Detailed, road number specific AAR-style trucks or Flexicoil trucks
Traction motor details on gearbox
Metal side handrails
Footboard pilots or curved plate pilots on appropriate road numbers
Working head lights
Both models will have: DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DCC/ESU LokSound
MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC power
Minimum 18" radius

Below are the schemes and variations for the GP9u and slug sets.

Otter Valley Railroad is commissioning a special run of HO Scale Ontario Southland GP9u Locomotives. They will be offering three numbers in two variations: CP Multimark patchout (1591) and the corporate maroon scheme (1594/1620).

Don't miss out on these, as they won't last! Place your orders now through our friends at Otter Valley Railroad.

Order the GP9u and Slugs by clicking the button below.

Click Here to Open Catalog

Order the GP9u and GP9u + Slug Set

New Videos

Rapido (was) Live!

In case you missed our latest Rapido Live!, there is no need to worry! You can re-watch it on our Facebook page or by clicking the photo above. Watch Jordan and Bill discuss important topics with special guests: Tony Cook and Otto Vondrak from White River Productions.

Because we are such amateurs, we couldn't actually share this on Rapido's Facebook page, so we used Jason's personal Kingston Sub Facebook page. Sorry to all you Kingston Sub fans who got really confused, eh?

Upcoming Shows

LIVE! Around the Layout Giveaway — December 6th, 7:00PM

Join Paul Cassar and Ray Arnott live on the famous Around the Layout podcast live, as they celebrate the holiday season with a special giveaway! They'll also have a special guest with them: our own Jeremy! ...I wonder what it could be? Could it be a... Jubilee?

Cocoa Beach Prototype Meet — January 9th - 11th, 2025

In early January we'll be at the Prototype Rails RPM at sunny Cocoa Beach, Florida. I say "we" but it's just "Bill," relaxing in the sun and going to the drive-in burger bar in his Mustang.

Grab your Florida-themed shirt and join Relaxed Bill on January 9th through the 11th. Check out the many new samples on display – that didn't make it to Milwaukee! – and have your pressing questions answered.

2025 Railroad Hobby Show - Springfield 2025

The annual Amherst Railway Society's Railroad Hobby Show is back and will take place on January 25th and the 26th in West Springfield, Massachusetts. We will display nearly every sample we have, provided we get them to the show in time, and you can have a friendly conversation with our Project Managers. We're excited to see you in late January!