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Rapido Newsletter Vol. 207
©2025 Rapido Trains Inc.
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Dear Rapido Customer,
Welcome to Newsletter 207. This month we have LOADS of June and July order deadlines to discuss, as well as project updates and new samples. Let's dive in!
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In this 207th issue...
- Rapido and Me
- June Order Deadlines — June 17th, 2025
- July Order Deadlines — July 15th, 2025
- Masterclass — CTA 2600 Budd Series 'L' Cars
- Events and Shows
- Tooling, Factory and Shipping 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.
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Rapido and Me
Hey there! Check out some of the recent photo submissions we've received from our friends. Remember, you too can be featured in Rapido and Me. You just have to send them to us at trains@rapidotrains.com or tag us on social media (and not in a story that will disappear after 24 hours!).
| Here's an EP-5 heading through Devon, Connecticut on Rick Abramson's fantastic New Haven layout. | Here's a photo of our Amtrak Turboliner by Kenneth Carden. The code line and poles are next-level modeling. It really captures the feel of a mid-fall day in the early 1990s! | |
A Conrail SW1200 hauls a high and wide load over a creek.
Model weathered by Drew Hartmann. Photo and models by Colin Kund.
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Order Deadline: June 17th, 2025
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HO Scale Alco FA-1 and FB-1 Locomotive
The latest release of our popular Alco FA-1 and FB-1 Locomotives has a final deadline of June 17th. We have had a lot of positive feedback about the first run of these models. You can search on YouTube for customer reviews if you have not seen one in person.
In case you needed even more reasons to preorder these fantastic locomotives, we have a new video highlighting many of their features. Click here or the photo above to watch. Check out these 3D CAD renders of these icons of the transition era!
| The FA-1s look excellent in RI, Soo and E-L. Note how the Soo version has the correct Gyralite casting above the headlight. | More angles of the attractive GMY scheme. And below, the fronts of the three. | In the mid-1940s through the late 1950s, Alco sold nearly 700 examples of the FA-1 and FB-1 Models to 25 railroads in North America. This release includes a wide variety of roadnames and paint schemes that will look right at home on your layout. If you model the Long Island Rail Road in the mid 1980s to the 2000s, many of the FAs were converted to "Control Cars" for usage on the opposite end of a train hauled by an MP15AC or GP38-2. You've got many options to choose from! | These models from the initial run show off our amazing detail — the underbody, the exterior with many see-through etched parts (check out that radiator fan!) and, of course, the interior cab details! | The see-through grilles really shine in this New Haven model. This feature alone elevates the Rapido FA models above the competition. | |
Here are the HO Scale FA-1 and FB-1 features:
- Correct nose and windshield contours, scanned from sister loco FPA-4
- Flat or angled number boards as appropriate
- Dynamic and non-dynamic brake versions
- Etched side and fan screens
- Heavy, die-cast chassis
- 5-pole motor with dual flywheels
- Operating headlights, class lights and back-up lights
- Full underbody piping and conduit
- Separate grab irons and handrails
- Many road-specific details installed or included
- Full, multi-color interior
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC power
- DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound - ESU LokSound V5 Decoder
- Suggested minimum radius: 18”
Now for the schemes of the Alco FA-1 and FB-1s.
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Don't miss out on these great Alcos. Seriously. If you are still running ancient Model Power or Life-Like models it is time to upgrade your fleet with this next-level FA.
Place your order ASAP through your favorite dealer or directly from our website.
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HO Scale General Service Drop Bottom Gondola
Got a bit of déjà vu? That's because we are extending the HO Scale General Service Drop Bottom Gondola deadline to June 17th to give you a little bit more extra time. The orders are really strong for this one and we don't want you to miss out!
The GS Drop Bottom Gondola was an important car to the railroad industry. They carried everything from coal, dirt, sand, ore, wood chips, raw funnel cakes or whatever the railroads dumped into them. In fact, these are the perfect compliment to the FA-1 locomotives!
These are also featured in the June order deadline video. Click here to watch!
| | Separate grabs, rivet detailing and underbody detailing that's just amazing! | | |
This was an NP-designed gondola, why do I need one? Glad you asked, friend! Numerous railroads used nearly identical gondola designs. Some had similar versions with slightly higher side skirts. To add to the GS Drop Bottom Gondola fun, we added a bunch of schemes a few months back.
Now, you might say that's great but how long did these cars last? Another good question and the answer is many lasted into the 1970s with some as late as the 1980s in MOW service. This means you could roll them out as stone/rift raft style cars in any of the schemes we offer or patch them out for your freelance road!
| | Do you need high-side wood chip hoppers? The NP rebuilt many of these cars for wood chip service, which created a unique look to the cars. These are exclusive to the NPRHA and are available for ordering on their company store. Click here to order those cars directly through them. | |
Rapido’s HO Scale GS 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
- Suggested minimum radius: 18"
Now check out the paint schemes below!
| | Drop what you're doing and send in those orders through your favorite dealer or directly from our website. | | |
N Scale VIA Rail F40PH-2D Locomotive
Calling all N scalers! The F40PH-2D Locomotive is rocketing towards the order June 17th order deadline. To help promote this popular passenger locomotive, we recorded a video with the matching LRC Coaches. Click here to watch this awesome video.
Thanks to the Scarborough Model Railroaders Club for letting us film on their layout!
Oh, and HEY HOSERS! We have sold more VIA F40s to Americans than Canadians. SERIOUSLY. Make the Canadian model railroad community proud and order more of these amazing Canadian models!
| Awesome shots from Emmerson Case's layout. | This image shows the as-delivered version (right) and the later Canada scheme version from the late '90s through 2012 (left). | Of course we have photos of the N Scale F40PH-2D Locomotives! Here are a bunch of action shots. We admit, they look great in either scheme or build variation. And don't forget those pre-rebuild wrap schemes! Ooo-yeah! (Can we say that?) | |
Above, two rebuilt F40PH-2Ds haul a LRCs at the Scarborough Model Railroaders Club.
Below, two F40PH-2Ds look great in the Renaissance scheme.
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"I run freight, why do I need an F40?" Glad you asked! In the mid-1990s, power short CP was in need of locomotives while waiting on their GE AC4400CW order. They would lease a handful of VIA Rail F40PH-2Ds, but generally restricted them to the Montreal-Toronto-Windsor corridor to keep them close to home. This created some wacky consists on CP trains, both manifest and intermodal.
Now you too can recreate these unique consists, giving you another excuse to buy passenger power!
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The side view shows off the rebuilt section at the rear with the hump.
This rear end is stacked full of details and rebuilt shapes!
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Hey, we're bringing back 6403 in the $10 bill version with "Canada" written across the nose, eh? And ten lucky customers will receive a free, crisp, mint, uncirculated $10 bill with The Canadian on one side. We're sealing the jewel cases so there is no peeking inside until you've actually bought your model! Because ten bucks is ten bucks, eh?
(We're actually including a golden ticket inside 10 of these jewel cases as we can't squeeze a mint $10 bill in those wee N scale boxes!)
| Note our 6403 model will have the Canada logo on the nose as it appeared on the 10 dollar bill. | |
Here are the original F40PH-2D features:
New improved speaker enclosure featuring slots in radiator fan housing! This modification to the tooling will open the top of the shell to create a powerful sound experience for any N scale locomotive.
Also, now with MoPower capacitor system!
- Scaled from original blueprints and field measurements
- Unique Canadian F40PH-2D body and details
- Working headlights, ditch lights, number boards
- Separate grab irons and handrails installed at the factory
- Incredible underbody detail including separate piping
- Different rooftop details for different paint schemes
- Available in original scheme (1986-1998), Canada scheme (1998-2014) and also selected advertising wraps
- Accurate F40PH-2D sounds on sound-equipped models
Next up are the rebuilt F40PH-2D features:
- Unique Canadian F40PH-2D body and details
- Working headlights, ditch lights, number boards
- Working emergency headlight and emergency shutdown strobe light
- Separate grab irons and handrails installed at the factory
- Incredible underbody detail including separate piping
- Different rooftop details for different paint schemes
- Accurate Rebuilt F40PH-2D sounds on sound-equipped models
All F40PH-2D Locomotives feature:
- Suggested minimum radius: 11”
- Will operate smoothly on DC and DCC layouts
- Now equipped with MoPower capacitor, for uninterrupted DCC operation
Now let's look at our fantastic schemes, including the wraps for the first time in N scale.
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Just like our first release, our N scale F40PH-2D locomotives are expected to sell out quickly.
We don't plan to do another run of these locomotives for many, many years. This is your last chance to order VIA F40s in the 2020s!
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N Scale VIA Rail LRC Coaches
Our latest release of N Scale VIA Rail LRC Coaches are also closing out on the 17th of June. Get on board with these fantastic passenger cars, which are the perfect match for our VIA Rail F40PH-2D! An icon of VIA's Quebec City-Windsor corridor, the LRC cars have been operating with the F40s for nearly 40 years and continue to do so today.
Click here to watch the video.
Just like the F40PH-2Ds, the LRCs were on full display at the Scarborough Model Railroaders Club, too. Tons of new photos, below!
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The LRCs at work on the Scarborough Model Railroaders Club.
VIA's LRC consists can be quite varied with Canada scheme cars mixed with repaints, operating to this day.
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The LRC Coaches originally had two versions: coach and VIA 1 first class. They were externally identical, with the first class cars carrying a VIA 1 logo and no large Canadian flag. In 2013, VIA converted the VIA 1 cars to Business Class cars featuring 2 + 1 seating, some blanked windows with a new paint scheme.
We'll be offering both versions in all paint schemes! They'll look superb being powered by an F40PH-2D on a corridor train.
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Check out the details these N LRCs have! Separate hoses, stirrups and working marker lights!
Please note: These models are from the initial run.
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Here are the N Scale LRC Coach features:
Upgraded electronics and truck pickup abilities! We've done some redesigning as well as worked with our N scale experts to ensure these cars meet the demands of the discerning N scale modeler! We have also updated the circuit boards for increased reliability!
- Accurate dimensions from blueprints and field measurements
- Coach, VIA 1 and Business Class versions
- Working marker lights
- Etched-metal stirrups
- Full interior detail with accurate colours and tinted windows
- Track-powered interior lighting compatible with DC and DCC
- Suggested minimum radius: 14” (11" if you replace the couplers with longer ones)
Below are the schemes for this run.
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Don't hesitate, these are likely to sell out soon after release. Order these through your favorite dealer or direct from us.
Oh, and all your Hosers? The Yankees have ordered just as many LRC coaches as you have! Where is that Canadian pride? Elbows Up! Order more LRCs!
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Order Deadline: July 15th, 2025
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N Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefer
Hey you guys! Did you know that there has never been a model of this car produced in N scale? Did you know that the big reefers on your layout are a completely different prototype, built by a different builder, to a different length? Did you know that the reefers on your layout have a completely different roof and different sides? Did you know that these are TOTALLY DIFFERENT CARS?
Our N Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefer - NOT the big reefer on your layout - now has an order deadline set for July 15, 2025! We're one step closer to getting this model into production. With that said, let's take a quick look at the excellent details of this car.
Here are some of the first pre-production models. Note that these are subject to revisions before production.
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Here are the N Scale Greenbrier 72' IL 7780 Reefer features:
- Cryo-Trans body style
- Union Pacific-specific body style
- Two UP paint and lettering styles
- Two Cryo-Trans paint and lettering styles
- Separately applied cut levers and end platform
- Etched metal grate on end platforms
- Underbody brake rigging
- Separately applied door latch mechanism
- Accurate paint and lettering
- Available in single car name selections for Cryo-Trans and Lineage
- Available in singles or multi-packs
- Suggested minimum radius:
Now for the schemes.
| | This is the reefer you've all been waiting for. Make sure to get your orders in through your favorite dealer or directly through us. | | |
Masterclass — CTA 2600 Budd Series 'L' Cars
Subway fanatics, check out our latest Masterclass covering the CTA 2600 Budd Series 'L' Cars. A great resource of history for these neat 'L' cars that continue to bring commuters to and from work. Click here or the photo above to see their Masterclass.
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The Rapido Bay Area Tour of '25
In a few weeks from now, Jordan and Michael will be touring the Bay Area's finest establishments. They'll be bringing along samples and answers to all of your colorful questions! They may even have a special guest joining them as well as other surprises along the way. Come on out and say hello to them.
Let's take a look at their tour schedule:
(All times in PDT)
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Bay Area Prototype Modelers Meet
Come check out the Bay Area Prototype Modelers Meet on Saturday, June 21, 2025. We'll have lots of samples on display as well as plenty of time to answer all of your questions. Come stop by! Jordan and Michael can't wait to see you!
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St. Louis Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet
Stop by Collinsville, Illinois to see us at the St. Louis RPM on June 24th-26th. We'll have many of our new samples on display. You can ask Dan and Jeff any question you want! Especially about our models. We're looking forward to seeing you there!
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Tooling, Shipping and Arrival Updates
LOTS of new items will be arriving soon!
| | The SP Dome Lounge is breathtaking! From the exterior to the amazing interior details. | | The SP Overland and Daylight schemes look radiant on the rails. | | We can't forget Amtrak! We even added the neat 1970s-era map to the interior wall, just like the prototype had! | And of course we went crazy with interior lights, railings, seats and counter tops. | | Curious what the SP Dome Lounge interiors look like without their tops on? Say no more, here they are! The SP versions have the green while the Amtrak era is 1970s brown. | | The CN Hawker Siddeley Vans look great and are almost ready to leave the factory. | | A closer look at the underbody shows off all of the detail surrounding the trucks, including the triple valve, retainer and release rod. Below, the van looks very nice up against a Berlin Mills boxcar. | | |
The yellow frame stripe means this is an International van.
Below is the popular Devco Railway scheme.
| | Ready for the N Scale RR-56 Reefers? | | |
The BNSF rail train scheme on the buffer car.
Have to love those underbody details...on an N scale car!
| | The Alco PA samples have just arrived! | | |
The MKT PA looks dazzling in the Texas Special scheme.
And we can't forget the Alco demo scheme, too!
| | The Santa Fe repowered PAs show off that neat hump. | | |
Hot off the press! The newest run of ballast hoppers are almost ready to ship.
Here we see the samples we just received.
| | Ballast hopper testing! Note the improved wheel profiles. | Military flats, anyone? The Magor DODX flats are in production and those decks sure look nice! | | We'll end the factory photo section with a nice surprise: The C36-7s! Above are the FNMs and below we see that iconic Conrail blue. | | |
Check out that new Ferromex scheme, above.
Missouri Pacific long hoods look good. (They'd look better in Jenks Blue.)
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Newsletter 207 comes to a close. Another action-packed order deadline jamboree. We'll be back yet again to announce more exciting products in just a few weeks while you're having your hot dog and watching the fireworks!
Bobby Allard
Newsletter Reporter
Orange Cone Hat Participant — 9th Place, '08
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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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