Rapido Newsletter Vol. 114
©2019 Rapido Trains Inc.
Dear Rapido Customer,

We have a mixed bag of goodies for you this month...

  • August 12th Order Deadline: 3800 Hoppers
  • August 12th Order Deadline: NP Boxcars
  • New Video: Rio Grande Ski Train
  • New! Ski Train Exclusive Cars!
  • New Video: Rapido HQ Tour
  • We're Hiring!
  • Upcoming Appearances
  • Delivery Update
  • Where's That British Bus?
  • Teamwork On My HO Scale Model Railroad
A prototype of our newly-retooled 3800 Hopper
August 12th Order Deadline: 3800 Hoppers

You have another chance to replace all those incorrect 4550 hoppers with correct 3800s! Yes, we are making a new run of 3800 cu. ft. hoppers and the order deadline is in just over a week. This new run features new and improved tooling!
The new run paint schemes and variations
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 contiguous United States.

Our HO Scale 3800 model features:

  • New, improved design
  • Marine Industries or National Steel Car prototype, as per roadname
  • Round hatches or trough hatches
  • Correct Dofasco S-2 100-ton trucks
  • Three brake equipment variations and additional air reservoir on NSC cars (if applicable)
  • Etched-metal running boards and brake changeover platform
  • Factory-installed air pipes and coupler cut levers
  • Finely moulded plastic walkway supports (two styles) and end cages
The new "flat pick" construction of our 3800 Hopper
The render above shows how the 3800 Hopper tooling is now "flat pack" rather than "one piece" as in the first run. "One piece" bodies on cylindrical hoppers are very difficult to inject and result in a lot of wastage and potential for injection problems. Now the bodies are built up from a flat kit during the assembly process and are much more reliable. The render also shows the new trough hatches included on some cars.
Click here or on the image above to download the sales brochure. You can fill out which cars you want and take this to your local hobby shop.

Alternatively, click here to order direct.

Please remember to get your order in by August 12th! Every run of freight cars we produce sells out in a very short time, even if we make extras. You don't want to miss these.
Our highly-regarded NP Boxcar
August 12th Deadline: NP Boxcars

We seriously under-produced our last run of Northern Pacific 10,000-series double-sheathed boxcars, so we are making a small run of new car numbers to meet the pent-up demand. Interestingly, when our newsletter went out in April advertising these cars and other releases, we got a ton of orders. And the first run had just come out a few months earlier!

Click here or on the image below to watch a video about these boxcars hosted by their very talented designer, Bill Schneider.
NP Boxcar Video
There were 4000 cars in the fleet and they lasted in revenue service until 1970. They even remained in company service into the 1980s! Because of their large number they could be found on freight trains across the USA, and they were very common in Canada as well.
Love that underbody detail!
Our NP Boxcar features wire grabs, full underbody detail with separate brake rods and piping (K brake or AB brake), accurate U-channel trucks with inline brake shoes, servicing stencils on the air reservoirs, and other neat stuff. They are just gorgeous cars.
Click here or on the picture above to download the sales sheet you can take to your hobby shop.

The MSRP is $49.95. Cars are available in singles (random car number) or in four packs (all different numbers). Click here for more information or to order direct.

Remember that deadline - August 12th! At the height of summer! When nobody is reading this!
New Video: Rio Grande Ski Train

We're making a serious effort to increase the number of videos we produce so you can have more of an inside look into our products and our company. We're very proud of our new Rio Grande Ski Train models, and our YouTube Wunderkind Jordan Smith takes you through all of the features inside and out.

Click here or on the image below to watch the new video, and scroll down for more information about the Ski Train.
OK, all you Ski Train fans... There's more!
The three exclusive Ski Train cars
New! Ski Train Exclusive Cars!

We had no idea how big the demand would be for the Rio Grande Ski Train. We're producing the F40PH locomotives and 11 of the 14 Ski Train cars. Many people contacted us and asked, "Why aren't you doing the remaining three cars???" We honestly didn't think anyone would want the WHOLE train, and boy were we wrong. Sure enough, everyone wants to go WHOLE HOG on their Ski Train.

Luckily, Spring Creek Model Trains has come to the rescue! They have commissioned the three remaining Ski Train cars as an exclusive. That means if you want a COMPLETE Ski Train, you need to order those three cars from Spring Creek. We are very appreciative that Spring Creek stepped up and took on this project. Kudos to them!

The three exclusive cars are:

131208 - Rio Grande Ski Train Parlor/Club: Idaho Springs
131209 - Rio Grande Ski Train Coach: Mount Bierstadt
131210 - Rio Grande Ski Train Coach/Snack: Shavano Peak

Click here to order the new cars directly from Spring Creek.
Click here or on the image above to download the full Ski Train brochure to take to your hobby shop, and click here for the web site or to order direct.

Please make sure your Ski Train order is in by September 9th.
New Video: Rapido HQ Tour

We've recently expanded into the next unit here at our Markham headquarters, and we thought it would be neat to give you a tour of the facility, sort of "A Day In The Life" but without the crashing cars and potholes.

Join our "president and CEO" Jordan Smith as he takes you behind the scenes and we promise nothing silly will happen. You'll see models being tested and designed, sounds being developed, and the new warehouse being blown up. So the usual stuff.

Click here or on the image below to watch.
Jordan is our YouTube superstar sensation. If you ever see him at a train show or on a train somewhere please refer to him as "Mr. President," "Hot Stuff" or simply "Brad Pitt."
We're Hiring!

If you've just watched our new video, you've seen that we're still growing. And we need to grow our team to meet the increased workload. We're looking for two new model railroaders to join the Rapido family at our head office in the Toronto area. Note that due to employment and immigration laws, we can only hire you if you are legally allowed to work in Canada.

If your email to us is about to begin with "I live in Papua New Guinea/Jakarta/North Korea/Derbyshire but I'm sure it will be no problem for me to work in Canada," please do not send us an email. You need to already be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.

Position 1: Warehouse Manager and Customer Service (full time)
We are looking for a model railroader with extensive warehouse/logistics experience who would be interested in joining our team to manage our warehouse and shipping department. During the lulls between deliveries, we would expect you to help out with customer emails and parts requests/warranty repairs.

Position 2: Warranty Repair and Customer Service (full or part time)
We are looking for a model railroader who can join Dave in our repair department. Regular jobs include replacing defective motors and motherboards, rewiring/replacing LEDs, reprogramming DCC decoders, disassembling and assembling models, touching up paint, etc. You need to be a steady worker and good at communicating with members of the public who call in for assistance. You also need to be extremely patient with customers who think that our HO scale passenger cars are faulty rather than the 15" radius curves and 8% grades on their layout.

If you think you may be the right fit for one of these positions, please click here to get in touch with your cover letter and resume!
Jason's presentation in Moncton last month.
Photo courtesy John Richard.
Upcoming Appearances

July was a busy month! I had a great time in Moncton and Bill and Dan D. had a great time in St. Louis. Here are some upcoming Rapido events:

Date: Wednesday August 14th
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Presentation at the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Canad Inns Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB
Rapido Team: Jason Shron  and Sidura Ludwig
(Yes, Sidura will be there to answer questions about being married to a crazy train nut. You may want to bring your wife.)

Date: Saturday September 7th
Location: Essex, Connecticut
NHRHTA 57th Annual Reunion Train Show
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: The Valley Railroad's River Valley Junction
Rapido Team: Bill Schneider

Date: October 5th and 6th
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Brampton Fair Grounds
Rapido Team: Lots of people
Rapido's first full container shipment leaves the LRC factory!
Delivery Update

We have a number of shipments en route from our factories right now. The photo above is a milestone. In our 15-year history, this is the first time we've shipped a FULL 40-foot container just with our stuff. Usually our shipments go LCL or in 20-foot containers.

We'll give a free RS-18 locomotive with sound to the best photo of that container on a train crossing Canada. If you have the ability to trace containers, the number is visible in the photo. Please keep everyone informe of where it is by posting on our Facebook Page!


If you are looking for any of these locomotives and cars and you did not reserve by the deadline, please let us know and we'll see if we can help you. We've made plenty of inventory of the Well Car but everything else is hit and miss.

Have a look at some of these production photos!
CSX B36-7 shell in the printing room
TTI B36-7 shell in the printing room
B36-7 walkway frame showing warning labels and painted hose ends
B36-7 cabs in assembly
N Scale GMD-1 shells get final printing before assembly.
RS-11 short hoods in the paint shop.
Gold star to anyone who recognizes the paint scheme!
Pre-production samples of our Brummie New Look Bus meet an APT-E.
As this photo was taken in Canada, they are driving on the right!
Where's That British Bus?

I am pleased to announce that the Birmingham Guy Arab 1:76 bus model is in production and our plan is to have them in stock at the Warley Show at the end of November. We have to work out some logistics first, like how on earth we are going to get paid for them. But apart from that, they should be here on time.

There will be more on this in the British email newsletter we're planning to send out later this month.
Jordan Smith installs copper strip to power the East Staging Yard tracks.
This leaves the underside of the staging yard clean as it's very visible from below.
Teamwork On My HO Scale Model Railroad

I'm grateful that my hobby and my job are the same thing - model trains. When I'm not working at Rapido HQ I can often be found in my basement working on the HO scale Kingston Subdivision, the busy double-track mainline between Toronto and Montreal. My layout spans three decks (plus staging in the sky) and has a beast of a helix connecting them. As I primarily run passenger trains, the radii in the helix are 36" and 38.25".
Dan Garcia has a new hairstyle... The Helix!
Back in Rapido News 109 I shared with you some game-changing advice I received on the Trainorders forum, where member Steinzeit2 told me to get out of the weeds in Brockville and get the whole layout up and running before I delve into scenery. It's just a few months later and there is a new energy in the layout room. The lighting, backdrops and roadbed are now all installed on Deck 2.
Moving trains out of the way of construction... and having fun too!
Here a Rapido and a Turbo pass at Yonge Mills, Ontario.
I have been helped by my good friends along the way, many of whom are also Rapido employees. Josh Anderchek, John Chipperfield, Dan Darnell, Bob Fallowfield, Dan Garcia, Mike Loyst, Jordan Smith and others have pitched in to help me get this far. While I enjoy the solitude of a quiet Sunday afternoon in the layout room, nothing beats building with friends. We get the tunes going and the conversation and jokes fly across the room: the word caulk is the gift that keeps giving for a bunch of puerile guys like us.

Another great aspect to building with friends is that any time one of us hits a stumbling block there are three or four other guys to help brainstorm a solution.
There was clearly some joke going on here, as Dan, Jordan, John Chipperfield and Josh Anderchek are super smiley. I'm sure it involved caulk...
I update the Kingston Sub Facebook Page almost every day with progress photos, layout construction ideas, and general silliness. Please click here to go there and please "like" or "follow" the page and join in the discussion. You can browse the photos and videos to see our progress.

If you are a lone wolf model railroader, you might want to try hosting a few friends over to help out. But don't just ask anyone! You need to vet who comes to help on your layout; you need make sure they are the type of guys who will listen to you, and are in tune with what you want to accomplish on your layout and how.
John lays cork through Guildwood Station. Rather than use Rapido's Noise Killer roadbed strips, I had the roadbed factory cut me huge sheets and I'm installing cork on that.
Same result, different method.
If you want to get running quickly, you don't need someone who will spend four days installing one turnout. On the other hand, if you are a perfectionist you don't want someone who lays 20 feet of track in 10 minutes and thinks a kink or a glued-up turnout is "good enough."

Once you've found the right crew, you will be amazed at your progress. I am always looking forward to my next build session with the team. This layout would be much further behind were it not for them.

By the way, prior layout-building experience is not needed for helpers. They only need a willingness to learn and the patience to get it right. Jordan and Josh are two of my most reliable helpers and often they are doing some element of layout construction that they have never done before. But I trust them 100% as they will always check stuff with me at each stage and make sure it's what I'm looking for.

This hobby is wonderful. Let's try and get as much out of it as possible!

Best regards,

Jason

Jason Shron
President
Rapido Trains Inc.
Most model railroaders can relate to this scene of me stuck between decks two and three. It makes a fitting end to the newsletter, don't you think?
OK, OK - I won't quit my day job.
USA: PO Box 796, Higganum, CT 06441
Canada: 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, ON L3R 5H5