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Rapido Newsletter Vol. 203
©2025 Rapido Trains Inc.
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Dear Rapido Customer,
Spring is in the air, friends! This month we have MANY important order deadlines to discuss as well as new photos and updates to our shipping schedule. Let's hop into it!
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In this 203rd issue...
- Don't Be Afraid to Preorder!
- An Update on N Scale Dash 8-40CM Warranty Locomotives
- Rapido and Me
- April Order Deadlines
- May Order Deadlines
- Events and Shows - including a new Live Stream!
- 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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Message from Jason:
Don't Be Afraid to Preorder!
As I'm writing this, the USA-China trade war has kicked into high gear. Things are changing by the hour, so by the time you read this it may already be out of date.
We are very confident that sanity will prevail and this trade war will simmer down fairly soon.
Please continue to preorder. We have deadlines coming up this month - especially those beautiful FT locomotives - and we need to know how many models to make.
We won't be shipping any goods out at 100% or some other silly high tariff. We will hold the products until the tariffs are much reduced or gone entirely.
So please continue to preorder, both from us and from our fellow manufacturers. We all need your orders in order to thrive in the post-trade war era that will be coming in the future.
Thanks a lot,
Jason
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An Update on N Scale Dash 8-40CM Warranty Locomotives
We’re pleased to announce that if you sent in your N Scale Dash 8-40CM for repairs at the factory, they are now shipping back to customers! We sincerely apologize for the long delay. It’s been nearly a year, and we understand how frustrating that wait has been. Our dedicated warranty team has worked tirelessly to make things right, carefully inspecting each and every locomotive by hand and performing additional fixes to ensure they meet our quality standards.
We truly appreciate your patience and support. Thank you again for sticking with us and trusting us throughout this process.
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Rapido and Me — Modeler Spotlight: Mark Estrada
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!).
This month we spotlight modeler Mark Estrada. Mark is building the BART Fremont and Embarcadero Stations, which also includes parts of the underground tubes! To follow his work, click here. Here's five photos of his progress. They look GREAT!
| Pulling into the Embarcadero Station. | Amazing attention to detail on the escalators, tiling and tunnels! | Running through the tubes! | Check out the platform detail. | | |
HO Scale EMD FT Locomotive
The Rapido FT Locomotives are just about ready to head off to production! Before we send this order to the factory, we have a brand new video and samples to show you. Click here to watch the new video. Below are more photos of the newest samples.
| The FT sample is looking good. Note the dual Pyle headlight on the NP version on the left. The ATSF version is on the right, as you can tell by the big piece of masking tape on the roof! You will need to add the masking tape yourself if you want it on your FT model. Sorry. | The FTs crossing a bridge at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. | That close coupling is amazing. The couplers on the Santa Fe version were a challenge to design, but we're extremely excited to see these on the finished models. Now, let's see more photos! | |
The Rapido’s FT Locomotive features:
- * Close-coupling system for great appearance on straights and curves
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* Drawbar or coupler connections between A and B units
- * Multiple styles of number boards, installed as appropriate
- Correct nose and windshield contours
- Three styles of dynamic brake hatch, installed as appropriate
- Steam generator hatch installed as appropriate
- Etched side and fan screens
- Heavy, die-cast chassis
- 5-pole motor with dual flywheels
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* Working headlights, ground lights, number boards and back-up lights
- * Full underbody details including piping and draft gear
- Separate grab irons and handrails
- * Numerous road-specific details
- * Full, multi-color interior
- DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound (ESU LokSound) options
- Accurate sounds
- Suggested minimum radius: 18"
* For the first time ever in plastic!
Below are the schemes on the initial offering. Note all those neat oddball numberboards!
| The FT has already been a huge success and is sure to be a popular locomotive once it hits the shelves. We anticipate some of these schemes might sell fast, so make sure you have your orders in ahead of time. Click the button below to solidify your FT today! | | |
HO Scale Trenton Works 6348 cu.ft. Boxcar
The HO Scale Trenton Works 6348 cu.ft. Boxcar is an important car on Canadian National's roster. These cars haul lumber and other wood products all across North America. Really, they run everywhere. Not just in Barrie, Ontario, Canada where Jeremy lives.
I'm going to be frank with you guys. Our preorders for Canadian freight cars have been low across the board lately. Like, really awful. But when they arrive, they sell out instantly. Hey hosers! You need to preorder freight cars too, eh?
These cars operate in the USA as well as Canada. So, My Fellow Americans: please place your orders for these neat and unique combo-door boxcars before next week's deadline!
Look out in the coming week for the deadline video. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don't miss it.
| The details on the latest sample have us super excited. | Holy door detail, Batman! | The Trenton Works 6348 cu.ft. Boxcar is full of detail and don't forget we've also added Railroad of Lies to the list of paint schemes. Check out the 3D CAD render, below. | |
Railroad of Lies in 3D CAD format above.
Below, the latest sample and all of the underbody piping and detail.
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The Rapido Trenton Works 6348 cu.ft. CN Boxcar features:
- Designed from original blueprints and field measurements.
- Redi Roof 1 (peaked and overhanging)
- Correct handbrake styles and housings
- Barber S-2 cast steel trucks
- Full underbody detailing
- Correct brake platforms and running boards
- Semi-scale couplers and coupler boxes
- Free rolling turned metal wheels
- Accurate paint and lettering
- Multiple road numbers available per scheme
- Assembled, painted/unlettered version offered
- Suggested minimum radius: 18"
Below you'll find the different schemes of this popular combo-door box car. They are still running today all over North America. It's a great model of a modern boxcar.
| Make sure to keep placing those orders and reserve yours now because they are the perfect addition to any modern layout. As I said earlier, they are sure to sell fast once they hit the store shelves. You can roll in those orders by clicking the button below or visiting your dealer. | | |
HO Scale Balloon Top Coaches
The Balloon Top Coaches – or “Canadian Flyers” as they often called by railfans – also need your orders in by April 15th. We're making these because Jason really, really, really wants them. Please order some so we can actually make a profit on them! In case you need more reasons why you should buy these works of art, click here to watch the video.
| | The newest Balloon Top sample is here. | Interior lighting highlights those amazing Heywood-Wakefield seats.
Check out the see-through armrests! | These cars have an insane amount of detailing. Fully detailed interiors with seats second to none and underframes with a ridiculous amount of piping and conduits. | | Lots of piping! The underframe features a plethora of details. | | Those seats. And below, just look at that end gate and bulkhead detail. | Holy huge coupler, Batman! The models will have plated, blackened metal couplers, rather than this big brown thing. | Below are the schemes for the "tops". Note: we even included a few unlettered versions for you to imitate your favourite excursion or business train service. | | |
We previously mentioned we will ensure these are not delivered at the same time as our new run of Super Continental passenger cars. This way you can budget for both of these awesome new passenger cars.
Be sure to order your fleet of Balloon Tops before they fly away without you! Order from your favourite hobby shop or click on the order button below.
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HO Scale AutoFlood III Rapid Discharge Hopper
The HO Scale AutoFlood III Rapid Discharge Hopper Car will FINALLY be closing out shortly! Here are some neat photos from the first offering as well as 3D CAD renders of the ROLX hoppers.
If you have not seen these beautiful cars in person, you can watch our original launch for these cars... almost two years ago! Click here to watch the video, and – as the video says – be sure to get your orders in by November 2023!!! 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
And by November 2023, we mean NOW.
| Just in case you missed it, we added a couple of roadnumbers for Railroad of Lies. Check out the renders, below. | ROLX, the route of mysterious... | |
Here are the HO Scale AutoFlood III Rapid Discharge Hopper features:
- Die-cast frame and floor for optimum car weight
- Full interior rivet and K-member details
- Super-detailed end cages including separate air and brake piping
- Barber S-2 100-ton Trucks with metal wheels
- Hopper bays feature highly detailed outlet gates
- Etched, see-through end cross-over platforms
- Full end detail, including uncoupling levers
- Separate grab irons installed at the factory
- Accurate paint and lettering
- Removable coal load included
- Multiple road numbers available for each scheme
- Available in singles or multi-packs (Dealers must order multi-packs.)
- Multi-packs boxed for individual sale
- Suggested minimum radius: 18"
Below are the schemes for this new run.
| Reserve these while you can, as some schemes are likely to sell out (such as Railroad of Lies — it always does)! Please call your dealer or click the button below. | | |
HO Scale Greenbrier 72' 7780 IL Reefer
The HO Scale Greenbrier 72' 7780 IL Reefer finally has an order deadline set: May 15th, 2025. This also means we have a brand-new sample to show off! Check out the photos of it, above and below. Oh, and don't forget, next month we'll have a video which will go further into the nitty gritty of this swell but important reefer. They all have lights, and you can even order them with sound!
We don't offer the sound separately as we don't want you to destroy those fragile end platforms while trying to install sound. So if you want sound, please order the sound versions. If you are buying a fleet, we don't recommend ordering all of them with sound. It will overpower your layout.
| What's this? Reefer indicator lights? YES, we did that! | Check out the road-specific roof styles. Etched parts and a ton of details. We can't wait for these to arrive. Note: these will also come with our semi-scale knuckle couplers. | Let's see the schemes for the HO Scale Greenbrier 72' 7780 IL Reefer. We'll start off with the Cryo-Trans cars with their unique names. The first image has the white tops. | | Next we have the Lineage Reefers. These cars also have unique names, which are lettered on the giant sliding plug door. | |
Get your orders in for the HO Greenbrier Reefer. We're sure these won't stay in stock long so reserve yours now by clicking the button below or visiting the dealer.
P.S. This is already our most popular freight car of the year. Thank you to everyone who has ordered already!
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HO Scale NSC 73' Centerbeam
Last newsletter we announced a new run of HO Scale NSC 73' Centerbeams. These cars will head to their order deadline in just over a month on May 15th. We'll go over these cars a bit more next newsletter, since we just showcased them recently.
As a reminder, here are the schemes on this run.
| | Ready to order your centerbeams? Click the button below to get started. | | |
HO Scale X-3 Tank Car
After quite a long time, the HO Scale X-3 Tank Car now has an order deadline of May 15th. We'll have a video soon for this interesting tank car and the different versions on this run. In the meantime, here is the roadname artwork, categorized by their car classification.
| Load up your "tank" with these tank cars! Make sure you have all of your orders in for these neat tank cars. You can do so by clicking the button below or order from your favorite dealer. | | |
HO Scale General Service Drop Bottom Gondola
The HO Scale GS Drop Bottom Gondola will at long last have an official order deadline on May 15th. Next month we'll have a new video that will highlight the features of these venerable gondolas, which lasted over 40 years in service.
Until then, check out the different and added schemes on this run. First the Northern Pacific versions as well as the schemes we added a little ways back, which gave these cars a bit of color.
| Order up! Make sure to start trickling in those GS Drop Bottom Gondola orders before time runs out. You can do so by clicking the button, below. | | |
N Scale NSC Centerbeam
Last, but not least is the N Scale NSC 73' Centerbeam and just like its larger HO scale brother, the final order deadline is May 15th.
| | We're nearly certain these cars won't last once they're out in stores. That means it would behoove you to place your orders now for the centerbeams. Click the button below to start ordering. | | |
Rapido Live! — April 16th, 7:30PM
Calling all Rapido fans! Jason, Jordan, Bobby and Bill will be hosting a live stream April 16 at 7:30PM! Come join them for a night of Rapido model discussion that generally warps into a wild discussion about anything! You won't want to miss the back-and-forth between them. They will be happy to answer your questions!
Join in on our Facebook page. If you happen to miss it, you can always re-watch it later via Facebook or when we upload the video to our YouTube.
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Tooling, Shipping and Arrival Updates
LOTS of new items will be arriving soon!
| | A commonly seen car, now in model format: the PC&F 5241 "Berlin Mills" Boxcar. | It's the PFE R-40 Reefer! | The CP H16-44 is just about ready to ship! Check out the packaging for these, below. | | Hawker Siddeley Vans, in their painting phase. | Hey N scale fans, we didn't forget you! Here's the RR-56 Reefer. | Transition modelers: the G22 and H21 cars look superb. | | Our FIRST P32AC-DM samples have arrived! Look for a more in-depth review on these in a future newsletter. ...also, what's that, in the top left corner. | |
A sneak peak at our upcoming Chicago CTA models!
Did you notice there is ALSO an elevated bridge for these?
| Lots of rizz with these cars! Seats with EXTREME detail! | |
3D printed CF7s! These look GREAT, including the cab interiors.
These were printed by 3D Central.
| Here's a surprise: 3D printed samples of the GP39 and SWMT Slug. Hooah! | The battery boxes and the batteries behind the mail slots. Wow! | |
The SWMT Slug looks great, just look at all of those connections.
3D Central did a great job on printing these.
| The top of the GP39 with the Cannon and Company radiator fans. | | The current DRGW caboose samples. | | |
Rocky Mountain Train Show and Supertrain Show Recap
This past weekend we attended the Rocky Mountain Train Show in Denver, Colorado, and Supertrain in Calgary, Alberta. Despite both landing on the same weekend, they were excellent shows all around. We are so grateful for all of you who came to see us, ask us questions and show your genuine joy and appreciation for both us and our products. (Nat is referring specifically to the pilot that chased her off the plane to ask about the CLRV.)
| | One step closer to that Hollywood star, we now have a dedicated brick at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum! | | We also won an award! James Wright from JLWII2000 on YouTube presented us with a People's Choice award for "Most Exciting Product Lineup". | | The Colorado crew: Jeff, Dan, Jordan and Lystra. Booth up, workers happy and ready to go! ...meanwhile up in Calgary. (Scroll down!) | | Supertrain was held at a new location this year, and after a minor hiccup with our booth, we were very grateful for the volunteers and staff who made our weekend super smooth. Besides, we loved being in that huge arena altogether with everyone else! | | Our team looking pretty sad without our booth. Because, you know, like, we never arrive at an Alberta train show without our booth. | | Except for Edmonton in 2014... | | Oh, and what about Milwaukee in November 2024? | | |
Clearly we at Rapido believe in repeating our mistakes as often as possible so that we can learn from them!
Back to Calgary this month. On Saturday morning, Natasha drove the rented Silverado 1500 to the freight company yard and had our samples and booth loaded into the bed. She brought it to Supertrain in record time and they were hand-bombed from the loading dock.
Thanks to everyone who helped us set up the booth!
| | This looks a bit more professional than an empty booth... | | Thank you to Murray Larsen with the Calgary Model Railway Society for letting Nat run his Rapido engine on their layout and even captured her trying not to crank that throttle. | | And finally, thank you to CPKC for hosting a few of us at their pavilion for a special event and letting us geek out about 2816 and their enormous accomplishments from 2024 (and even before that!). | | Michael really suits that cab. | | |
And just like that, newsletter 203 is in the books! We're finally getting some new items out, headed to your layout. Look for more items soon, both in physical and announcement form.
Bobby Allard
Newsletter Reporter
Practice Safe Storm Chasing
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Canada: 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, ON L3R 5H5
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