Rapido Greenbrier 72' IL Reefers Arriving

[basementcalling]

Looks like the Rapido 72ft reefers have hit the shelves in several places. Anyone put hands on a car or two yet?

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[jpwisc]

I’d love to get a couple to see how they look with NPossible couplers. It could be an amazing combo

[samusi01]

Overall not a bad car. Support structure around the reefer unit are a bit thicker than the ScaleTrains cars. Couplers are 1016 clones, so should be a drop in for N-P. Of the cars tried, the BLMA was far and away the most free rolling, with the new Rapido car coming in last. BLMA/Atlas are getting a bit long in the tooth compared to details on current models.

B end, left to right: ScaleTrains, Rapido, BLMA pre-Atlas, ExactRail


A end, left to right: BLMA, Rapido, ScaleTrains, ExactRail.

[GaryHinshaw]

^Good comparison.  I got my shipment from Otter Valley earlier this week but haven't had much time to check them out.  Overall I would say very good, but not great.  The samples I have tested roll well and the painting and lettering is quite nice, so the overall effect is good.  The underbody detail is a bit fragile, so they'll need to be handled with care.  I did try a quick N-Possible test with a URS retro-fit and the height is a bit low:



They should work fine even at this height, but I am planning to raise the ride height a bit with a printed washer to bring it closer to spec, much as I have been doing with the Scale Trains reefers:



Here's a close-up of the balcony detail on the Rapido (L) and Scale Trains (R):





I wish the railings didn't lean in so much and were a tad thinner, but I'll live with it.  Seeing as how Tehachapi is a gateway to/from the Central Valley, these cars are a must-have for me.  I'm really glad they're here.

[turbowhiz]

I was going to buy one of these today as a coupler reference, but to be honest it just didn’t spark any joy. The wheelsets are crappy looking, and the overall impression is its just not up to best of N scale. IMHO the model in general is best described as mid; Details are awfully chunky and so-so assembly quality. If I needed some, then I’d take it, but I don’t, so it was an easy pass. The scaletrains is considerably better in all respects.

(Looks like you did a wheelset swap there Gary? At least in one photo you posted those don't appear to be stock wheels.....)

[GaryHinshaw]

(Looks like you did a wheelset swap there Gary? At least in one photo you posted those don't appear to be stock wheels.....)

Good eye Andrew.  Indeed I did, as I do with 99% of my cars.  The wheels in the first photo are FVM 3603 (.563" axles).  Much better.

Agreed on the chunky detail, but they are a must-have prototype for me.  I am contemplating printing or etching new balcony rails, but not anytime soon...

[MetroRedLine]

Looks like the Rapido 72ft reefers have hit the shelves in several places. Anyone put hands on a car or two yet?

Just got three of them from Lombard. Agree with everyone's sentiment here.

Are the end handrails on the mech reefer unit platform supposed to be pinched-in like that?

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[GaryHinshaw]

Are the end handrails on the mech reefer unit platform supposed to be pinched-in like that?

Definitely not.  I've been playing around with this and I think I have a crude if simple solution to the lean.  Here is an example out of the box:



That lean just triggers my OCD... (so to the seriously tilted walkway).   The first thing I did was to stuff a piece of 1/8" strip wood between the railing and the fridge:



The walkway is supported by two tabs on the inboard side next to the car.  With the railing propped out by the strip, it's fairly straightforward to bend the platform down to horizontal.   To fix the lean, I cut a piece of 0.40 x 0.60" white styrene strip stock 5/8" long and jammed it between the car body and the walkway tabs.  This forced the walkway to push the railing section out enough to be vertical:



It's a bit of a hack, but it works.  Sadly it does not fix the thickness of the detail, but that's a lot easier to live with if it's at least straight.

[dcr1793]

Overall very impressed with these. Puts a nice variety in the mix between the two Trinity prototypes and these. Just need the new insulated version from Greenbrier and we are set.

[Englewood]

Those are some "cool" pictures!