Rapido Passenger Cars

[lock4244]

Anyone else dying to see the finished product? Long have I hoped for some VIA lightweight, smoothside coaches (I missed the Kato's and haven't seen any available used), and now I'm getting my wish. Given the reputation of the HO cars, I have some pretty high hopes for these cars. A high price point to be sure, but if they're worth it, I think we'll have another good N manufacturer. That and a well received N scale passenger car might get them to do their upcoming HO CP van in N as well (and a Pointe Ste Charles CN van, too).

[Mark5]

I am more than a little curious. Aside from the obvious foobies, the coach isnt a bad standin for an N&W PM class to me:



Mark

[Black Diamond]

I'm eager to get my hands on these as well--especially the undec units. It would be nice if they had operating diaphragms like those from American Limited but from the pics it looks like I'll be removing that pseudo striker plate and installing AL hardware. Maybe if all goes well they will give us some RPO and baggage cars too.  ;D

[Ian MacMillan]

I have 10 of the HO cars and LOVE them, so I cant wait to see how the N scale cars turn out.

[wm3798]

How hard would it be to make the windows in the N&W cars look like those school bus windows they used?
 

Lee

[Mark5]

How hard would it be to make the windows in the N&W cars look like those school bus windows they used?
 

Lee

School bus?

http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/index.php

Mark

[Nato]

  I Really hope they will do well in N. I have both coaches & sleepers on reserve from several places, hope we get the baggage car and cafe lounge car so I can do a complete CN train in original colors. My biggest hope is that sucess will lead to the Osgood Bradly Pullman ("American Flyer Coaches") in N as a closet New Haven modeler among other roads PRR,LV, Erie etc. Plus both Seaboard Airline and Cotton Belt later SP owned a few of these. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[wm3798]

They must have been a retrofit by the later excursionistas...


Lee

[Puddington]

Jason (Rapido Trains owner) has publically stated that if the initial release goes well then they will mimic the HO releases. He's also been equally as blunt in public that he's a little concerend that the n scale pre sales response has not been as positive as with the HO products.

Jason is a really great guy and a fine businessman - he'll do what makes money as long as he can meet his own quality standards - which are very, very high.

[lock4244]

Jason (Rapido Trains owner) has publically stated that if the initial release goes well then they will mimic the HO releases. He's also been equally as blunt in public that he's a little concerend that the n scale pre sales response has not been as positive as with the HO products.

Jason is a really great guy and a fine businessman - he'll do what makes money as long as he can meet his own quality standards - which are very, very high.

Jason shouldn't expect an HO type response from N scalers... smaller scale, smaller response! Kidding aside, an arguement could be made that a larger number of HOer's model transition era RR's where many of his products are targeted. In N, a serious lack of steam from mfg's in favour of diesels puts alot of N scalers in the diesel era... the era that the passenger train almost died. Other than CN's push to regain lost passenger business in the 1960's, most roads retrenched in the era most of us model.

I hope he sees the sales he's targeted... they've alot of stuff in HO I'd like to see in N.

Ironic that the availability of the Rapido cars was a factor in my decision to model the golden age of railroading, the late 1980's (my golden age due to early railfanning memories), due to availability of VIA lightweight cars. IM's FP9A/F9B didn't hurt, either... nor have those sweet 86' boxcars or upcoming TLT newsprint boxcars. Couple that with some research and alot of thought on the subject of era. God, I hope I don't change my mind!

EDIT: I wonder what kind of response the TurboTrain would get in N???

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Kansas City Southern and Bangor & Aroostook also had "American Flyer" cars.  He also should look into doing the "Canadian Flyer" cars as well.

[Frank Amato]

My biggest hope is that sucess will lead to the Osgood Bradly Pullman ("American Flyer Coaches") in N as a closet New Haven modeler among other roads PRR,LV, Erie etc. Nate Goodman (Nato).

Amen to that, brother!  Bring on those coaches for my LV Maple Leaf and Black Diamond trains!

   Frank