Latest Rapido newsletter...

[rapidotrains]

... is online.

Nope - nothing in N scale.  Sorry to disappoint!

Well, except for those new freight cars.

http://www.rapidotrains.com/rapidonews61.html

Thanks for looking!

Jason

[up1950s]

And what about those in-work LIRR passenger cars piled up like gold bars . That's not nothing to me , that's a big time something .

[peteski]

The reefer would have been an excellent news, except to me the heavy-handed engraving of the sides kills it.  Which is too bad since I love collecting billboard reefers.  Just like the Atlas N scale reefers, these appear to have scale 2" gaps between the boards.  Looks like something Bachmann would have produced in the lats 70s. Too bad.

EDIT: To add, it wouldn't have taken any more effort to make this model a real winner.  Just remove a little more material from the tooling.

[nickelplate759]

Well, I for one am thrilled with the meat reefer - except that my old MDC meat reefers won't look as pretty by comparison.

Dare we hope that the Barber S1-A truck might be made available separately?

George

[thomasjmdavis]

I'll be in for a few, like as not.  Now I have to go do more research, to figure out which ones would be correct (well, ok, the red Swift ones for sure, but not sure about others) for my layout.  The dating of the schemes on the Rapido site is very helpful- http://www.rapidotrains.com/reefer_n.html#pack3.

I am guessing that the "heavy handed engraving" noted above has to do with the cited photo being a pre=production sample, and on my computer screen, at least, about twice life size.  The Swift reefer shown below that looks to have finer detailing.  Trucks and underbody detail look like they are first rate.

At first I was thinking they were a bit pricey, but when you compare to recent Atlas and MT offerings, and figure for the metal wheels and extra details, probably about what we would have paid after upgrading a car from another manufacturer.

And anyway, the expensive part is that now I need to build a meat packing plant.

[thomasjmdavis]

By the way, Jason, on the "what have you done for us lately" scale, this gets a very high rating.  And if I read the other news correctly, there may be some more passenger cars in our future, someday soon.  Does that include the 10-5 and maybe (really hoping here) a re-run of the coaches in the 50s CN scheme?

[peteski]

I'm still waiting for the B&M Osgood Bradley cars and for ... a drum roll please ... the Turbo Train in N scale.  Not bitter - just getting a bit impatient. How many years has it been now?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Heh, reefer. I could go for some refer. It's been a long week, and that stuff is kinda legal in Maryland now... lol.

Cool announcement. N scale can use more Rapido.

[learmoia]

That post brought back a long ago memory...



And 33 Years later - Now working for the railroad... This illustration has an entirely new meaning!


~Ian

[Puddington]

While it appears that some members are interested in our bew meat reefer the Railwire tradtion of mean spirited commentary has not gone by the wayside. I posted our new product pictures in another tread and Jason posted them here expecting and wanting feedback, and we are getting some good commentary. I'm not sure that public comments like comparing something to a 40 year old product, using words like "yuck" and saying things like "no way" qualify as constructive. Hey, its a free world, buy, don't buy, make observations or suggestions and point out improvements you'd like but the attack approach doesn't make a mfg want to improve; it just makes us ignore the induvudual and move on to the comments of more serious modellers.
That us what I am doing in this case.

[CBQ Fan]

I just get skeptical when I see a bunch of announcements that aren't supported by regular product arrivals.  When I see regular nscale products say a couple of times a quarter I will be much more likely to get excited when there is a new announcement.  Your products have always impressed me when they have been available to purchase.

[wm3798]

I'm trying to link to it over my rotary phone.   I keep dialing 8, but it's not working.

[Puddington]

Bryan: I'm afraid Rapido will disappoint you forever..... we will never have several N scale products delivering a quarter... and short of MT I don't know who consistently does that so I guess we'll continue to disappoint you - sorry mate.

I don't know if you guys read the updates I put up here on Railwire; I think we do a pretty good job of being open about our progress on stuff; our problems and all that - maybe I'm wrong. I've shared factory photo's of progress on GMD-1's on Panarama cars and in process drawings on the FL9 - not sure who else does that. I've given updates on the OB's (I have a first off sample on my desk and have worked on corrections for the tooling shop - tooling remains a road block for many - ask other manufacturers and they will confirm that fact.) and continue to do so whenever there is news.

We are shooting for an OB sample we can be proud of for Springfield.

The reefer is being made at another factory; the same one doing the N GMD-1 and they are quite adept at getting things done on time - the N GMD-1 being well into production right now. I don't expect any delays from them,

The Turbo.... please show me the ad, magazine, sales sheet or other announcement that says "Rapido is making an N scale Turbo"...., what date was it due..? You can't because we never announced it. Yes; Jason has consistently said we will make an N scale turbo; he's teased it to gauge interest; Jason wants to make lots of N scale stuff.... but until we announce it can you hold us responsible for not making it ? An N scale turbo is a complex and costly venture - we have to be able to produce a high quality model, one we will put our name on - we have to have the technology 100%, we have to have capacity, funds to tool it and be ready to market it.... we;'re not there yet. So, until we announce it, please stop blaming us for not delivering it.... that seems fair to me anyway.

[Philip H]

Pud,
Don't   let the Nervous Nellie's get to you.  You aren't ever going to make them happy.  The reefer is a cool addition to a small market with huge potential - I'll probably pick up a very out of era quartet of red Swift reefers just because they provide me with many fond memories of the HO Swift car sides that were published in the NMRA bulletin in the 1970's.  Yes, they could have been tooled a tad bit finer in detail, but honestly, I don't think it will hurt sales.

As to the GMD-1:  Hurry that bugger up would ya! I have a fantabulous caboose from some wacky Canadians waiting to pair it with so I can run it a Seuss' place for the award for most improbably consist on the Tucker Turn. 

And I've said it before - make an LRV and I'll buy it.  Period.  I don't want a turbo train.  I want an LRV.

[CBQ Fan]

Bryan: I'm afraid Rapido will disappoint you forever..... we will never have several N scale products delivering a quarter... and short of MT I don't know who consistently does that so I guess we'll continue to disappoint you - sorry mate.

I don't know if you guys read the updates I put up here on Railwire; I think we do a pretty good job of being open about our progress on stuff; our problems and all that - maybe I'm wrong. I've shared factory photo's of progress on GMD-1's on Panarama cars and in process drawings on the FL9 - not sure who else does that. I've given updates on the OB's (I have a first off sample on my desk and have worked on corrections for the tooling shop - tooling remains a road block for many - ask other manufacturers and they will confirm that fact.) and continue to do so whenever there is news.

We are shooting for an OB sample we can be proud of for Springfield.

The reefer is being made at another factory; the same one doing the N GMD-1 and they are quite adept at getting things done on time - the N GMD-1 being well into production right now. I don't expect any delays from them,

The Turbo.... please show me the ad, magazine, sales sheet or other announcement that says "Rapido is making an N scale Turbo"...., what date was it due..? You can't because we never announced it. Yes; Jason has consistently said we will make an N scale turbo; he's teased it to gauge interest; Jason wants to make lots of N scale stuff.... but until we announce it can you hold us responsible for not making it ? An N scale turbo is a complex and costly venture - we have to be able to produce a high quality model, one we will put our name on - we have to have the technology 100%, we have to have capacity, funds to tool it and be ready to market it.... we;'re not there yet. So, until we announce it, please stop blaming us for not delivering it.... that seems fair to me anyway.

I am not sure where the Turbo thing comments come from.  I have zero interest in it and would not buy one.  If you made one it would be cool for those whe like it.  But I have never heard of one in the Chicago area and not classic enough IMO for me to buy simply to have. 

I guess you prove my point.  You said you will never produce multiple N runs per quarter.  You currently have 8 products in some stage of research, development or production.  So with no delays or issues you are looking at three years out if you can only produce 2-3 N scale items a year.  And that does not factor in the impact of increasing your British offerings.  I just don't understand announcing items that far out.