Three Rapido announcements coming Monday

[OldEastRR]

I'm actually looking forward to the 8600s not only to acquire them as-is, but also to use as a basis for kitbashing the comparable baggage-lounge, parlor-lounge, diner and obs. I doubt we ever will see any of those models RTR in N, and I'm extremely grateful that Rapido is releasing the coach which makes kitbashing the other variations a whole bunch easier.

You might want to wait and see if they make a N parlor car. You'll have to do an awful lot of hacking and patching to make those other cars out of a coach. Where do you get the smooth windowless fluted sides for the baggage and diner? For you this will be easy but I'm going to wait to see if there's a parlor car. For one this that only has doors on one end, which is how almost all the other cars are.
Still, I'm going to have to get some of these, tho I won't go crazy like I did ordering the Osgoods (10!).

[bbussey]

Extremely unlikely that the parlor, baggage-lounge, diner or obs will ever be done in N.  The only reason the parlor is happening in HO is because the NHRHTA is funding much if not most of it.  We are fortunate to be getting the coach.  And no, it won't take a lot of hacking.  I have a milling machine with which to make precise cuts.  It will take much less effort to replace one of the vestibule doors with a fluted section from a donor car and the windowband with either styrene or etched brass than it took to scratchbuild the two deluxe heavyweight diners.  Very much less.  The only difficult model would be the observation because of the tubular shape.  The roof end cap could be a Shapeways FUD part but the bottom skirting at the tail would be problematic.

There is a better chance of seeing the 8500-series smokers the next time the PBLWs are run, since Rapido now has tooled all of the components of that variation.

If I can split a heavyweight parlor roof lengthwise in half in order to get a non-air conditioned roof (as well as remove the molded-on vents and add the recess in the sides of the clerestory), I can mill out a vestibule door and seamlessly replace it with a fluted panel.

[Nato]

  You sure can with the right tools and machinery. That will be wonderful. Nate Goodman (Nato). Closet N H Fanzee Salt Lake, Utah.

[Dave Schneider]

Well, some of us are a little bruised by your defection to be sure, but if you must, go ahead, peel back at the scab.

Thanks Bryan.
Best wishes, Dave

[OldEastRR]

Extremely unlikely that the parlor, baggage-lounge, diner or obs will ever be done in N.  The only reason the parlor is happening in HO is because the NHRHTA is funding much if not most of it.  We are fortunate to be getting the coach.  And no, it won't take a lot of hacking.  I have a milling machine with which to make precise cuts.  It will take much less effort to replace one of the vestibule doors with a fluted section from a donor car and the windowband with either styrene or etched brass than it took to scratchbuild the two deluxe heavyweight diners.  Very much less.  The only difficult model would be the observation because of the tubular shape.  The roof end cap could be a Shapeways FUD part but the bottom skirting at the tail would be problematic.

There is a better chance of seeing the 8500-series smokers the next time the PBLWs are run, since Rapido now has tooled all of the components of that variation.

If I can split a heavyweight parlor roof lengthwise in half in order to get a non-air conditioned roof (as well as remove the molded-on vents and add the recess in the sides of the clerestory), I can mill out a vestibule door and seamlessly replace it with a fluted panel.

Please do a thread on the conversions. I'd be interested to see how many conversions one sliced-up 8600 coach can do. At $50 apiece for a scrap car I'd like it to go as far as possible. I don't have a fully-equipped mini-machine shop but I can probably do some mods without mangling the finished product.

[thomasjmdavis]

Extremely unlikely that the parlor, baggage-lounge, diner or obs will ever be done in N.  The only reason the parlor is happening in HO is because the NHRHTA is funding much if not most of it.  We are fortunate to be getting the coach.  And no, it won't take a lot of hacking.  I have a milling machine with which to make precise cuts.  It will take much less effort to replace one of the vestibule doors with a fluted section from a donor car and the windowband with either styrene or etched brass than it took to scratchbuild the two deluxe heavyweight diners.  Very much less.  The only difficult model would be the observation because of the tubular shape.  The roof end cap could be a Shapeways FUD part but the bottom skirting at the tail would be problematic.

There is a better chance of seeing the 8500-series smokers the next time the PBLWs are run, since Rapido now has tooled all of the components of that variation.

If I can split a heavyweight parlor roof lengthwise in half in order to get a non-air conditioned roof (as well as remove the molded-on vents and add the recess in the sides of the clerestory), I can mill out a vestibule door and seamlessly replace it with a fluted panel.

Isn't it a Law of N Scale (not sure who it is named after), that nothing is ever manufactured until after someone kitbashes or scratchbuilds one?  So all NH modelers should be thanking Mr. Bussey for taking this on himself.  About 48 hours after he finishes, Rapido will make an announcement that they will soon be announcing which train show they will attend to discuss their coming announcements....so figure you will be able to pre-order cars about 1 year after he completes his, and they should be delivered about Christmas 2030.

And with that, back to work on my sort of close Wabash Bluebird....

[bbussey]

Please do a thread on the conversions. I'd be interested to see how many conversions one sliced-up 8600 coach can do. At $50 apiece for a scrap car I'd like it to go as far as possible. I don't have a fully-equipped mini-machine shop but I can probably do some mods without mangling the finished product.

One donor car should provide parts for multiple kitbashes. You only need the fluted panels above and below the windowband. A new windowband, which is flat, either can be etched or fabricated from styrene. The parlor is the easiest kitbash. New doors would have to be etched for the baggage-lounge. New trucks and roof fittings are needed for the diner. The obs admittedly is a nightmare. For any cars with recessed ends, the end light units would have to be salvaged or rubber-cast or recreated in FXD. The sloped end panels then can be either replaced with styrene, or milled flat as I did with the heavyweight diners.

In theory, all the replacement parts could be done as FXD components and no donor cars would be necessary. But that would take trial and error to match the Rapido dimensions exactly. Much easier to sacrifice one or two models to build a half dozen more.

[rapidotrains]

I'm not ruling out the parlor (no "u") car.

The HO parlor sales were 75% of the coach sales, which made them worthwhile to do.

If the N coach sales are anywhere near the HO coach sales, we can do the parlor (no "u") in N.

-Jason

[peteski]

parlor (no "u") car.

Would the British spelling have a "u"? 

[OldEastRR]

I'm not ruling out the parlor (no "u") car.

The HO parlor sales were 75% of the coach sales, which made them worthwhile to do.

If the N coach sales are anywhere near the HO coach sales, we can do the parlor (no "u") in N.

-Jason

Hear that, Bryan? If you would just buy up 75% of the 8600 coaches produced (like you did for the Osgood Bradleys) then us NH modelers would be home-free!!

[bbussey]

We shall see!  Still waiting to see an announcement for the PBLW smokers! 

[James Costello]

I'm not ruling out the parlor (no "u") car.

The HO parlor sales were 75% of the coach sales, which made them worthwhile to do.

If the N coach sales are anywhere near the HO coach sales, we can do the parlor (no "u") in N.

-Jason

Encouraging!

[peteski]

Well I am heartened by the fact that before the web site crashed, all of the orders were for Turbos....

-Jason

@rapidotrains
Hey Jason,
I looked over your "official" N scale Turbo Train page and noticed the following features:

•Articulated single-axle trucks with needlepoint axles
•All wheels pick up power for electrical reliability
•Full interior detail with interior lighting

It appears that you took the advice you asked for and was given in this earlier thread.  Good to know that you chose to use the needlepoint bearings on the single-axle trucks (and no pickup wipers on those axles, I hope).  I was lobbying really hard for that design.    The all-wheel pickup and interior lighting seems to imply that all the cars are interconnected. Does that mean that the set will be sold assembled and packaged in a long box, or that there are connectors in between the cars?

BTW, did you get more than 100 pre-orders (so there weren't just 100 guys requesting the Turbo Train)? 
Will the model be distributed through online dealers like Brooklyn Locomotive Works and M.B. Klein?  That is where I usually get my models and I haven't seen any pre-order announcements on the BLW site.

Now the only hard decision I have to make is which of the Amtrak sets to get.  It sounds like it will be a superb and feature-rich model!

[rapidotrains]

@rapidotrains
Hey Jason,
I looked over your "official" N scale Turbo Train page and noticed the following features:

•Articulated single-axle trucks with needlepoint axles
•All wheels pick up power for electrical reliability
•Full interior detail with interior lighting

It appears that you took the advice you asked for and was given in this earlier thread.

When it comes to N scale, I am very open with my lack of knowledge of the market. That was Mike's department, and when he got sick we decided to hold off on N scale for a while but now we're making up for lost time. I am very grateful for the feedback I get here. I can't promise to follow every recommendation, but I do promise to read them and consider them.

Good to know that you chose to use the needlepoint bearings on the single-axle trucks (and no pickup wipers on those axles, I hope).  I was lobbying really hard for that design.    The all-wheel pickup and interior lighting seems to imply that all the cars are interconnected. Does that mean that the set will be sold assembled and packaged in a long box, or that there are connectors in between the cars?

There are no pickup wipers.

There are only two wires that need to go through the train, so our design has two phosphor bronze wipers in the central column above the single axle truck and each car has stamped phosphor bronze wires that clip on to the central column between the plastic clips and make contact. The train will be packaged in a bookcase-type arrangement, similar to many Japanese models. The cars easily clip together. Even on the 3D printed sample it is no problem.

BTW, did you get more than 100 pre-orders (so there weren't just 100 guys requesting the Turbo Train)? 
Will the model be distributed through online dealers like Brooklyn Locomotive Works and M.B. Klein?  That is where I usually get my models and I haven't seen any pre-order announcements on the BLW site.

We've sold over 50 trains in three days, so I am optimistic.

Of course it will be available at all better train stores, like the vast majority of our products. We still occasionally get a "Rapido? Didn't they make steam engines in the 1960s?" Thankfully, that is now the exception rather than the norm.

Though I do recall in 2015 a dealer in Boston who specializes in the New Haven met us at a show and had never heard of us. Hadn't heard of the Osgood Bradleys in HO or N. Hadn't heard of the FL9 in HO or N. And he specializes in New Haven. You have to wonder about some of these dealers. Do they read any of the model train magazines? How do they determine what to order?

-Jason

[peteski]

Thanks for answering my questions Jason. I can't wait to the mode in my hand.