Rapido FP9A

[ek2000]

Just when you thought scale trains was winning the war on details, Rapido strikes bak with the FP9A. Great looking pre production samples and working class lights. Certainly ups the bar for high quality locomotives. Great job @rapidotrains.

[thomasjmdavis]

Does anyone have (or know where to find) a photo of one of these in 1954 CN paint (green/black) showing it in the USA on the GTW?  I'd love to have an excuse to buy one of these.

[SD452XR]

They should do the F9 and F9B in Northern Pacific.

[CodyO]

I mean these look great but why not the more common FP7?

According to Wikipedia 324 were made for American roads

Railroad   Quantity FP7
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator)   1
Electro-Motive Division (demonstrator)   1
Arabian American Oil Company (Saudi Arabia)   2
Atlanta and West Point Rail Road   4
Atlantic Coast Line   44
Alaska Railroad   3
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad   11
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway   16
Chicago Great Western Railway   3
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad   10
Clinchfield Railroad   1
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México   17
Ferrocarril Sonora–Baja California   2
Florida East Coast Railway   5
Georgia Railroad   3
Louisville and Nashville Railroad   45
Milwaukee Road   32
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad   8
Northern Pacific Railway   2
Pennsylvania Railroad   40
Reading Company   8
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad   3
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway   12
Soo Line   5
Soo Line (Wisconsin Central Railway)   1
Southern Railway (Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway)   20
Southern Pacific Company   16
St. Louis Southwestern Railway ("Cotton Belt")   1
Union Pacific Railroad   2
Western Railway of Alabama   2
Western Pacific Railroad   4
Totals   324

Plus 57 for Canadian roads


Only 54 FP9s were made for Canadian roads

[mu26aeh]

Hot damn, they're hawt !  Are they doing Algoma Central ? I might have to spring for one that ran on the Gettysburg & Northern

Nevermind, they are doing 1755, which was on the G&N

[kscessandriver]

Maybe, just maybe, there will be a run down the line of KCS GMD FP9A's. Yes, the KCS FP9A's of today are former Canadian units. I'd be in for them, for sure.

[hegstad1]

I mean these look great but why not the more common FP7?

According to Wikipedia 324 were made for American roads
Plus 57 for Canadian roads


Only 54 FP9s were made for Canadian roads

Maybe because Intermountain already makes them.  And the ho-hum Model Power version as well.

[Angus Shops]

Ooh, nice to get a good look seeing as I’ve got a couple on order. I hope that Rapido will follow up with a FP7 and B units in the future. If I recall, they did something similar with their HO versions. I’ve got a reasonable fleet of FP7’s detailed from “bog standard” versions from both the “Japanese and American manufactures” of FP units. I know they are not 100%, but they’ll do. But I’m really looking forward to my Rapidos, and the Canadians they’ll be pulling.
Geoff

[EspeeGoldenState]

Maybe, just maybe, there will be a run down the line of KCS GMD FP9A's. Yes, the KCS FP9A's of today are former Canadian units. I'd be in for them, for sure.

This for sure. I'll gladly take a KCS 1 or 2 in Belle with the white nose herald to replace my IM stand-ins.

Chris

[kscessandriver]

This for sure. I'll gladly take a KCS 1 or 2 in Belle with the white nose herald to replace my IM stand-ins.

Chris

I'd love to just have the KCS ABA set. I managed to find a F9B in the Executive Bell scheme, I just need the A units now...

[thomasjmdavis]

Maybe because Intermountain already makes them.  And the ho-hum Model Power version as well.

And let's not forget that Kato tooled up an FP-7 to go with their Hiawatha. 

[dougnelson]

Another reason to move to Canada.

[Angus Shops]

I suspect the choice of FP9 was driven by their decision to do The Canadian. No point in having a Canadian and nothing to pull it. As noted Intermountain and Kato (and Model Power) have done the FP7, so Canadian FP9’s and F40PH’s can provide accurate power for all versions of the train from 1955 to present. Good marketing...

[cv_acr]

I mean these look great but why not the more common FP7?

According to Wikipedia 324 were made for American roads
Plus 57 for Canadian roads


Only 54 FP9s were made for Canadian roads

Conspicuously absent from the FP7 list is Canadian National.

Rapido knows the Canadian market, and these engines (with road-specific details) will sell well for CN, CP and VIA Rail.

They've also done both the FP9 and FP7 in HO scale, so they might get there eventually.

[thomasjmdavis]

Are there no F9-B units to go with these?  Are those coming later, or just not being made at all?