Rapido Newsletter-But is it in N scale?

[John]

I like my CSX office car.   

[GaryHinshaw]

Another thing we’ve heard you loud and clear on is our level of detail. Things like cut levers and separate grabs aren’t what most N scalers seem to want, so we’re planning to simplify things a bit. What’s important is overall dimensional accuracy, crisp paint and lettering, and most critically of all, operational reliability; properly running trains are the best trains!

Don't the HO guys want this as well? 

[Dwight in Toronto]

Interesting.  I run both of my Turbo Train sets on friend's layout (with perfectly laid PECO C55 track) and on NTRAK layouts (which can have pretty bad C80 track) and I don't recall either derailments or power dropouts (no added keep-alive caps).

After I returned my set to Rapido, I came across several similarly positive testaments to the Turbo’s admirable performance.  Hence the regret, and the hunt to replace it.

I don’t know why I had trouble with it … everything else would run flawlessly, all day long, on that layout.  The day it arrived, it never went more than 3 feet without derailing (on a 5’ long, flat, straight segment with two Peco turnouts set for through-running).  The model was all of 30 minutes old when I took it to Rapido’s office/warehouse, where they confirmed that the two power units were not speed-matched.

Picked it up one week later, and although things were somewhat better, it never once managed to navigate my mainline loop without incident.  So back it went.  When I saw others reporting that this was one of their best-running sets, I suspected that maybe something else was mechanically amiss, and perhaps I should not have given up on it so quickly. 

Hoping for a better outcome this time around!

[Lemosteam]

Don't the HO guys want this as well? 

Oh the HO folks get what they want alright:

[bbussey]

Meanwhile they are getting hammered on the GN boxcar, so the criticism isn’t limited to the N scale line.

[packers#1]

If Rapido can't sell an overdetailed>overpriced model in N scale , how is me (Atlas or Scale Trains) buying the tooling assets going to make the models sell better?

This was in specific response to the centerbeams, which seemed to be selling like hot cakes.

[GaryHinshaw]

Oh the HO folks get what they want alright:

Right.  I was just remarking that operational reliability should be on the top of anyone's list, regardless of scale.

I do hope they continue to release their "hits", like the centerbeams.  But I'm really glad I stocked up on those with the first release.

[Philip H]

So am I getting my barrel ore cars or not?

[samusi01]

Meanwhile they are getting hammered on the GN boxcar, so the criticism isn’t limited to the N scale line.

What do folks not like about them? The Great Northern historical group stated they worked closely with Rapido during the development.

[Dwight in Toronto]

So am I getting my barrel ore cars or not?

No kidding - give an update already!  A LHS, George’s Trains, is right across the street from Rapido.  They have one of Rapido’s 3D printed ore cars in their N display case, as well as a 3D caboose/van.  According to George’s staff, they believe these models are a “go”.

[mu26aeh]

There's been zero response from them on their FB page

[wazzou]

What do folks not like about them? The Great Northern historical group stated they worked closely with Rapido during the development.

The one I saw in the wild looked like Ish.

[lock4244]

So am I getting my barrel ore cars or not?

As I understand it from a friend with reliable info, the Angus van, barrel ore car, and Procor 5820 are going to be released. The ATSF refer is dead as per Rapido's announcement.

[Chris333]

What N scale really needs is a large articulated steam locomotive----> profits----> to the moon!   

[squirrelhunter]

The one I saw in the wild looked like Ish.

The HO guys have roasted them for errors on the RS 11, SW1200, and PA units among others. I think for some of them Rapido is in the "see a production model before buying camp".

On the transition era car issue, the HO freight car elitists, beacause they think all N scale is N trak, refuse to note that BLI has probably sold hundreds if not thousands of transition era F3's, F7's and USRA 4-6-2's and 2-8-2's, and since Atlas and IM have given up on more steam era releases, those locos could sure use some cars to pull behind them.

EDIT- by HO freight car elitists I mean the guys at Tangent, Rapido, and previously ExactRail.