Rapido N Scale Announcements - July 2024

[amato1969]

It's just OldEast yelling at clouds again, move along everyone...

[Missaberoad]

SP domes. Whoop. Yahoo. Yow. Rapido making a car of which there were only 6, and ran on a limited number of trains, on one railroad. Whee. Hurrah. Zingo.
Meanwhile, they only made one version of a series of NH streamline cars in N (of course they made the whole set in HO), even tho you'd expect the people who bought every single one of the 8600 coaches would be interested in having more matching cars in the consist but ...
Wait! There's a screaming demand for SP 3/4 domes in N! THEY MUST BE MADE!
Why don't they just make a BigBoy or GG1 and join that crowd?
I hope you SP fans are dancing in delight. Yahoo.

I bet there's a whole bunch of SP modelers that felt that way when Rapido chose to make the New Haven Cars.
I for one am pretty damn happy we live in a time when manufacturers are making accurate single road prototypes.

Not sure I'm interested in the almost great (3/4) domes but I'm happy they are being made and hope they sell like proverbials.

[Peter Amling]

Having grown up in the area, though on the C&NW, I can't help but order a set during the BN Metra era. I'll come up with an excuse for why it's on the C&NW once these actually get produced. Excited about the announcement, as well as the rumor of BLI doing the BN E9s. I remember those from my childhood as well.

[Angus Shops]

I have a fairly consistent policy of not buying stuff that doesn’t fit my prototype (CP), geographic profile (Rockies), and era (late 50’s +). But I love dome cars, so I might have to start making exceptions. I’ve got my Canadian, but I can see myself with Lowel Smith’s models, Centralia’s Superdome, Rapido’ 3/4 dome, and some of Kato’s models…

[learmoia]

Rapido's unique releases tend to favor Canadian prototypes, and the 3/4 dome in the CP executive fleet that just toured North America is likely the main catalyst to producing the car.

Those were Milwaukee Road domes (so a foob for GN).

So the same as the one from Kato?.. or did MILW have two versions like the Skytop?

It's just OldEast yelling at clouds again, move along everyone...

That is why I have his posts sent to Auto-Hide   Makes my TRW experience a happier one.

[nkalanaga]

As far as I know the MILW only had one type of Super Dome, so both should be the same model.

Oddly, as far as I can find, these were the ONLY domes MILW owned.

[DRGW5349]

For all of your dome questions, I find this website most helpful.
http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/WebLurkersDOMEmain/

[nkalanaga]

"Only one road", maybe but multiple paint schemes at different times.

The GN's full dome lounges are  the same way.  So far I've counted at least seven paint schemes, and at least one is still operable in its original form.
GN: 3 schemes:  EB, BSB, and experimental BN green/white
BN: 1 scheme
Amtrak:  At least 2 schemes, Phase I and Phase II
SLRG (still around) Empire Builder with "Iowa Pacific" road name

They have been in service since the 1950s, and can be run on 21st century layouts.

[EspeeGoldenState]

"Only one road", maybe but multiple paint schemes at different times.

The GN's full dome lounges are  the same way.  So far I've counted at least seven paint schemes, and at least one is still operable in its original form.
GN: 3 schemes:  EB, BSB, and experimental BN green/white
BN: 1 scheme
Amtrak:  At least 2 schemes, Phase I and Phase II
SLRG (still around) Empire Builder with "Iowa Pacific" road name

They have been in service since the 1950s, and can be run on 21st century layouts.

From https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=56098.msg775878#msg775878

We came up with at least 17 paint schemes spanning 70 years that could be done if a Budd Full Dome GN version was ever done.

[bigdawgks]

Today's trainload of sour grapes?

I would speculate that Rapido looked at sales figures for Kato Daylights, and other manufacturers SP cars, and asked themselves "What's missing?"  Or maybe they just went with their own inbox, and the number of people who begged them to do those 3/4 domes in N scale, since they were released in HO.
The problem they face with doing more NH cars is simply that you sell one diner or parlor for every 5 or 6 coaches (assuming most people spending $50+ per car are modeling accurate trains).  So, the number of parlors you are likely to sell will be 1/5 the number of coaches.  Maybe a few more, because there are collectors who just buy one each of everything.
But I obviously don't speak for Rapido's marketing department, so perhaps they will produce whatever NH cars you want, if you ask politely, and a few hundred or thousand NH modelers join you....Rapido does have a link on their webpage for Product Suggestions (in the drop down menu labeled Product Support).  Maybe that would be a more useful place to post your "request" than Railwire, although I think if it were me, I would leave out the sarcasm about their choice to produce something other than what you want.

Selling individual cars could be rough but if they did them as part of a set (ex a complete train) they'd sell a lot better. Even people who aren't familiar with the prototypes or even interested in NH would be more inclined to buy a matching set. Honestly that's the best way to sell passenger equipment in N. Kato has proven that.

[nkalanaga]

EspeeGoldenState:  Thank you!  I'd forgotten that we discussed this in the Railsmith Budd Dome thread.

Even if they left out the heavily-modified versions, they'd have paint schemes for several runs.

[Angus Shops]

I have a fairly consistent policy of not buying stuff that doesn’t fit my prototype (CP), geographic profile (Rockies), and era (late 50’s +). But I love dome cars, so I might have to start making exceptions. I’ve got my Canadian, but I can see myself with Lowel Smith’s models, Centralia’s Superdome, Rapido’ 3/4 dome, and some of Kato’s models…

Well, OK, I put my money where my mouth is and brought home a Centralia Super Dome in Milwaukee ‘classic’ and ordered a Rapido 3/4 dome in SP red/orange. So far so good but I’m going to have to order up some Lowell Smith products or I’m not really serious. I’m also going to need one of those old Rowa C&O domes as well… any other suggestions for reasonably accurate  dome cars other than all of the Kato UP/ATSF/CZ that I’m already aware of?

Regarding the Super Dome - the upper level dome seating moulding is all one beige colour. It’s looks pretty stark and I can’t imagine this is correct and I think I’ll need to repaint this into more accurate colours. Can anybody provide some idea what colours might be more accurate?

[Ngineer]

Because this is the version updated for HEP.  The original ones were piped for steam heat.  It looks like they will be doing those in HO for a future run. If these do well, maybe they’ll do those in N in the future too.

That was my question, too.

So you are saying the model offered will be the one modified by BN in 1973-74? To get rid of the additional heater/power car?

The model offered by Rapido would have been pulled by green BN E8 and E9 locos in the real world, right?

Did BN already have a cab car? And how many cars do you need for prototypical length?

Cheers

   Javier

Addendum: When was the "Metra" added to the BN cars?

[nkalanaga]

Angus Shops:  I'd like to have a CP "Chateau" series sleeper, as Amtrak leased those for a short time in the 70s.  But not enough to buy an entire train!

[Angus Shops]

Angus Shops:  I'd like to have a CP "Chateau" series sleeper, as Amtrak leased those for a short time in the 70s.  But not enough to buy an entire train!

I can help you with that! In the year or so before Rapido announced they were going to do the Canadian in N scale I was working on a resin cast version of the train and had completed the baggage, coach and the Chateau sleeping cars. I’d be happy to cast a Chateau or two up if you want to have a go at finishing it up…