Rapido August 2024 - F59PHs and BiLevel Commuters

[kiwi_al]

If you have a look at the gap between the Kato Pacific Surfliner cars and Rapido's BiLevel cars the gap looks similar. It's hard to tell from photo's though,

[lock4244]

I'm still waiting for Rapido to fix the LRC cars... the one's with cct boards for the lighting that burn up and won't roll down a 20% grade. The bi-levels use the same type of inside bearing trucks as the LRC's and I'm simply not convinced that I want to pay $85 for a car that may or may not roll after my experience with the LRC. Iirc, those were $70 per copy and I pre-ordered 10... for that money I should have received a car that can roll. Also one that doesn't catch fire. I was told more than once that a fix was coming, but to my knowledge that has not happened yet.

I concede that with the recent Procor 5820's Rapido seems to have overcome the issues with couplers, wheels, and underbody details that hamper performance that had plagued earlier models. However, their preoccupation with interior lighting and those truck issues make me pretty much a no sale on these. Until I've seen one first hand, my Athearn cars will have to do.

Also, regrettably for me at least, I'd need F59's from the first order (520-535 delivered 1988) or second (536-547 delivered 1989/90), so the road numbers they're doing are too new for my era.

[jwaldo]

I love my Athearn bi-levels. I really do. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into making them look like the real Metrolink that ran past my childhood home. But those cars are a few generations old model-wise and I'm sure Rapido is going to blow them right out of the water and take my wallet along with it.

On the bright side, between this and Kato's Pacific Surfliner at least my model F59PHIs are still relevant. For now.

[delamaize]

Yeah....I might have to order some of those sounder Cars. Even though it's out of my era by a long shot, But I have got back in the habit of buying stuff I like, and just running it at train shows. I had a string of the Athearn Crappy rolling cars, and one of the rocket league F59s, which I regret selling. I'm thinking this time I'll get one of the Kato MP36s and just custom paint it, considering that I'm about 90% sure that's what the sounder is running now.

[kiwi_bnsf]

On the last page of item skus, you can see it in the UNDECs.
https://rapidotrains.com/n-scale/passenger-car-74/bilevel-commuter-cars.html?___store=us&p=4

Also some of the models say Early and Late.. But Roads that only had one or the other don't list that.

@learmoia thanks for pointing me to the undecorated cars.

That's great that Rapido are tooling both the Series I (riveted) and Series IV (smooth, large windows). The Athearn Bi-Levels that I already own are Series III (smooth, small windows), so there is no actual duplication here 


FYI, the Early vs Late note for the different roads refers to the era of paint scheme (not the series of the car). After staring at the Rapido artwork on a bigger screen and inserting coffee, I can see that they have chosen correct Caltrain and almost correct ACE road numbers for later Series IV cars. (Rapido even provide a handy guide here: https://rapidotrains.com/master-classes/bilevel-commuter-car-master-class )

So my wallet is definitely not safe, and in fact I can even mix my Athearn and Rapido cars in consists.

I have some fears about the inside bearing truck design, but as I'm already printing replacements for my Athearns, I can deal with this if it's a problem.

Happy (expensive) days!

[wmcbride]

If you have a look at the gap between the Kato Pacific Surfliner cars and Rapido's BiLevel cars the gap looks similar. It's hard to tell from photo's though,

True.

It's always an area I have tried to address with couplers and diaphragms as best as I can.

[OldEastRR]

Hmm... @OldEastRR is oddly quiet on this one...

Modern stuff? Not my gig. But wasn't Rapido recently complaining about N scalers being mean to them and saying they wouldn't be doing much N scale stuff any more?

[learmoia]

Modern stuff? Not my gig.

Ok.... but aren't you supposed to complain that they aren't doing something YOU want them to produce?   

But wasn't Rapido recently complaining about N scalers being mean to them and saying they wouldn't be doing much N scale stuff any more?

Oddly enough I was thinking the same thing..

But I've got my Rohr Turboliner, I'm happy..

~Ian

[mu26aeh]

They said they were going to focus on N scale passenger equipment,  which oddly enough was the last N scale products to get axed over low reservations.  And that most projects would be conditional

[woodchip]

These are according to their newsletter conditional. If they don’t make the required numbers Mr Shron can say “see I told you N scale is a tough market” but fails to mention that maybe it’s 10-20 percent of the market that’s interested. Could have done a state of the art GP38 but.
                Hugh

[wmcbride]

These are according to their newsletter conditional. If they don’t make the required numbers Mr Shron can say “see I told you N scale is a tough market” but fails to mention that maybe it’s 10-20 percent of the market that’s interested. Could have done a state of the art GP38 but.
                Hugh

State of the art GP38 (or GP40). That is an interesting idea. My Atlas do seem a bit ... clunky.

[dem34]

I'm still waiting for Rapido to fix the LRC cars... the one's with cct boards for the lighting that burn up and won't roll down a 20% grade. The bi-levels use the same type of inside bearing trucks as the LRC's and I'm simply not convinced that I want to pay $85 for a car that may or may not roll after my experience with the LRC. Iirc, those were $70 per copy and I pre-ordered 10... for that money I should have received a car that can roll. Also one that doesn't catch fire. I was told more than once that a fix was coming, but to my knowledge that has not happened yet.

I concede that with the recent Procor 5820's Rapido seems to have overcome the issues with couplers, wheels, and underbody details that hamper performance that had plagued earlier models. However, their preoccupation with interior lighting and those truck issues make me pretty much a no sale on these. Until I've seen one first hand, my Athearn cars will have to do.

Also, regrettably for me at least, I'd need F59's from the first order (520-535 delivered 1988) or second (536-547 delivered 1989/90), so the road numbers they're doing are too new for my era.

I think they fell into the British modeller trap of presuming. Brass Bearing = Rolls good.
When they might be better served with some other methods like Delrin truck frames with open looped wire wipers. The tolerances of pickup bearings means if there is any slop, they won't get good power pickup (BLI Centipedes) or too tight, won't roll.

[peteski]

Someone @daniel_leavitt2000 ? did a rolling test of multiple brand inner-bearing passenger trucks and Kato Amfleet design running dry (lubricant removed per my suggestion), was the best free rolling truck of the bunch. Minimizing the contact area of the axle with the bearing was the key for limiting friction. If there is lubricant, its viscosity causes a damping action, which seems contrary to general knowledge that lubricant reduces friction. Lubricant does in fact reduce friction, but its viscosity also causes damping.

[jwaldo]

So far my only two experiences with inside bearing trucks are Kato's Amfleets, which roll as well as outside-bearing trucks and have flawless electrical pickup; and Athearn's Bombardier cars, which roll like that one really terrible shopping cart at the supermarket. You know the one.

At one point I experimented with adding pickups to the Athearn bi-level cars, but the only result was a car that only occasionally lit up, and rolled about as freely as a cinder block. I am hoping the professionals at Rapido can do better.

[peteski]

So far my only two experiences with inside bearing trucks are Kato's Amfleets, which roll as well as outside-bearing trucks and have flawless electrical pickup; and Athearn's Bombardier cars, which roll like that one really terrible shopping cart at the supermarket. You know the one.

LOL!
If you think Athearn trucks roll poorly, you never tried Bachmann Amfleet trucks (original and new versions).

But unless you removed all the yellowish lubricant from Kato Amfleet trucks, they will not roll anywhere as good as Kato's standard outside bearing (pointy axle ends) trucks (unless you filled those bearing cups with automotive axle grease).  Yes, I compared them too.

At one point I experimented with adding pickups to the Athearn bi-level cars, but the only result was a car that only occasionally lit up, and rolled about as freely as a cinder block. I am hoping the professionals at Rapido can do better.

Well, if Rapido used the same design as they did in the Comet cars, then don't hold your breath.