Rapido N scale wide-vision vans

[mu26aeh]

Picked up my CSX cab today.  Very nicely done.  Though for the $60 price tag feel they should include the batteries.  I also took a second and trimmed the cupola tabs to make removal a little easier.

[lock4244]

@turbowhiz I'm seeing a non-factory equipped coupler on this van...

[delamaize]

I did the same to both of mine. A lot less nerve wracking that's for sure!

As previously mentioned, removing the Cupola for the batteries is definitely NOT easy. The documentation is misleading with respect to the location of the clips. Press in on the front/back walls of the cupola HARD to try and coax the monster clips inward while pulling upward. Try not to destroy the smoke jacks while you’re doing this.

I trimmed down the clips to make any future removals much more manageable. The result is the cupola still remains firmly in place, but removing it now is a gentle tug rather then an all out nerve racking war to remove it!

[John]

Picked up my CSX cab today.  Very nicely done.  Though for the $60 price tag feel they should include the batteries.  I also took a second and trimmed the cupola tabs to make removal a little easier.

https://www.railpictures.net/showphotos-nosr.php?road_number=CSXT%2021195

[Dwight in Toronto]

I managed to get both cupolas off of my cabeese, and likewise filed down the retaining clips to ease subsequent removal.  Tried four button batteries but no luck with ‘seeing the light’; I think my batteries were expired. 

[peteski]

I managed to get both cupolas off of my cabeese, and likewise filed down the retaining clips to ease subsequent removal.  Tried four button batteries but no luck with ‘seeing the light’; I think my batteries were expired.

You have a muiltimeter. Check if the batteries show 1.5V. Or maybe you installed them upside down?

[garethashenden]

@turbowhiz I'm seeing a non-factory equipped coupler on this van...

He's just teasing us at this point...

[wmcbride]

I installed my batteries upside down to begin with (I thought I had matched the positive side of the batteries to the marked positive side of the battery holder but apparently not).

Inserting the batteries is a bit fiddly but, thanks to my mistake, I had practice.

The marker lights are small and look really nice. With the lights off in the room, there were two areas of light showing through the red roof (not through seams). If you look at the caboose/van from the rear, you can see the white light through the rear door window. Some disassembly and painting should fix the roof if you are running in complete darkness and it bothers you.

[Jbub]

He's just teasing us at this point...

I agree!

[peteski]

Nice coupler, but the long shank reminds me of a . . .



I realize that it is probably the only length you have.  Just gave me a chuckle.

[Missaberoad]

I'm so excited to get my hands on @turbowhiz 's couplers

They look like they might be the coupler I've been searching for, for my fleet!

[turbowhiz]

Nice coupler, but the long shank reminds me of a . . .



I realize that it is probably the only length you have.  Just gave me a chuckle.

I installed a long shank coupler intentionally. The prototype has an end of car cushioning device so the actual knuckle placement is where it should be. It also lines up to the factory cut bar and air line, both of which won’t work with a shorter shank coupler.

However, the Angus van prototype coupler shank length isn't admittedly turtle long, as in that case the draft gear itself extends from the back of the car. I was disappointed to find that the factory box is in fact molded into the underframe, based on the pictures it looked promising it was an entirely separate part. No matter, I used the factory box, but I was hoping to do better without a pile of work.

That said, there are lots and lots of prototype circumstances where long shanks are arranged just like I've done on this van, so look forward to being able to accurately model that.

As it happens, I took a lot of pictures of an Angus Van and used them as reference for some of my design work, so it’s a prototype I’ve got very up close and personal with coupler wise.

[turbowhiz]

I too installed the batteries upside down. There was no marking as to their polarity that I could see, and it seems that the logical direction for their installation was evidentially not used, considering the number of people here that installed them backwards as well. The cupola also doesn't really contain the battery assembly either as implied in the documentation diagram and warnings.

In my example one of the markers on each end works much better then the other optically... So one is brighter then the other, quite noticeably. Not sure if anyone has cracked one of these open further to explore more yet or not, any tips as to getting the roof off would be appreciated. Regardless, they're not super bright, at least in my example, but their still quite pleasing in their appearance, especially in lower light circumstances. In brighter light you can barely tell their on.

I'm still not certain if the interior is lit intentionally or not to be honest. It almost looks like it is? But maybe not?

[wmcbride]

My lights seem pretty even in brightness (left vs right).

Did you have any light bleeding through the roof panels in yours?

[Dwight in Toronto]

@peteski   - thanks for suggesting that I check the batteries with my multimeter.  Two of the four were kaput (0.7V, 0.5V); two appeared good (5.2V, 5.0V).

The printed-circuit board end of the battery holder has a small “+” symbol printed on it, so I installed the two batteries to suit.  Waved the magic wand to & fro, but no luck.  Flipped the batteries just to be sure, but still no lights.  So, I dunno.  I’ll buy some new ones and try again.

@turbowhiz - there are lights on both ends, correct?  Not just on one end?