Rapido Newsletter-But is it in N scale?

[garethashenden]

<ducks for cover> Come to HO scale, where your view on Rapido will be markedly different!    </ducks for cover>

I already don't have enough space for all the things I want to model, and now you want me to do it in effectively a quarter of the area?

[ek2000]

A lot has been said already and like many here, I'm hoping Rapido is able to find their way through this and go back to making the quality models they are known for. If anyone from Rapido is reading, my 2c as a customer:

1. Choice of locomotive and road is important - mainstream locomotives & roads will sell even if it has been a locomotive done before. If scaletrains is doing another run of SD40-2 before the first run has released and after years of Kato, Intermountain and BLI swarming the market with SD40-2, that is testament that N scale will sell with the right choices

2. Catering to the US market is key. Not making enough US prototypes and roads is not going to help sales. Blaming the scale at that point is not going to help. Almost all of Rapido's offerings are Canadian centric with some US roads sprinkled in. The mix should be evened out

3. Details are very important but not at the expense of operating quality. Rapido has acknowledged this and that is a great starting point.

Hoping Rapido is able to pivot successfully. I have nothing but great things to say about the 8 Rapido locos I own aside from numerous passenger cars. The customer service when I have needed them has been top notch. Know that while we may have complaints, we are still rooting for your success.

[lock4244]

<ducks for cover> Come to HO scale, where your view on Rapido will be markedly different!    </ducks for cover>

Given that between Rapido and Bowser I can get basically everything my heart desires for CN and CP in southern Ontario circa 1987-89, I have considered switching scales. And now I have the room for a decent HO layout. That said, I have far too much n scale equipment to change now, and the advantage to being in n is that I don't have 3-6 product announcements per month that I will not be able to resist. N scale keeps me solvent.

[kscessandriver]

A lot has been said already and like many here, I'm hoping Rapido is able to find their way through this and go back to making the quality models they are known for. If anyone from Rapido is reading, my 2c as a customer:

1. Choice of locomotive and road is important - mainstream locomotives & roads will sell even if it has been a locomotive done before. If scaletrains is doing another run of SD40-2 before the first run has released and after years of Kato, Intermountain and BLI swarming the market with SD40-2, that is testament that N scale will sell with the right choices

2. Catering to the US market is key. Not making enough US prototypes and roads is not going to help sales. Blaming the scale at that point is not going to help. Almost all of Rapido's offerings are Canadian centric with some US roads sprinkled in. The mix should be evened out

3. Details are very important but not at the expense of operating quality. Rapido has acknowledged this and that is a great starting point.

Hoping Rapido is able to pivot successfully. I have nothing but great things to say about the 8 Rapido locos I own aside from numerous passenger cars. The customer service when I have needed them has been top notch. Know that while we may have complaints, we are still rooting for your success.

I feel like Rapido could print money if they'd take their SW line and make it in N scale. I'd love to have a deep inventory of SW's for the layout I have planned in my head, but the lack of quality end cabs kind of puts a damper on it to me.

[bigdawgks]

They should put out more Eastern road passenger equipment. There's a lot of head end cars missing from the market right now and that could be exploited by Rapido.

[learmoia]

Given that between Rapido and Bowser I can get basically everything my heart desires for CN and CP in southern Ontario circa 1987-89, I have considered switching scales. And now I have the room for a decent HO layout. That said, I have far too much n scale equipment to change now, and the advantage to being in n is that I don't have 3-6 product announcements per month that I will not be able to resist. N scale keeps me solvent.

If you DO decide to jump ship, Caboose Stop is looking for N scale collections..   

[lock4244]

If you DO decide to jump ship, Caboose Stop is looking for N scale collections..   

I've got a few hundred cars to dispose of, but do you have enough Godfather's Pizza boxes?

[learmoia]

I've got a few hundred cars to dispose of, but do you have enough Godfather's Pizza boxes?

We can always get more pizza boxes

[squirrelhunter]

2. Catering to the US market is key. Not making enough US prototypes and roads is not going to help sales. Blaming the scale at that point is not going to help. Almost all of Rapido's offerings are Canadian centric with some US roads sprinkled in. The mix should be evened out.

The problem with this is I'm pretty sure Rapido was founded in large part because Jason Shron needed VIA passenger equipment for his home HO layout. If the core ethos of the company is passion/vanity projects, it's going to be hard to really focus on doing stuff that has broad market appeal first.

[peteski]

When Rapido advertises... We included a full interior of this passenger car even the bathroom with poop in the un-flushed toilet.. just like the prototype.. and the bathroom compartment has one shaded window that you can't see inside...... I kind of    You want me to pay a premium for poop in a toilet in a room I can't see without disassembling the car...   I don't think they have 'actually' done that (yet) but I wouldn't put it past them.

Yes, they really do that (and they are not the only company doing that).  They modeled sinks and toilets in previous models (like the Osgood-Bradley cars). Note the rather thick coat of paint which fortunately will not readily be noticed through the windows.

[robert3985]

Yes, they really do that (and they are not the only company doing that).  They modeled sinks and toilets in previous models (like the Osgood-Bradley cars). Note the rather thick coat of paint which fortunately will not readily be noticed through the windows.

I don't see no poop... 

Man!...think that paint's thick enough??

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

I don't see no poop... 

Man!...think that paint's thick enough??

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Well, that's because even the N-scale toilet flusher actually works - it just got flushed.     Come to think of it, the thick paint is sort of poop-color.  Someone had the splats all over the entire car.   

[ridinshotgun]

I was following the responses to the newsletter when they posted it over on Facebook and they were getting a decent amount of negative feedback regarding their n scale decisions. Pretty much echoing what we have discussed here with a few water carriers for Rapido (I guess some people have battered train collector syndrome).  Then today went back and low and behold all the critical posts were removed.  I know at least one of the posters so I have to reach out to him to see if he was blocked or they just removed the post.

[Rivet Miscounter]

The problem with this is I'm pretty sure Rapido was founded in large part because Jason Shron needed VIA passenger equipment for his home HO layout. If the core ethos of the company is passion/vanity projects, it's going to be hard to really focus on doing stuff that has broad market appeal first.

I think this same argument could be applied to them even doing n-scale to begin with.    There's not an N champion anymore, and it's tough when there's nobody there that really has their heart into it.  Passion/vanity-type product, with no champion, and in a smaller percentage of the market....not a good recipe for success.

Here's hoping that everything works out.   The locos and passenenger stuff tows the line, and the freight tooling either gets re-run or handed off to another company that will perpetuate the products.   Maybe eventually there will be a change of heart.  Who knows.

[bbussey]

I think this same argument could be applied to them even doing n-scale to begin with.    There's not an N champion anymore, and it's tough when there's nobody there that really has their heart into it.  Passion/vanity-type product, with no champion, and in a smaller percentage of the market....not a good recipe for success.

Among the larger manufacturers, MTL and Atlas are strongly committed to N. MTL in particular has over 100 bodystyles, releases multiple models monthly, and more often than not the bodystyles introduced in this century have been fully prototypical with accurate proportions and accurate ride height. And they still are dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster that decimated their workforce.