Rapido UK operations

[AMJ]

There are/were a few more single car Leyland National inspired vehicles there is the one at Downpatrick on Irish gauge.

 

It will be interesting to see what they do decide to produce.  Let's await the announcements later on rather than wild speculations.

[mdvle]

Rapido have just tweeted a picture of a diesel that they love https://twitter.com/RapidoTrains/status/1038145876722692098

[37114]

Rapido have just tweeted a picture of a diesel that they love https://twitter.com/RapidoTrains/status/1038145876722692098

Oh blimey! If they do a Deltic then I would buy at least 3....

[adb968008]

Oh blimey! If they do a Deltic then I would buy at least 3....

I think there not the only ones who like Deltics.

[wombatofludham]

Given Jason's love of jet sounding trains (Turbotrain, APT-E) perhaps the first "diesel" will be one of the WR gas turbine locos!

[JSpencer]

Rapido have just tweeted a picture of a diesel that they love https://twitter.com/RapidoTrains/status/1038145876722692098

 

Previously Jason has said "I think I'm in Love" over a class 28. Which ties in with some Canadian Co-Bo's they did. Mind you, he might not have been aware of Heljan/Hatton's version at the time.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Oh blimey! If they do a Deltic then I would buy at least 3....

See, there's the problem. Thanks to the 'adequacy' of Bachmann's model I have been able to easily restrict myself to just the one. Confronted with a model executed with great finesse it could all be very different. Just the thought is enough to get me replaying the KX departure sequence in my head (wubba-wubba-wubba a voom voom voom, etc)

[JSpencer]

See, there's the problem. Thanks to the 'adequacy' of Bachmann's model I have been able to easily restrict myself to just the one. Confronted with a model executed with great finesse it could all be very different. Just the thought is enough to get me replaying the KX departure sequence in my head (wubba-wubba-wubba a voom voom voom, etc)

 

I know your pain. I could add a legomanbiffo chip to my existing Bachmann Deltic but would Rapido use the same 21 pin connection to allow me to swap the chip over?

 

I'm gonna wait before adding a £120 chip to a oldish £60 model if a Rapido special comes along with all the latest mod cons.....

[ThaneofFife]

the class 81 AC electric has got to be off the cards.   i see that as a natural progession for Bachmann - not how different the body is to the 85..

atm i dont see much of a market for class 82 or 84 but maybe the 83 could just pip them.

the class 86 was rumoured to have already been bagged by an unknown manufacturer for a new model unless it was already RT.

I don't think anybody will look at mk3 coaches now for many years.

as Jason lived near to and remains a fan of theWCML I think it could be mk1 catenary of some sort (lattice style and portal) or an EMU.

[adb968008]

the class 81 AC electric has got to be off the cards. i see that as a natural progession for Bachmann - not how different the body is to the 85..

atm i dont see much of a market for class 82 or 84 but maybe the 83 could just pip them.

the class 86 was rumoured to have already been bagged by an unknown manufacturer for a new model unless it was already RT.

I don't think anybody will look at mk3 coaches now for many years.

as Jason lived near to and remains a fan of theWCML I think it could be mk1 catenary of some sort (lattice style and portal) or an EMU.

Wot an AC EMU..... with a pantograph...

 

Never, it’s written into the great model railway scriptures by Robert Stephenson himself...

 

Law 304... though shalt never make a ready to run 1st Generation AC OH EMU.

Along with

Law 305.. don’t try to circumvent 304 with corridor connections

And preceded by

Law 303.. just because a unit has curved windows and sliding doors doesn’t mean it’s modern... it’s still 1st gen.

 

Way down the list I also found this..

 

Law 504.. just because it runs on D.C. doesn’t make it Southern it’s just an AC unit in disguise.. Null points.

 

One rtr model company did propose them in their business plans back in the 1980’s... but no avail.

I’d consider kissing feet if someone did make one though.

Edited September 11, 2018 by adb968008

[wombatofludham]

I wonder if we were to tell Jason that there was once a semi-serious proposal by BR to build some Mk2 derived Class 310 style units with gas turbine engines for cross-country secondary routes if we could trick him into doing a Class 310 EMU?

I'd happily become a Gigalo to fund a fleet, plenty of widows around here who might fancy some "company" for the right price.

[dibber25]

Previously Jason has said "I think I'm in Love" over a class 28. Which ties in with some Canadian Co-Bo's they did. Mind you, he might not have been aware of Heljan/Hatton's version at the time.

 

The 'Canadian Co-Bos' were only a handful of GMD-1s for Cuba, and Rapido only did them after they had done both the two-axle and three-axle Canadian versions. The Metro-Vicks were a disaster for BR and for Hornby-Dublo and I doubt they were a thrilling success for Heljan. I really wouldn't wish them on Rapido! I love my Dublo one but I wouldn't invest good money in making another RTR one. Heljan covered them pretty thoroughly not so very long ago.(CJL)

Edited September 11, 2018 by dibber25

[No Decorum]

I'd happily become a Gigalo to fund a fleet, plenty of widows around here who might fancy some "company" for the right price.

 

Good for you! I think I’d have to sell a lot of railway stuff to finance a widow. 

[No Decorum]

The 'Canadian Co-Bos' were only a handful of GMD-1s for Cuba, and Rapido only did them after they had done both the two-axle and three-axle Canadian versions. The Metro-Vicks were a disaster for BR and for Hornby-Dublo and I doubt they were a thrilling success for Heljan. I really wouldn't wish them on Rapido! I love my Dublo one but I wouldn't invest good money in making another RTR one. Heljan covered them pretty thoroughly not so very long ago.(CJL)

 

A disaster they were! They were banished to the north-west, where enginemen found how to get some useful work out of them until they could be quietly disposed of. BR was keen to try out as many variations as possible, which would have been a good idea if each variation had been limited to a single prototype. The Metro-Vicks offered the only chance to try a two-stroke engine and BR took it. It is odd how things turn out. After their failure, who would have guessed that the most numerous main-line class in the country would have a two-stroke engine?

[dibber25]

A disaster they were! They were banished to the north-west, where enginemen found how to get some useful work out of them until they could be quietly disposed of. BR was keen to try out as many variations as possible, which would have been a good idea if each variation had been limited to a single prototype. The Metro-Vicks offered the only chance to try a two-stroke engine and BR took it. It is odd how things turn out. After their failure, who would have guessed that the most numerous main-line class in the country would have a two-stroke engine?

 

I recall how sceptical the BR folk of the time were when two-stroke US engines were first mooted, despite the fact that there were thousands operating every day in the US. I recall Ken Painter telling me of all the predictions of gloom and doom over the Class 59s and how the Americans struggled to fit a 'muffler' that was big enough to satisfy British requirements. (CJL)

[G-BOAF]

If Rapido produced a production Class 55, and didn't repeat the mistakes that Bachmann made (and have never corrected) I'd buy one... or three.

TTG and Rail Blue preserved versions with High Intensity Headlight please!!!!

[adb968008]

If Rapido produced a production Class 55, and didn't repeat the mistakes that Bachmann made (and have never corrected) I'd buy one... or three.

TTG and Rail Blue preserved versions with High Intensity Headlight please!!!!

There’s always the risk that someone else may be planning one too, and it could indeed scare both away from it.

[Neil]

Maybe we should be looking at the other end of the spectrum, amongst those locos which don't duplicate current models, rather like this delightful specimen belonging to Croppers Paper Mills.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Neil

[mdvle]

Maybe we should be looking at the other end of the spectrum, amongst those locos which don't duplicate current models, rather like this delightful specimen belonging to Croppers Paper Mills.

 

I wonder where you would put a motor, dcc controller, etc in that?

 

My guess, despite the wishes of some, is that Rapido will come out with a more mainstream model where they feel the current offering is not up to what modern tooling provides.

[Legend]

If you are looking for a Wow model to introduce yourself as a brand in your own right, as opposed to making commissions, it would be hard to beat a Deltic . I actually can’t see much wrong with the Bachmann one , and shock horror I even have an old Lima one in the collection. But there is no doubt rich enthusiasts , who Rapido would target rather than the wider model railway market, perceive there is a gap in the market for one. An all singing dancing Deltic , sound equipped, could go down well at the top end of the market .

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The Bach Deltic, once its ride height is corrected by the simple mod that the mechanism layout provides, falls into the 'adequate' range of current models for me. But it is a subject with a difficult feature for any maker to offer a significant improvement. (The simple ones would be the slightly larger front windscreens and the relief on the few detail features on the lower body side which Bachmann print on, which do look better once scribed over by an owner wiling to 'have a go' there.)

 

The largely unrelieved slab of the main bodyside is what it is, nothing to do there, but that leads to the difficult element, the large arrays of louvres covering the transition between the vertical bodyside and the roof above both engine bays. In model form these are rendered solid, but only the framing should be solid, the louvres should be slightly see through. That's the missing contrast in the rendition of the body for me, the slightly airy appearance of the louvres above the 'solid slab' of bodyside. It's well beyond my ability to execute in model form, so there's the opportunity for a model maker determined to show how 'better' can be achieved.

[298]

The 'Canadian Co-Bos' were only a handful of GMD-1s for Cuba, and Rapido only did them after they had done both the two-axle and three-axle Canadian versions. (CJL)

Technically speaking they were Bo-A1A's, and those resourceful Cubans did them conversions themselves after finding issues with axle weights on some lines. I have two.... (Well, one is currently on eBay...).

[TravisM]

I’ve always liked Rapido Trains Models, so I hope they do more UK trains and created my own wish list;

 

Class 86

 

Class 91 with matching Mk IV stock

 

Class 92

 

I’m sure there also looking at doing the Mk V stock and new DMU’s and EMU’s from Bombardier and Stadler.

[mdvle]

Class 92, while in theory they could come to an arrangement with Revolution to reuse the data it remains a niche model and a competitor looks to be close to going to tooling (if the funders come through with the deposits) so would be risky.

 

A class 86 might stand a chance given Jason's fondness for Virgin Trains.

 

I suspect the issue with the class 91 is the need to consider it part of a train, which increase the tooling costs, buying costs, and risks given that it is overhead electric.  This one might be better to wait a few years and allow the class 87, 90, 80x, and perhaps a 92 build up a market with overhead layouts.

 

Some of the new DMU/EMU may need to wait until a variety of liveries are possible (yes, Hornby have done the 80x, but already several liveries and more geographic spread).

[Talltim]

Technically speaking they were Bo-A1A's, and those resourceful Cubans did them conversions themselves after finding issues with axle weights on some lines. I have two.... (Well, one is currently on eBay...).

I wondered if that was you, but the description didn’t seem to match your style of writing