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Post by hudsonyard on Dec 5, 2022 17:42:49 GMT -8
Only Rapido product I have that i was pleased with out of the box were the F30D flats. Even so I had to re-attach the brake hoses on 3 of the 8 i have. I haven't really ran them yet, but i've heard that they don't roll very well.
I'm fearing for the NE hacks i have on order..
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Post by edwardsutorik on Dec 5, 2022 17:52:30 GMT -8
Most of the Rapido freight cars I've gotten were quite good--B's, maybe B+. I AM getting anxious now that they're getting more into "cast grab irons". At least, exceedingly coarse ones.
And that painting all the patched freight cars the same? Nope, not acceptable unless I only buy one. Which is how it's gonna be.
Ed
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Post by atsf_4 on Dec 5, 2022 19:07:16 GMT -8
I really wish that Rapido would do a better job of QA/QC and specifically paint color matching, and priming models prior to paint. Most others are legitimately beating them in those areas. That seems to be a fair statement and not bashing them.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Dec 5, 2022 20:14:42 GMT -8
I really wish that Rapido would do a better job of QA/QC and specifically paint color matching, and priming models prior to paint. Most others are legitimately beating them in those areas. That seems to be a fair statement and not bashing them. Oh. You must be referring to the Rapido SP&S/BN FA-2's, from several years ago. Surely, after that pathetic fail, they would have made SURE that nothing so embarrassing happened again. Right? Ed |
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Post by lvrr325 on Dec 5, 2022 20:50:21 GMT -8
(laughs in fire engine red Lehigh Valley locomotive)
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Post by atsf_4 on Dec 5, 2022 22:30:51 GMT -8
 Oh, boy, nerve struck. The list appears to be far too long. I want to like their products and have honestly tried...but...
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Post by sd80mac on Dec 6, 2022 6:23:08 GMT -8
I really don't understand how not making (humorous) marketing videos would contribute to more accurate models. It's the marketing team's job to sell the product and not to do research, or make production decisions. The hobby is supposed to be fun, but as I have said before, it seems to attract a fair number of humorless geeks who take it too seriously. It wouldn't. I don't think they want to make accurate models, at least not any more accurate than they are already making. Closing in on that last fraction of accuracy gets more difficult and expensive the closer accuracy is approached. Rapido seems to think they are close enough. Other modelers disagree for a variety of reasons. And making humorous videos seems to be a tactic Rapido uses to deflect from the inaccurate models. That and implying that anyone who dares to criticize their models is a humorless geek. Criticism of Rapido aside, there are MANY humorless geeks in this hobby. |
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Post by riogrande on Dec 6, 2022 6:53:13 GMT -8
It wouldn't. I don't think they want to make accurate models, at least not any more accurate than they are already making. Closing in on that last fraction of accuracy gets more difficult and expensive the closer accuracy is approached. Rapido seems to think they are close enough. Other modelers disagree for a variety of reasons. And making humorous videos seems to be a tactic Rapido uses to deflect from the inaccurate models. That and implying that anyone who dares to criticize their models is a humorless geek. Criticism of Rapido aside, there are MANY humorless geeks in this hobby. Don't we know it! |
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Post by tony on Dec 6, 2022 7:56:17 GMT -8
More the reason to bring model train making back too the USA and employ the 25 million illegals roaming the country looking for a job. Why pay $99.00 for an HO scale box car when you can have it made cheaper and better in the USA and not have to pay to extraordinary costs of shipping containers? Days of China are about over.
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Post by cemr5396 on Dec 6, 2022 8:46:04 GMT -8
More the reason to bring model train making back too the USA and employ the 25 million illegals roaming the country looking for a job. Why pay $99.00 for an HO scale box car when you can have it made cheaper and better in the USA and not have to pay to extraordinary costs of shipping containers? Days of China are about over. This horse has been beaten to an unrecognizable pulp for years already, manufacturing is NOT COMING BACK TO THE USA you're complaining about prices now, they would probably quaduple (at least) if manufacturing came back to North America. Even if your entire workforce was 'illegals' they'd still be making far more than the Chinese do, never mind all the other expenses that would shoot up astronomically compared to in China. Then there is the whole training issue - model trains (at least ones that live up to our high standards these days) are extremely complex and your workers all need specialized training to produce models that we would find acceptable. |
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Post by riogrande on Dec 6, 2022 9:20:31 GMT -8
More the reason to bring model train making back too the USA and employ the 25 million illegals roaming the country looking for a job. Why pay $99.00 for an HO scale box car when you can have it made cheaper and better in the USA and not have to pay to extraordinary costs of shipping containers? Days of China are about over. US importers would probably have to go to a different country and develope skilled labor to get out of China. Not sure where that would be; maybe Vietnam. The labor costs in the US would prices to likely triple. It was estimated if Iphones, their costs would triple. Regardless, if you don't like todays prices, you would surely not like US assembled prices. |
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Post by unittrain on Dec 6, 2022 9:30:10 GMT -8
Manufacturers could possibly get together on a production facility in the US, but to avoid assembly costs only do kits.
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Post by cemr5396 on Dec 6, 2022 9:57:52 GMT -8
Manufacturers could possibly get together on a production facility in the US, but to avoid assembly costs only do kits. that would never happen, could you imagine the uproar among the general modeling public? It would make all of the complaint threads around here look tame by comparison. I get that a lot of the people on this forum don't mind building kits or even kitbashing and scratch building but when you look at the hobby as a whole the type of people we mostly have here are the vast minority. I don't mind building a freight car kit once in a while but honestly I'm not loving the idea of having to build every car in my fleet. |
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Tom
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Post by Tom on Dec 6, 2022 10:18:39 GMT -8
That's because they don't order samples from the factory before final production. Not true. I have seen and held factory samples of the Rapido passenger cars, FPA-4, FPB-4, caboose, SGU, FP9A and F40PH-2D plus noted photos of samples of other products as shown in many of their newsletters through the years. As SME on some of these products I had the chance to review the samples and remit comments back for correction. Most of the corrections were made except in rare cases where a business decision was made to not address a particular detail for cost purposes. They do not issue factory painted samples. Jason has stated that they don't do so because "they're a small company and it costs too much." All samples received that are second shot are painted by employees or a third party. There are many cases where items haven't been addressed either because the PM doesn't think it matters or, in some instances, it's economically not viable to retool. The door windows on the Horizon and Comet cars are an example of the PM not doing so after it was pointed out (through proper channels). It was shrugged off because it would be too much work.
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Post by atsf_4 on Dec 6, 2022 10:28:30 GMT -8
Jason Shron is full of...donkey dust...on the cost.
How do I know this? Because other, smaller manufacturers than Rapido do manage to get factory decorated sample models.
If the other manufacturers can afford to do it on admittedly a smaller scale, or on most likely smaller product runs, then Rapido could actually afford to do it.
The cost issue is total bs, pure and simple. NOT spending the money for factory decorated sample models is actually costing them a whole lot more than they realize, because they are losing significant sales as a result of people not trusting them. Also changing models from what is shown on their drawings does not inspire buyer confidence, either. However, no accountant can assign a cost to those lost sales.
The other manufacturers have figured out that factory decorated sample models are absolutely necessary and have even switched factories partly for that specific reason, in some cases, because they believe it (a factory decorated sample model) is essential to control product quality.
What does it cost them to design and produce all those "funny" marketing videos they put out? Even the time spent has a cost whether they actually track that time as a billable cost or not. Bet some of that money could go to factory decorated sample models if they are unwilling to source it from anywhere else.
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Post by gevohogger on Dec 6, 2022 11:34:34 GMT -8
Not true. I have seen and held factory samples of the Rapido passenger cars, FPA-4, FPB-4, caboose, SGU, FP9A and F40PH-2D plus noted photos of samples of other products as shown in many of their newsletters through the years. As SME on some of these products I had the chance to review the samples and remit comments back for correction. Most of the corrections were made except in rare cases where a business decision was made to not address a particular detail for cost purposes. They do not issue factory painted samples. Jason has stated that they don't do so because "they're a small company and it costs too much."
A handy excuse, if it were true. They're not a small company any more. They have however-many new products in the pipeline, far more than any of the other, larger manufacturers. They have, what a half-dozen or so new locomotive models coming plus new freight cars, new passenger cars, a new turbo train, a Bart train, new European stuff.... If all that stuff were arriving simultaneously they would be bigger than everyone. |
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Post by Baikal on Dec 6, 2022 12:37:23 GMT -8
Jason Shron is full of...donkey dust...on the cost. How do I know this? Because other, smaller manufacturers than Rapido do manage to get factory decorated sample models. If the other manufacturers can afford to do it on admittedly a smaller scale, or on most likely smaller product runs, then Rapido could actually afford to do it. The cost issue is total bs, pure and simple. NOT spending the money for factory decorated sample models is actually costing them a whole lot more than they realize, because they are losing significant sales as a result of people not trusting them. Also changing models from what is shown on their drawings does not inspire buyer confidence, either. However, no accountant can assign a cost to those lost sales. The other manufacturers have figured out that factory decorated sample models are absolutely necessary and have even switched factories partly for that specific reason, in some cases, because they believe it (a factory decorated sample model) is essential to control product quality. What does it cost them to design and produce all those "funny" marketing videos they put out? Even the time spent has a cost whether they actually track that time as a billable cost or not. Bet some of that money could go to factory decorated sample models if they are unwilling to source it from anywhere else.
1) They don't care what you think or know.
2) Marketing is the single most important aspect modern Americanadianglobal business. "No flash, no cash", as FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried likes to say.
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Post by drsvelte on Dec 6, 2022 13:05:57 GMT -8
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Post by severn on Dec 6, 2022 13:15:59 GMT -8
While it's probably true this kind of manufacturing isn't coming back anytime soon to the US. Why isn't latin america trying hard with their super low labor costs to become america's provider over china? I mean it's closer, we speaka the Spanish at least a little, long shared common ish history. And a better economy there means folks stay home more often... Just asking for a friend...
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Dec 6, 2022 13:17:04 GMT -8
I’m very disappointed with my UP units. They provided no number decals for the blank number boards, and even if they had provided decals, the number board lights are rendered useless since the boards are opaque black. They have dual steam generators instead of single, which I am pretty sure is incorrect for any UP E8 and also contradicts their product art. They also don’t have nose grabs, the horns are located on the cab roof, and the ends are yellow, which I think is accurate for the mid 1950s but is different than the product art. They do still have the snow shields that were added in the late 50s, though half of mine arrived with the snow shields snapped off and their mounts damaged/destroyed. The front/rear portholes are quite crude as has been discussed earlier here. Their Armour Yellow looks far too pale to my eye, and as a result they do not come close to matching the Walthers Cities cars. I don’t see the issue with the headlight that some have pointed out, but the cab windows do look wrong to me, possibly due to the super thick window glass that is recessed and not flush with the window face as it should be. What a shame that these units will most likely never be done justice now that a “high quality” manufacturer has made them.      |
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Post by Baikal on Dec 6, 2022 13:37:22 GMT -8
Nope, he's still walkin' free because unlike Bernie Maddoff, SBF did everything correctly- down with the right people, says the right things. He'll be fine.
Just last week SBF was the honored as top-billed speaker at the big NY Times-sponsored financial event:
It was star-studded indeed: Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX
Larry Fink, C.E.O., BlackRock
Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury secretary
Mark Zuckerberg, C.E.O., Meta
Mike Pence, former vice president of the United States
Ben Affleck, actor, director and C.E.O., Artists Equity
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister-designate
Volodymyyr Zelensky, president of the ukraine (who likes to say "No cash, no flash")
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Post by Baikal on Dec 6, 2022 13:42:53 GMT -8
I’m very disappointed with my UP units. They provided no number decals for the blank number boards, and even if they had provided decals, the number board lights are rendered useless since the boards are opaque black. They have dual steam generators instead of single, which I am pretty sure is incorrect for any UP E8 and also contradicts their product art. They also don’t have nose grabs, the horns are located on the cab roof, and the ends are yellow, which I think is accurate for the mid 1950s but is different than the product art. They do still have the snow shields that were added in the late 50s, though half of mine arrived with the snow shields snapped off and their mounts damaged/destroyed. The front/rear portholes are quite crude as has been discussed earlier here. Their Armour Yellow looks far too pale to my eye, and as a result they do not come close to matching the Walthers Cities cars. I don’t see the issue with the headlight that some have pointed out, but the cab windows do look wrong to me, possibly due to the super thick window glass that is recessed and not flush with the window face as it should be. What a shame that these units will most likely never be done justice now that a “high quality” manufacturer has made them.
The yellow looks lemon-y, more like CNW yellow. Or is that just how the model photographed? |
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Post by lvrr325 on Dec 6, 2022 13:44:50 GMT -8
More the reason to bring model train making back too the USA and employ the 25 million illegals roaming the country looking for a job. Why pay $99.00 for an HO scale box car when you can have it made cheaper and better in the USA and not have to pay to extraordinary costs of shipping containers? Days of China are about over. Ever read something that was so absurdly wrong you can't even react to it? I hope that was sarcasm. As for Rapido, they sell the stuff done wrong because some people just don't care, it's shiny and pretty and they buy anyway. I had a guy at a show Sunday ready to hand me $100 for an unboxed AHM C-liner I had out because somehow I'd bumped the decimal on the pricing labeler to a zero. Some people just have no idea what they're even buying. After I corrected him on the price he also bought a boxed AHM GG1 and told me they were presents for a grandkid and I'm thinking to myself "do you not like this kid very much to buy him this junk?" but whatever, I was glad to get rid of it. |
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Dec 6, 2022 14:02:57 GMT -8
I’m very disappointed with my UP units. They provided no number decals for the blank number boards, and even if they had provided decals, the number board lights are rendered useless since the boards are opaque black. They have dual steam generators instead of single, which I am pretty sure is incorrect for any UP E8 and also contradicts their product art. They also don’t have nose grabs, the horns are located on the cab roof, and the ends are yellow, which I think is accurate for the mid 1950s but is different than the product art. They do still have the snow shields that were added in the late 50s, though half of mine arrived with the snow shields snapped off and their mounts damaged/destroyed. The front/rear portholes are quite crude as has been discussed earlier here. Their Armour Yellow looks far too pale to my eye, and as a result they do not come close to matching the Walthers Cities cars. I don’t see the issue with the headlight that some have pointed out, but the cab windows do look wrong to me, possibly due to the super thick window glass that is recessed and not flush with the window face as it should be. What a shame that these units will most likely never be done justice now that a “high quality” manufacturer has made them.
The yellow looks lemon-y, more like CNW yellow. Or is that just how the model photographed? No, that’s how it looks in real life too. CNW yellow is a good description for it actually. I’ll post a comparison to a Walthers Cities car in a little while. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Dec 6, 2022 14:18:27 GMT -8
CNW yellow, eh?
My recollection is that that was the term mentioned for the yellow Rapido used on their SP&S/BN FA-2's, back a few years ago.
Universal Yellow. Has a good ring to it!
The green on the nose--is that C&NW green?
Ed
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Post by riogrande on Dec 6, 2022 14:22:52 GMT -8
Horns are crook. So many engines have crooked horns. SMH.
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Post by pboilermaker on Dec 6, 2022 14:33:53 GMT -8
They scanned an actual E8 at a museum, so I would think everything would be accurate. I can not unsee the front headlight issue now that it was pointed out to me. Would post a photo but I am not near a computer.  What is wrong with the nose headlight? |
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Post by atsf_4 on Dec 6, 2022 15:50:25 GMT -8
Jason Shron is full of...donkey dust...on the cost. How do I know this? Because other, smaller manufacturers than Rapido do manage to get factory decorated sample models. If the other manufacturers can afford to do it on admittedly a smaller scale, or on most likely smaller product runs, then Rapido could actually afford to do it. The cost issue is total bs, pure and simple. NOT spending the money for factory decorated sample models is actually costing them a whole lot more than they realize, because they are losing significant sales as a result of people not trusting them. Also changing models from what is shown on their drawings does not inspire buyer confidence, either. However, no accountant can assign a cost to those lost sales. The other manufacturers have figured out that factory decorated sample models are absolutely necessary and have even switched factories partly for that specific reason, in some cases, because they believe it (a factory decorated sample model) is essential to control product quality. What does it cost them to design and produce all those "funny" marketing videos they put out? Even the time spent has a cost whether they actually track that time as a billable cost or not. Bet some of that money could go to factory decorated sample models if they are unwilling to source it from anywhere else.
1) They don't care what you think or know.
2) Marketing is the single most important aspect modern Americanadianglobal business. "No flash, no cash", as FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried likes to say.
Baikal-- Again, I say bs (this is not directed at you), and this is why: Yes, I agree Rapido clearly spends a huge amount on marketing. And just where is their reputation now after all that expense? Clearly it is not as good as some other companies who do not spend nearly as much on marketing but just continue to quietly crank out quality models--and without telling you in advance that their model will be the best ever--they just plain deliver. Not flashy, but correctly detailed, mostly correctly painted and decorated models, with metal details that don't break off so easily. They've worked out the packaging so that for the most part, stuff now arrives at your dealer fully intact without broken parts. When there are issues, they fix them either with new bodies or replacement parts (novel concept Rapido should try). Rapido seems to be re-inventing the packaging with each and every project, and there can be major issues (for example the plastic clamshell that had a fairly small end piece which created basically a point loading and which speared through the nose of two RS-11's I purchased. One was shipped USPS; one was shipped UPS). Now perhaps the shipper could have packed them better, but I've also purchased many competitors' models from that dealer and never once has any other one arrived damaged. As for SBF, he is going to jail and it's only a matter of time and/or unless one of his investors (not me, never a penny of crypto) decides to have him wacked. What he has done is worse than Bernie Madoff. I'm sure there's a whole lot of small investors that got absolutely killed. Hiding out where he is seems like a relatively easy target. |
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Post by hudsonyard on Dec 6, 2022 15:52:18 GMT -8
I'm no E unit expert but those windows look god awful. nobody can do the nose on one of these units without *SOME* kind of error.
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Post by bigblow69 on Dec 6, 2022 20:09:02 GMT -8
Keeping my Milwaukee Proto's thanks.
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