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Post by riogrande on Aug 15, 2024 5:41:15 GMT -8
Rapido has post info on their website on TrainOrders.
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Post by wagnersteve on Aug 15, 2024 6:36:49 GMT -8
Thursday, August 14, about 10:35 a.m., EDT
Rapido Trains has its website working again.
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Post by ambluco on Aug 15, 2024 6:59:44 GMT -8
Thursday, August 14, about 10:35 a.m., EDT Rapido Trains has its website working again. Still down for me. |
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Post by wagnersteve on Aug 15, 2024 7:37:59 GMT -8
Thursday, August 14, about 12 noon EDT
Rapido Trains had its website partly working again by about 10:34 this morning; but just now when I visited it again, I got a "we'll be back soon" message. Arrggh!
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Post by cpr4200 on Aug 15, 2024 8:17:37 GMT -8
Worked for me at 12:15. Looks just like the old site.
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Post by ambluco on Aug 15, 2024 8:21:10 GMT -8
Worked for me at 12:15. Looks just like the old site. Correct, the website was never being changed. It was just the background processes. |
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Post by chrisg on Aug 15, 2024 10:39:05 GMT -8
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Post by cpr4200 on Aug 15, 2024 11:52:36 GMT -8
^^^ I think he's referring to the screens behind the grille and in front of the radiator core.
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Post by drolsen on Aug 31, 2024 18:54:37 GMT -8
My single GP38 arrived today, and I'm pretty impressed with it. As Brian said, I think it does a great job of capturing the classic EMD look, especially the ride height (after my early experiences attempting to lower Athearn SDs and GPs). I picked CSX 2015 (with sound), which was the only one of the four CSX numbers from this initial run that was still in service in my 1996 era. It had yellow ends by that point, so I'll have to make that change. I'm searching for photo evidence to see if it received ditchlights at the same time (it had them in 1998 photos). Prototype photos also show that 2015 had drop grab irons on the front of the short hood in CSX paint, instead of the straight grabs on the model. The other two numbers Rapido produced, 2013 and 2046, do appear to have had straight grabs, so the model is correct for them. I can fix that easily when I paint the nose yellow.   I've been away from diesel modeling for a long time, after focusing on freight cars for too long, so I'm rusty on some details and was never an expert. Brian saw and commented on things that I wouldn't have noticed. I really like the hybrid handrails, which are straight and sturdy on my example. The only very minor assembly complaint I have is that the exhaust stack baseplates don't quite sit down flush on the roof. There's a small gap that makes them appear to "float" a little. I'll see if I can fix that. I hope to give it a test run tomorrow. This should be a great addition as a periodic add-on to the slug sets on local trains, if I can ever get the layout going. I was really frustrated by the B36-7 stepwell debacle, so I'm glad to see Rapido come through on this one. Even so, I was glad that only one number fit my modeling plans so I wasn't taking too big a gamble on this one. I'd like to see them do one of the orange CSX MOW units on a future run. Dave |
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Post by lvrr325 on Sept 1, 2024 16:43:13 GMT -8
These were kind of a dud, I can still get almost all the roadnames except Penn Central.
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Post by wmcbride on Sept 1, 2024 17:05:17 GMT -8
These were kind of a dud, I can still get almost all the roadnames except Penn Central. That surprises me -- and doesn't. PC models tend to be hard to find after a much shorter period of time (so writes someone who likes to model early Conrail and who grew up near Collinwood Yard). Bill McBride |
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Post by pboilermaker on Sept 1, 2024 21:43:11 GMT -8
My single GP38 arrived today, and I'm pretty impressed with it. As Brian said, I think it does a great job of capturing the classic EMD look, especially the ride height (after my early experiences attempting to lower Athearn SDs and GPs). I picked CSX 2015 (with sound), which was the only one of the four CSX numbers from this initial run that was still in service in my 1996 era. It had yellow ends by that point, so I'll have to make that change. I'm searching for photo evidence to see if it received ditchlights at the same time (it had them in 1998 photos). Prototype photos also show that 2015 had drop grab irons on the front of the short hood in CSX paint, instead of the straight grabs on the model. The other two numbers Rapido produced, 2013 and 2046, do appear to have had straight grabs, so the model is correct for them. I can fix that easily when I paint the nose yellow. I've been away from diesel modeling for a long time, after focusing on freight cars for too long, so I'm rusty on some details and was never an expert. Brian saw and commented on things that I wouldn't have noticed. I really like the hybrid handrails, which are straight and sturdy on my example. The only very minor assembly complaint I have is that the exhaust stack baseplates don't quite sit down flush on the roof. There's a small gap that makes them appear to "float" a little. I'll see if I can fix that. I hope to give it a test run tomorrow. This should be a great addition as a periodic add-on to the slug sets on local trains, if I can ever get the layout going. I was really frustrated by the B36-7 stepwell debacle, so I'm glad to see Rapido come through on this one. Even so, I was glad that only one number fit my modeling plans so I wasn't taking too big a gamble on this one. I'd like to see them do one of the orange CSX MOW units on a future run. Dave Is that a Chessie rock plow mounted on the rear pilot of 2015?? |
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Post by markfj on Sept 2, 2024 4:13:23 GMT -8
Now that we have more real photos and videos of the model to review and not just renderings, I think it’s safe to say that these will be plentiful in most road names at shows and on eBay for a while. The value for money isn’t high enough for me to rush and pay full price now, so I’ll wait and see if the prices fall a bit after the holidays. And if ScaleTrains releases their GP38, these Rapido models might be a hard “pass” unless some retailer like Toy Train Heaven or Spring Creek Models Trains blows out inventory in a sale. I guess I just can’t get too thrilled about paying top dollar for another Rapido model that could have been great but is brought down by lackluster tooling design.
Mark J.
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Post by lvrr325 on Sept 2, 2024 7:58:11 GMT -8
The problem with that is Rapido is short discount, so unless guys choose to sell at a loss they likely won't get much lower than 20% off.
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Post by middledivision on Sept 2, 2024 9:20:52 GMT -8
Now that we have more real photos and videos of the model to review and not just renderings, I think it’s safe to say that these will be plentiful in most road names at shows and on eBay for a while. The value for money isn’t high enough for me to rush and pay full price now, so I’ll wait and see if the prices fall a bit after the holidays. And if ScaleTrains releases their GP38, these Rapido models might be a hard “pass” unless some retailer like Toy Train Heaven or Spring Creek Models Trains blows out inventory in a sale. I guess I just can’t get too thrilled about paying top dollar for another Rapido model that could have been great but is brought down by lackluster tooling design. Mark J. Exactly. My Atlas units will suffice until ST comes out with theirs. |
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Post by sd80mac on Sept 3, 2024 6:11:01 GMT -8
Got my B&O version the other day. Very nice model, definitely better-looking than the Atlas GP38 I currently have sitting next to it (that's not to say the Atlas looks bad, though). Detail I would say is on-par with recent offerings from Scaletrains and Genesis. As someone who operates real locomotives regularly, its amazing how seemingly little details like walkway and ground lights really add to the realism. Runs very smoothly and has awesome Loksound. Overall, very happy with it.
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Post by craigz on Sept 4, 2024 6:36:45 GMT -8
Wow, if Brian is that impressed it would seem most people ought to be quite satisfied with this model. Thanks for the honest review! Well, I feel compelled to clarify that if I'm "impressed," I'm impressed against my expectations moreso than being just........impressed. It's kind of more a sigh of relief. Having to mask and repaint basic paint scheme errors, having what I consider an almost-fatal flaw on the truck sideframes, and a laughable hood tooling error that escaped review leave me short of straight-up impressed. Let's say......relieved. Wink. That's where I landed too. A couple of things that caught my eye were the stacks. Chunky and tapered and sitting kind of cattywampus on the model. The sinclair antenna, like you said, chunky. I was almost startled at how good the speakers are. Literally the first Rapido model I've not immediately gutted or planned on gutting to fit better speakers. I still dislike the Rapido sound files as they leave off one of the logical functions I like (specifically, coasting) and insist on including Jason's beloved cutesy sounds. |
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Post by jonklein611 on Sept 4, 2024 8:22:32 GMT -8
Well, I feel compelled to clarify that if I'm "impressed," I'm impressed against my expectations moreso than being just........impressed. It's kind of more a sigh of relief. Having to mask and repaint basic paint scheme errors, having what I consider an almost-fatal flaw on the truck sideframes, and a laughable hood tooling error that escaped review leave me short of straight-up impressed. Let's say......relieved. Wink. That's where I landed too. A couple of things that caught my eye were the stacks. Chunky and tapered and sitting kind of cattywampus on the model. The sinclair antenna, like you said, chunky. I was almost startled at how good the speakers are. Literally the first Rapido model I've not immediately gutted or planned on gutting to fit better speakers. I still dislike the Rapido sound files as they leave off one of the logical functions I like (specifically, coasting) and insist on including Jason's beloved cutesy sounds. Jason visited Germany and went to ESU. They showed him what speakers can do when done correctly. Seems like they've made adjustments in a good way. |
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Post by Funnelfan on Sept 13, 2024 22:36:02 GMT -8
I just received my Rapido GP38 BN #2158. But it has a odd problem. The rotary beacon lights up, but doesn't "rotate". It just stays lit with no flashing. Wasn't this supposed to be the beacon with the 4 internal LED's that create the rotating effect?
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Post by wmcbride on Sept 14, 2024 7:08:42 GMT -8
I just received my Rapido GP38 BN #2158. But it has a odd problem. The rotary beacon lights up, but doesn't "rotate". It just stays lit with no flashing. Wasn't this supposed to be the beacon with the 4 internal LED's that create the rotating effect? My ATSF beacon "rotates." I think you received a dud. Bill McBride |
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Post by cpr4200 on Sept 14, 2024 9:01:01 GMT -8
Is there a CV that controls the beacon's rotation?
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Post by Funnelfan on Sept 15, 2024 13:16:49 GMT -8
Is there a CV that controls the beacon's rotation? Using JMRI, I found the function output for the beacon was set to a dimmable headlight, so I changed it to rotary beacon and that fixed the issue. |
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Post by sd80mac on Sept 16, 2024 10:40:48 GMT -8
I got the chance to really play with my B&O version over the weekend. These things have got to have the best speakers I've ever heard from the factory in an HO model. It sounds great even compared with my models I have converted to Scale Sound Systems speakers.
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Post by bncascadegreen on Sept 21, 2024 0:11:22 GMT -8
I got 2 BNSF models. They actually put the ditchlights where they needed to be! Not Athearn’s bang up let’s put them in the walkway to just pit them on the model. 😂🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️. I don’t buy Athearn’s Geeps for that reason. Nice job overall. The hand rails are white in areas they shouldn’t be but that’s a quick fix. Looking forward to BN with ditchlights hopefully soon. I’d even take a Swoosh one if they did that
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