Rapido Trains - PS9015 - Engine, Diesel, FPA-4 & FPB-4 - Via Rail Canada - Unnumbered

Specific Item Information: A-B

Model Information: Sold only in pairs, either A-B or A-A. Indicated price is per pair.

• Rapido's proven 5-pole, skew-wound motor with silky-smooth drive system
• 100% accurate dimensions taken from a 3D scan of the prototype
• Operational headlight and back-up lights
• Full cab interior on the A unit
• Separate grab irons, sunshades and MU hoses
• Several road numbers plus unnumbered for each scheme
• All locomotives include decals for new numbers, logos and safety marks
• Solid nickel silver wheelsets
• Micro-Trains couplers mounted at the correct height

DCC Information:

• Available in either DC/Silent (DCC-Ready with 6-pin/NEM 651 quick plug) or DC/DCC/Sound from ESU installed.
• Sounds recorded from the real FPA-4 number 6764
• Sound decoder loaded with original Rapido sounds

Road Name History: Via Rail Canada (reporting mark VIA) (generally shortened to Via Rail or Via; styled corporately as VIA Rail Canada) is an independent crown corporation, subsidized by the Minister of Transport, mandated to offer intercity passenger rail services in Canada.

On January 12, 1977, CN spun off its passenger services as a separate Crown corporation, VIA Rail Canada. At its inception, Via acquired all CN passenger cars and locomotives. Following several months of negotiation, on October 29, 1978, Via took over operation of CP passenger train services, and took possession of cars and locomotives. Passenger train services which were not included in the creation of Via Rail included those offered by BC Rail, Algoma Central Railway, Ontario Northland Railway, Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway, various urban commuter train services operated by CN and CP, and remaining CN passenger services in Newfoundland.

Brand/Importer Information: Rapido Trains Inc. is a high-end manufacturer of model trains and accessories in HO, OO and N (North American 1:160 and British 1:148) scales. The firm's mission is to recreate the entire rail travel experience, from fully-detailed interiors and under-frames on models to fully-wired telephone poles for model railroads.

The name RAPIDO was introduced by Canadian National in 1965 to headline the railway's high-speed intercity passenger services. Until the mid-1980s, RAPIDO stood for fast schedules, frequent trains, and superb service.

Today, Rapido Trains continues the RAPIDO concept with state-of-the-art models and attention to fine detail. This company is not related to the venerable (and now defunct) German manufacturer Arnold Rapido, nor the present-day Arnold (which is owned by the United Kingdom's Hornby), Canadian based Rapido Trains was founded in 2003.

Commissioner Information: Prairie Shadows Model Railway Co. is a small model railway supply company located in Winnipeg, MB, and owned by Jeff Arnold. They pride themselves in providing solid service and fair prices.
They commissioned several exclusive N scale models to Rapido Trains Inc.