Rapido Trains - 528041 - Passenger Train, Pullman, Comet Coach, Controllable Lights - Metro-North

Model Information: The original “Comet” cars built for the E-L were designed strictly for low platforms, but evolution of the car design by Pullman and later Bombardier evolved the “Comet” design to support both high- and low-platform boarding, on-board washrooms, accessible seating and, after 1990, a wide center door for high-level platform boarding.
Rapido brings its experience with passenger car models to this long forgotten fleet of cars used for commuter travel across major cities in the United States and Canada. The Rapido cars will feature the same great attention to detail you’ve come to expect, including free-rolling wheels, detailed underbodies, interior lighting and more.
The Rapido N scale Comet cars feature:
Controllable interior and cab car lighting Full underbody and interior detail Correct inside-bearing trucks with metal wheelsets Accurate painting and lettering Tinted windows Constant interior lighting in DC and DCC Metal side grab irons

Road Name History: MNCW was established in 1983 to take over commuter train operations north of New York City in the states of New York and Connecticut (operated jointly with ConnDOT) from the previous operator Conrail. A pair of routes belonging to MNCW in New Jersey are operated under contract by the NJ Transit system. They run from Hoboken to Spring Valley and Hoboken to Port Jervis (including the Bergan County Line.) The MNCW operated routes originate at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan:

- The Hudson Line runs north along the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie. This line is electrified with 3rd rail as far as Croton-Harmon.

- The Harlem Line runs northeast from GCT as far as Wassaic. It also is electrified with 3rd rail as far as the town of Southeast, New York.

- The New Haven Line runs east as far as New Haven, Connecticut. This line also has three branches to New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury respectively. The New Haven line has a short segment of 3rd rail which ends in Pelham and then uses catenary for the rest of the run to New Haven.

All told, the MNCW includes 385 miles of route including the New Jersey lines. In 2014, they surpassed the Long Island Rail Road as the busiest commuter railroad in the country.

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.