Rapido Trains - 550012 - Passenger Car set - Via Rail Canada - Set of 8

Specific Item Information: "The Rapido": VIA Rail: 8-Car Set

Model Information: Rapido first announced this model in August of 2015 and it was delivered in 2017. A 2-year gap may seem like a long wait, but given Rapido's focus on making sure the models were meeting their exacting specifications before shipping requires this kind of delay. Rapido owns its own factory in China, and now that it is staffed up and they have worked out all the kinks in their design->deliver peipeline, we should be able to expect lower wait times in the future.

This model is an excellent example of 3rd generation rolling stock as produced from 2010 forward. It features the three main attributes that separate 3rd generation models from earlier toolings. 1) It uses high-quality body-mounted magnetically-operated couplers. 2) It features chemically-blackened, low-profile metal wheels. 3) It has a range of separately applied detail parts such as grab-irons, underbody elements and brake details. Apart from one stirrup that was sloppily glued on, these details are of exceptional quality. These cars do not have a lot of print detail but what there is, is well executed.

The following is a list of features as supplied by Rapido:

• Super-detailed underbody
• Body-mounted Micro-Trains(C) couplers
• All air, steam and electrical lines represented
• Insulated 36 inch metal wheelsets (no pizza cutters!)
• Diaphragms and safety bars
• Painted grab irons applied at the factory.
• Four numbers plus unnumbered available in each scheme
• Will operate smoothly on curves down to 9-3/4 inch radius
• Standard End or End Doors as appropriate
• Super-detailled Commonwealth Cast Pedestal tri-axle, 41-N-11 Inside
• Swinghanger or 41-BNO-11 Outside Swinghanger trucks as appropriate for each roadname and car type.

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.