Hello, I was thinking of getting a Rapido F40PH lettered in Amtrak’s phase 3 scheme, but wanted to know how well they run and perform before I decide.
Do any of you guys have one? If so, Are you satisfied with it? Do the Lights work ok?
I love mine!
Too bad about the buck in the intro frame! Youtube only gives you three choices for the thumbnail and this was the best out of the three.
The strobes are OK, you can set them up for an alternating double pulse but they aren’t blindingly bright. I guess there is a way to install your own SMD LEDs but a project like that would be way down my priority list.
Regards, Ed
Why are they pulling the Capitol Limited? Did the B&O E-Units sell out early?
Or does B&O hand the train over to Amtrak on a certain portion of the route?
just curious.
Those Heavyweight coaches seem to be shaking as the train rolls past.
I see 2 C&O cars in the train, are those run-through sleepers?
I counted the cars, 15
Looks like you have 2-4 trains running at once, Very Cool Layout!
ATSF,
The UPS truck was still in the driveway when I was pulling these guys out of the box! Whatever train was handy got to be the “maiden run”. Actually, you’re quite right about the B&O E9. I didn’t get one until some months later (after they went on sale). I had an E6 A-B and another E7 on the train previously.
Yeah, one of those two cars are actually B&O but they were in that “transition” era when you couldn’t tell B&O from C&O, what, around 1965 or so. I have the Chessie Club car, too but it would be a real stretch to put that on the Cap.
Maybe one day I’ll make a better video with “era-specific” equipment… in the meantime I’ll just have FUN!
Thanks for the kudos on the layout[:D] much appreciated, Ed
The Rapido F40PH is only the best version of that passenger engine ever made in HO. It is basically “Genesis” quality.
For F40PH your HO choices are:
Rapido
KATO
Walthers (Trainline and more recently improved versions of the Trainline F40PH)
Bachmann Spectrum (has a number of faults dimensionally and a wierd flat spot on the pilot anticlimber)
Brass
The only downside for me is the Amtrak F40PH’s Rapido has made are the very early phase which were not used much on the Amtrak California Zephyr; I’m waiting for Rapido to produce the mid-phase F40PH’s, which so far Rapido has not announced; if and when they do, my wallet may take a severe beating.
riogrande5761,
I agree, the model does look similar to an Athearn “Genesis” model.
A sidenote:
It’s too bad model trains these days are so expensive, when I was a kid the prices were in the $100-200 range for locomotives, now it’s like for passenger cars $60-79 range. Nobody’s gonna pay that much for passenger equpiment. I now return to the topic on hand.
Kato makes the mid- phase F40s.
F40PH Body Shells
#200-229 Phase I (Phase II paint)
#230-238 Phase II (Phase II paint)
#239-409 Phase III (Phase III paint)
#410-415 Phase IIb
#408 is a phase II.
And…
#280-328 & 408 late phase II
#230-279 early phase II
#200-229 phase I
#329-409 phase III
Others have reported Katos are late phase F40PH carbodies. Regardless of that, they dont have the right anticlimber detail which should be stepped. Rapido got that right. Others have complained that the Kato nose is too short.
Personally I’m hoping Rapido offers the F40PH above 227 and in the low 300 number series.
Also with the Kato F40PH’s, you have to install the handrails. Rapido has them already installed.
They’re fantastic. I have 2 in phase 3. The only complaint I have is that the numberboard lights can’t be turned off, but that’s been rectified in the “modernized” run.
I think I will try to get one for via for my bday.
Intalling the handrails on the KATO’s isn’t a deal breaker for me, I would not hinge my decision on that. F40PH’s don’t have much in the way of hand rails anyway.
There are two main issues with the KATO’s and both have to do with the nose. Some have noticed that the nose is too short when compaired to the prototype - a dimensional flaw. That isn’t obvious to many so you have to compair the model to the prototype visually.
The other minor flaw I noticed right away when KATO’s first came out was the anticlimber on the pilot. The prototype has a noticable step in the anticlimber at the bottom of the silver part of the nose.
The Bachmann Spectrum had the step but botched the anticlimber with an odd flat spot, as if it had hit a flat wall. The Walthers Trainline F40PH, even though it was an economy version, looked overall much better than the Bachmann Spectrum although not a lot of detail and not so hot paint jobs. The nose on the Walthers was flat all the way to the bottom and no step at the bottom.
When KATO announced their F40PH around 2003/4, I had high hopes finally a HQ F40PH would be released. It was better of course, but the pilot still wasn’t right. I don’t know why nobody could get it right but it finally took Jason Schron of Rapido to tool up a proper “Genesis quality” F40PH. Only down side for me is I want the version most commonly used on the Amtrak California Zephyr, and Rapido only made the earliest version (road #200-227) which have the fuel tank in the rear position. I need the units after that in the mid-higher 200’s and low to mid 300 road numbers and have the fuel tank in the forward position.
For now, I have 3 Walthers and 3 KATO and a single Rapido and am hoping Rapido does the more common F40PH some time in the not too distant future. Right now they have annoucned some ultra modern versions like Cabbages etc. I’m used to t
Even though I’m a Amtrak fan, I never noticed any flaws on my F40 models. I never found problem with noses or anticlimbers.
Although I model N Scale I assume the company makes perfection models during the last 15 years that I have noticed.
Angelo, I can’t comment on N scale F40PH’s since I don’t model N scale and haven’t looked at them or followed discussions about them. IIRC, the OP was asking about HO so my comments were regarding HO scale.
Thanks for all the responses guys,
I will definitely go for the Rapido Version, I’ve set my eyes on #220 and maybe #225. I will purchase them later this year. (November).
I picked up #220 in the phase III paint. I model the Amtrak California Zephyr on the D&RGW route in the 1983-85 which used all phase III paint F40PH’s and head end cars. The Superliner I’s were still in Phase II paint when the Amtrak CZ started to run Thru the Rockies, but Superliners were slowly repainted into phase III as the mid-1080’s moved on.
I have seen a few photo’s showing the early F40PH’s powering that train and I wanted to patronize Rapido’s efforts to bring a “Genensis” quality F40PH to market; Rapdio’s next project is “latter day” versions of the F40PH and hopefully once those are out the door they will return and do the archtype #228-mid 300 road number types.
Until Rapido does produce the common type F40PH of the early-mid 1980’s, I’m hanging on to my 3 KATO F40PH’s and one or two of my Walthers versions. The Walthers are a lot less detailed but overall a decent looking model proportionately and they represent the mid-phase body type. The KATO F40PH represents the late production F40PH body type so both Walthers and KATO do cover different production versions from what I understand.