Have to ask the questions: New Rapido PA-1 owners, are you happy with your new acquisitions? Do they meet your expectations? How well do they run for you?
We had a thread on these a few weeks ago.
How? They were not actually out then.
Now they are, and will be physically in people’s hands within a day or so.
That other thread was more about the “sample” models and photos of same.
I’m trying to discern whether or not I want to try just one unit, based upon people’s comments here. As I do not have any ordered right now, but am moving my whole roster back to the first generation era (bought bunch of RS-3’s), hearing ahem reading people’s comments would be useful to me.
I don’t think we actually had a thread about the PA models after they were in customer’s hands.
I am also interested in how the model is. I really wanted a pair of them, but it was not to be. Thus, for me, this thread is about what I missed.
-Kevin
Looking at opinions for different things, I find that there are usually a certain percentage of buyers who are happy with the product. And also there may usually be a sometimes very small percentage of buyers who think the item is a piece of crap.
And for whatever reason this small percentage of individuals seem to be the most vociferous.
About as happy as a man who just sold a kidney to pay for a PA-PA set can be…
Charles
Hmmm, I ordered a set but haven’t heard a peep that they were out yet.
Same here!
Rick Jesionowski
I assure you they are out now. English’s Model RR Supply has a bunch of them, and I looked at a couple today, but they did not happen to have the one roadname that I am interested in.
John
I forgot that I’d ordered a pair of Nickel Plate “Bluebirds”. Just got a reminder to send bags of cash to Overland Hobbies in order to free mine from captivity.
I’ll post photos in a few days…
They’ll be replacing my venerable Life-Like models.
Nickel Plate Depart-Arrive by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
I received a couple of emails and a phone call from Rapido regarding the two I preordered (Leigh Valley). I robbed the local bank and sent them the money. Waiting for them or the cops to arrive. Hopefully it’s the loco’s before the popo’s so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor for a little while.
So, after looking quickly a couple youtube videos of these, I have a question for those who have them or who have seen them up close. Is there any factory provision for close coupling and do the diaphragms work?
If the answer is no, I’m not disappointed that my order for undecorated versions was canceled.
While they do look nice, without that feature they are not that much nicer than my Proto units.
Sheldon
Interesting. My main sources for trains; M. B. Klein’s, Midwest Model RR Supply, and Spring Creek Model Trians don’t list them this morning.
I have a really hard time convincing myself to buy one at the price point that is mentioned. I get a lot of enjoyment in updating my old purchases; I can spend time and effort detailing and tuning my Walthers and Blue Box units and be very happy.
[Y] [(-D] [:-^]
I hope they arrive soon for you.
-Kevin
Unfortunately, these were all pre-order items. So anyone expecting to walk into a retail store and finding their favorite flavor on the shelf may be out of luck. Or at least until the units hit the resale market.
I checked the website of the distributor where I have an account and many of the flavors are shown as unavailable. Since they also required pre-orders, unavailable means they never got pre-orders in the first place, or what they received already went out the door.
Well, some people do not necessarily trust Rapido for various reasons beyond the scope of my post here, so that is why there aren’t very many that were not already spoken for.
My local dealer is trying to get a unit or two for me, as I did not pre-order any myself.
As of Wednesday afternoon 8/24 distributor Heartland had not yet received their shipment, and I have no idea how many were even still available for sale of what they had pre-ordered, so it is what it is. If I don’t get one then so be it.
My main focus is freight trains anyway, so it’s not a have to have for me. I just always liked PA’s.
John
There were a whole lot of Rapido boxes coming off the truck at PWRS the other day. They tend to stock a lot of Rapido stuff from what I have seen in the past there.
Well… I just went to the Rapido site, and it seems the GLA hoppers were released already, and are all sold out.
I had two pre-ordered through an online retailer, and never heard a word about them.
-Kevin
Rapido has let me down a few too many times. In my experience, they overpromise and underdeliver. As an example I wanted to get their SW1200s. But then in the last week of preorders, they subly removed the ditch lights, the marker lights, and a few cab details. Well shoot, why pay Rapido prices when I can get a walthers proto sw1200 for $120 less? Just my two cents. Take it as you will.
When I preordered my Rapido F30 flat cars, I had an interesting experiance. For whatever reason, EVERYONE had their decorated versions of the F30 flats a week before my undecorated F30’s were shipped to me. I ordered and purchased them from a large well known retailer/mail order outlet here in the Mid Atlantic.
As the layout space is progressing and benchwork is about to begin, I am also getting my workbench in working order. As I revisit models previously built, and those still to be built, I become less and less interested in purchasing much more expensive RTR.
I guess I almost have enough trains…
Rapido has passed the point of deminishing return, and has yet to make a model I want that is completely missing from my roster.
Sheldon