I have ordered two and put deposits down and have been fighting the urge for a third one.
This raises the bar substantially. The weight, alone, would make this a very desirable puller.
I was holding out for the U-4b (2023!) but looking at the projected release date and talking to my cardiologist, maybe I had better jump on one of the Hudsons!
https://rapidotrains.com/iocs-future-releases/
Jason and Rapido produce some top-notch products. I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to run a Royal Hudson on my mostly New york Central/PRR layout [:-^]
ALL drivers geared[Y]
Speaker under the stack! [Y]
Thanks for the heads-up Brent!
Cheers, Ed
PWRS/Rapido are running off 50 pairs F7b units to go with the Royal Hudson 2860 on tour train. You could order 2860 and the “B” units, one of which will have a “Flux Capacitor” from a DeLorean in it. That’s how it can end up on your layout in a believable way.[:-^]
(Edit) Here is a pic of the B units and also the 11,000 G tanker. I believe that PWRS is to make the tanker as well.
I have ordered two also. Can’t wait
That’s one pretty pre-production locomotive, Brent. And the detailing will only get better with the final release. And at 1.5+ lbs it should be a very good puller.
Tom
Tom, it looked so smooth in the video and I don’t think it will disappoint. I think Jason better make a few more than planned.[(-D]
I hesistate to point out, though, that Jason has asked ‘the question’ on at least one hobby forum. The Altas Rescue Forum is a diesel forum because, at least over the 12 years I have been in the hobby, that series of discussions is about all you ever see there. Anyway, Jason asked those members if they think steam is largely done in the hobby, or about to be done.
He wouldn’t have asked that question unless he is wondering if he may be biting off more than he can chew with continuing to develop high-caliber HO steam, especially for the even smaller market (potentially) of those who would want to fork out for Canadian steam locomotives.
As a complete novice to steam, this locomotive looks so plain, compared to locos many of you show, which are filled with pipes, rods, etc.
I had to Google Royal Hudson, and see what it is all about.
I have a few frieght cars from Rapido, haven’t bought any locos yet. It sure seems to run nice!
Mike.
What did the “diesel forum” have to say? One wouldn’t expect diesel guys to have an interest. I’ve looked at ARF but this forum is much more useful, to me, YMMV.
It’s nice to see someone put in the effort to make a quality product. Canadian rail isn’t my thing, but maybe he will raise the bar for everyone.
I think Canadian Pacific steam locomotive design had a real British influence behind them. The designers were probably British ex-pats. British loco design gave them a very tidy look. Engines like C.P.s Selkirk, Jubilee and Hudson had shrouds to cover the “works”. There are photo’s of these engines with the shrouds removed for service.
Personally, I really like the look of both, there is is something about a behemoth of an engine with piping running everywhere that is just cool and signifies raw power. On the other hand, you can’t beat the elegance of a clean engine on the front of a passenger consist.
I also like both the streamlined and “freight hog” look of steam. The Hudson is definitely one of my favorites - I find the wheel arrangement better balanced than the Jubilee and the Selkirk.
The Rapido model definitely looks promising. I do wonder how the loco will sound in real life with all these gears working. It’s hard to tell with the video. I’ve seen other engines with similar arrangements and the gears were noisy.
Simon
Knowing Jason the engines will come with self oilers for the gears.[(-D]
The Royal Hudson was semi-streamlined and tidied up in advance of the royal visit way back when. Canadian steam looks a lot more like USRA type than British, right from the styles of pilots to the types of cabs, feedwater heaters, feedwater pumps, air pumps, turbo-generators, etc. A lot of commonality.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s0453jpa.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s1286jpa.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s2315.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s2813vaa.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s3004ggC.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cp/cp-s3100ggC.jpg
That was one of only two 4-8-4’s home built by the CPR.
And I think steam buffs will be impressed with this display of power:
I agree.
I was referring only to the shrouding of the engines and was not clear in what I wrote. My apologies, I meant to say appearance, instead of design, clearly not the same thing.
In keeping with the “Worlds Greatest Travel System” theme, at some point in the early 1930s management had decided that future passenger engines should if possible all be shrouded, after all, it was all about image. The author of the book speculated that it was because the people making the decision had been influenced by what the British were doing and wanted a cleaner classier look. The second world war for Canada started in 1939 and that put an end to a lot of wish list. I will try and find the article.
My Grandfather ran maintenance for CN in Winnipeg through the war, he use to say he never saw an engine get washed for six years and they were held together with soup tins and spit. They never stopped.
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_steam/royal.htm
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_steam/jubilee.htm
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_steam/T1.htm
http://www.cpr.ca/en/about-cp-site/Documents/History-of-the-CP-logo.pdf
There is a You-Tube video that shows British maintenance taking the
First, that is a beautiful loco and I’m sure that Jason will do a great job.
As to this question about steam modeling and the future of the hobby, I don’t agree that any possible decline in steam era modeling is a factor of the age of the modelers.
Here’s why.
First, I’m 60, born in 1957, I never saw a steam locomotive in regular service.
BUT, I model 1954, and model lots of steam.
Yet I know several modelers OLDER than myself who model present day, or model 1965…they have few if any steam locos.
As has been discussed on here before, I don’t buy the idea that most people model the trains of their youth, because they saw them in their youth - that would be late 60’s and early 70’s for me - trains I have virtually no interest in …
What I do think is a factor is this:
I will break this down by decade just for example purposes.
If we assume “modern” North American railroading started in 1900, and we break down the choice of era by decade, that means that in 1968, when I started in this hobby, one had 7 decades to choose from.
So if there were 200,000 model railroaders in North America, and their choice of era was evenly divided (we know that’s not the case),
That would mean roughly 28,000 modelers per era/decade placing 143,000 modelers firmly in the steam era. Or, 71% of modelers would be steam era modelers.
Fast forward to today. NOW we have 12 era/decades to choose from, and even if the number of modelers is 400,000, that means, evenly divided, that is 33,000 modelers per era/decade, but only an increase to 166,000 steam era modelers, for a total percentage of only 41%, nearly cut in half the percentage of people modeling steam.
Now, more bad news. There is nothing to support the idea that the number of modelers has doubled, in fact its growth could be much slower or flat.
Second, we know that historically the transition era and "current da
I wonder why he picked that forum, then? I’m on some other forums, and on one of them many people are discussing modeling depression era and asking for smaller steam…
Wow, surprise surprise! I thought, with your knowledge of steam, you grew up around it! Never mind!
So you must of took it on your own to learn all about it, so you can model it.
I NEVER was around any steam locos, didn’t start paying attention to trains, until I was about 12? Staying at my grandpas farm, next to the SOO Line. I didn’t have any family members immersed in to railroading, like alot of members in here. So I never wanted to model steam.
I still don’t, but I have accuired a couple of steam locos.
I don’t see interest in steam loco modeling ending anytime soon. It still represents the epitome of railroading. The manual labor, grit, grime and hard life of railroading at it’s beginning.
Mike.
Way back in July of 2011 there was a thread about Rapido’s icon train.
“The Canadian”
One of the questions being thrown around was, who is going to buy the 2000 sets being made. I posed the question to Jason and this was his response.
Hi all,
It’s been very interesting reading everyone’s opinions on this subject. I’m not going to reply to all of the posts, but I think Brent’s question warrants a reply to put things in perspective.
BATMAN
Rapido guys. Any numbers on how many units are expected to be sold in Canada vs: elsewhere?
Based on our current orders for the train and based on what I have been told by our US distributors, the projected split is 92% Canadian orders and 8% rest of the world.
Best regards,
Jason
I am wondering how many Royal Hudsons will need to be sold to let Rapido proceed to their next steam project.
Mike,
While I did not see mainline steam in day to day operation, I did grow up near Baltimore, home of the B&O Railroad Museum, an institution full of important historic steam locos even when I was a child - I have been there many, many times, starting at the age of 7 or 8 years old.
Also, not far away is the Strasburg Railroad, where for the last 5 decades, steam powered trains run all day, every day, all spring, summer, and fall. My parents took us there many times, I have taken my children, and grand children, we still go on a regular basis.
My father gave me a good start in the hobby, I will spare every