Model Railroading > Rapido's Modernized Amtrak F40PH...It Just Gets Better and Better

Just received a modernized Amtrak F40PH and am now convinced that the Rapido F40PH family (including the Canadian versions) represents some of the best HO locomotives ever offered.  Scale fidelity, prototypical operating characteristics, and top-tier build/finish quality do not disappoint.  Pretty comprehensive update to the late life detail variations on these early build F40PH's with the same proven qualities of the earlier releases.  The ditch lights and ability to turn the number board lights on and off are good functional updates on this run. 

I know the instructions joke that you should sell off your other F40PH models to purchase more of these as replacements, but these are so well done that all previous versions (including all brass offerings) are woefully (in some cases, comically) obsolete in comparison.  Pretty remarkable that it has only now been done justice when you consider that this cowl-bodied GP40-2 was the face of passenger railroading in North America for so long.  I honestly can't believe we are also getting a mass-produced NPCU zombie F40PH at this level of execution.

The only negative I can see at this point is that this release just makes it even more frustrating that the ubiquitous later phase Amtrak models (fuel tank forward) have not been released.  It is analogous to finally having a near-perfect scale model of a Douglas DC-2, and while appreciating it for all that it is, wishing it could have been a DC-3.

-Mike

GP30M Wrote:
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> Just received a modernized Amtrak F40PH and am now
> convinced that the Rapido F40PH family (including
> the Canadian versions) represents some of the best
> HO locomotives ever offered.
>
> The only negative I can see at this point is that
> this release just makes it even more frustrating
> that the ubiquitous later phase Amtrak models
> (fuel tank forward) have not been released.  It
> is analogous to finally having a near-perfect
> scale model of a Douglas DC-2, and while
> appreciating it for all that it is, wishing it
> could have been a DC-3.
>
> -Mike

You got that right.  Jason has offered some of the "lessor" F40PH's while leaving fans of the "peas in a pod" standard later phase version is still un produced.  Every F40PH that has come before Rapido has fallen short in some way.  I have 3 of the KATO without the ditch lights and did buy one of the Rapdio early F40PH's but it only rarely ran on the California Zephyr so I'm still waiting for my ultimate F40PH.  Jason is going to make me wait a very long time.  But good things come to those who wait, and wait and wait and ...

CHeers, Jim



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/18 09:02 by SPDRGWfan.

Have they released their long planned "Cabbage" F40PH?

RE: NPCU aka "Cabbage" -- the most  recent newsletter (Rapido News 101) indicates that there had ben a color issue noted and the factory is fixing this so it appears that they are coming -- albeit more slowly that many would like.

Bruce

GP30M Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just received a modernized Amtrak F40PH and am now
> convinced that the Rapido F40PH family (including
> the Canadian versions) represents some of the best
> HO locomotives ever offered.  Scale fidelity,
> prototypical operating characteristics, and
> top-tier build/finish quality do not disappoint. 
> Pretty comprehensive update to the late life
> detail variations on these early build F40PH's
> with the same proven qualities of the earlier
> releases.  The ditch lights and ability to turn
> the number board lights on and off are good
> functional updates on this run. 
>
> I know the instructions joke that you should sell
> off your other F40PH models to purchase more of
> these as replacements, but these are so well done
> that all previous versions (including all brass
> offerings) are woefully (in some cases, comically)
> obsolete in comparison.  Pretty remarkable that
> it has only now been done justice when you
> consider that this cowl-bodied GP40-2 was the face
> of passenger railroading in North America for so
> long.  I honestly can't believe we are also
> getting a mass-produced NPCU zombie F40PH at this
> level of execution.
>
> The only negative I can see at this point is that
> this release just makes it even more frustrating
> that the ubiquitous later phase Amtrak models
> (fuel tank forward) have not been released.  It
> is analogous to finally having a near-perfect
> scale model of a Douglas DC-2, and while
> appreciating it for all that it is, wishing it
> could have been a DC-3.
>
> -Mike


Wow! Thanks for the very kind words!

The Cabbages are en route now and due in about three weeks.

We've started the design for the later model F40. But I'll state for the record that the impetus to make a later phase F40 was the fact that the Tempo cars need something to pull them in Rio Grande colors. 

So if we produce the later phase F40, you will have to thank the Tempo. Everyone needs a Tempo.

-Jason
(Here's a screen grab of Happy Tempo Jason from our big product launch last month - https://www.facebook.com/rapidotrains/videos/1727921120627078/


 

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rapidotrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We've started the design for the later model F40.
> But I'll state for the record that the impetus to
> make a later phase F40 was the fact that the Tempo
> cars need something to pull them in Rio Grande
> colors. 
>
> So if we produce the later phase F40, you will
> have to thank the Tempo. Everyone needs a Tempo.
>
> -Jason

I probably shouldn't say this but the Tempo Rio Grande Ski train cars were pulled by SD40T-2's and SD50's and GP60's well before the F40PH's were painted in orange Ski Train paint...  Shhhhh....!!!

If Temp was the catalyst to getting the later model F40PH done, then who am I to complain?  As it is I have back dated to the late 1970's thru early 1980's so the Amtrak Superliner CZ didn't shift to the D&RGW line until 1983 so it's still (just barely) fair game for me!

My wallet will hate you!  Make it so!  (voice of Patrick Stewart)

Cheers, Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/18 09:07 by SPDRGWfan.

Still waiting for MBTA F40PH’s. I am hoping they are coming eventually. They would look great pulling the Atlas foobie MBTA cars!

rapidotrains Wrote:
> We've started the design for the later model F40.
> But I'll state for the record that the impetus to
> make a later phase F40 was the fact that the Tempo
> cars need something to pull them in Rio Grande
> colors. 
>
> So if we produce the later phase F40, you will
> have to thank the Tempo. Everyone needs a Tempo.

I am glad the Tempo is breaking sales records for you and if that is truly what gets a late phase F40PH pushed out, I will not complain at all.  Thank you in advance, Tempo!

By the way, are lawyers or a lack of programming space the reason for the removal of the Greatest American Hero song clip on the new Amtrak releases?  Not that phasers and photon torpedoes are unwelcome, of course...

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/18 20:39 by GP30M.

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My Rapido VIA F40PH-2D run like champs --- fattening my wallet for the CSX Business Train version ???

rapidotrains Wrote:

> We've started the design for the later model F40.
> But I'll state for the record that the impetus to
> make a later phase F40 was the fact that the Tempo
> cars need something to pull them in Rio Grande
> colors. 
>
  Just don't make us late 80's and 90's modellers have to buy the Ski Train painted F-40s as part of a set to get all the Ski Train cars.  The Tempo Ski Train Cars were pulled with freight units starting with GP40/40-2's then SD40T-2/SD50 / GP60 much longer than the F-40s.

Galen