Model Railroading > 2 Rapido B36-7's

Got my two HO Rapido B36-7's today.   One Conrail and the other SP undecorated version.   If you got an undecorated version, be careful opening as one of the part bags was open and tiny parts were all over the box.   Other than the error where all trucks have snubbers that cover up the exposed roller bearing (I believe you can send them an email and they will send you replacement truck sideframes), both look like nice models.   That's my review.   Lots of parts to put on the SP!  

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Undec SP version....Yea the underframe isn't very 'undecorated'.  

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The marker lights look wrong to me when compared to prototype photos. Model looks great other wise.

Posted from Android

At least your body is all one color...lolol.... 

Bob

Wow talk about inconsistancy in Rapido's undec models! The undec RS-18 came with all the detail parts gluded on, making it a PIA to prep for paint and/or modify details. While the undec B36 looks easier to work with, it would be nice if Rapido could work on consistancy between their multiple factories.

-Trevor

tsokolan Wrote:
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> Wow talk about inconsistancy in Rapido's undec
> models! The undec RS-18 came with all the detail
> parts gluded on, making it a PIA to prep for paint
> and/or modify details....
> -Trevor

Really? That stinks. I was thinking of buying two ... at full list price, no less.

I don't understand why they did that.

Jim Lee

Bucyrus-Erie Wrote:
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> tsokolan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wow talk about inconsistancy in Rapido's undec
> > models! The undec RS-18 came with all the
> detail
> > parts gluded on, making it a PIA to prep for
> paint
> > and/or modify details....
> > -Trevor
>
> Really? That stinks. I was thinking of buying two
> ... at full list price, no less.
>
> I don't understand why they did that.
>
> Jim Lee

Most of the detail parts on the RS-18 were easy to remove (ie minimal glue) but I was hoping for a model with lots of parts in bags.

-Trevor

As I recall the CR units only had front mounted auxiliary lights.  They were not added to the rear until NS took the units.
Regards,
Cliff
 

Marysville, Pennsylvania.
July, 1987.

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CSX602 Wrote:
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> Prototype question for Conrail fans...   
> What year did Conrail add ditch lights on the back
> of their B36-7s?   (I thought that was a post-NS
> change...) 

Most likely, in the year or so before the December 31, 1997 deadline to have them installed. The CR split was effective 6/1/99, so they would have all been equipped by Conrail.

Posted from Android

CSX602 Wrote:
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> bioyans Wrote:
> > Most likely, in the year or so before the
> December
> > 31, 1997 deadline to have them installed. The
> CR
> > split was effective 6/1/99, so they would have
> all
> > been equipped by Conrail.
>
> That would have been when they got the FRONT ditch
> lights...  My question was when they got the
> ditch lights on the BACK pilot of the units (which
> I think wasn't until they were NS units with NS
> numbers).

Yeah, I misread that the first time around. A lot of the former CR road power never got them on the rear. The B23's were used in yard and local service, and got them on both ends pretty early on. The B36's didn't seem to last long into the split, so many probably never got them on the long hood end.

Posted from Android

CSX602 Wrote:
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> Online photosshow prototype CR 5054 had front
> ditch lights by March 1993, but other photos show
> it received Conrail Quality paint prior to going
> to NS in 1999.
> The announcement artwork for CR 5054 model shows
> only front ditch lights, so is that another
> factory error?


I could almost sense joy from you in that last sentence...

I just bought two from Lombard Hobby, including a Conrail #5054 with incorrect rear ditchlights, and a CSXT #5885 with incorrect stepwells... $363 all in... And you know what? I don't care; I'll take a couple of minor flubs... They're beautiful models and I've wanted a B36-7 model for years, and oh my god it finally happened... I eagerly await their arrival... Never owned a Rapido model before but I'm still looking forward to them...

Thanks to the guys at Rapido for finally making it happen!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/19 14:23 by MC6853.

MC6853 Wrote:

> I could almost sense joy from you in that last
> sentence...
>
> I just bought two from Lombard Hobby, including a
> Conrail #5054 with incorrect rear ditchlights, and
> a CSXT #5885 with incorrect stepwells... $363 all
> in... And you know what? I don't care; I'll take a
> couple of minor flubs... They're beautiful models
> and I've wanted a B36-7 model for years, and oh my
> god it finally happened... I eagerly await their
> arrival... Never owned a Rapido model before but
> I'm still looking forward to them...
>
> Thanks to the guys at Rapido for finally making it
> happen!

Hooray for you---that's the attitude everyone should have! If the product makes you happy then so be it! If not don't buy it and move on with life................

Absolutely nothing in life ever is 100% perfect... You either be happy with what you get or be endlessly and repetitively bitter about how things could have been... Quite a lot of people on this forum seem to take the bitter road (and the 4014 threads on the steam board are a great example)... Personally I'd rather be happy, but hey, that's just me...

Three hundred dollars for a perfect locomotive? Three hundred ain’t shit, your not going to get it for that and you've all been around enough to realize that. You want a five hundred dollar price point in plastic, we’ll maybe you’ll get close, but then where’s your market, and then some guy is just going to bitch about the scratch and sniff diesel smell being slightly off anyway. Our you can go two grand and get a nearly flawless item like the latest KM and guess what? I can find a flaw in that also.  I don’t think people mind constructive criticism of a model, that’s healthy. It’s the constant harping that’s so off putting.

Most of of us appreciate that this many versions of a model is a complicated undertaking and are thankful a manufacturer is making a good faith effort to bring us a quality product at an affordable price point and we can take it from there if we find detail we would like to change.

The current market of order before seeing a product has made things difficult. If a manufacturer affends you with a poor product ( see BLI threads) by all means have your say, but vote with your wallet  and realize most of the rest of us might not feel the same way.

I used to be largely on your side for most of this stuff, but you've beaten this dead horse into the ground so hard and for so long, I'm growing rather tired of it...

How's this for food for thought? Instead of blasting Rapido for stepping up to the plate and having a couple of errors, why not blame the others you praised for not bothering? The prototype has been around since the early '80s, and a relatively large number of railroads bought it... Why did it take over 35 years to see one in plastic? Where were those other companies you mentioned that would have allegedly gotten it right? Why did they never step up to the plate? Was Athearn too busy making stupid stuff like the GP40P-2 that only three ever existed in real life and as such most modelers don't need or want one? Atlas did the U36B at last; why did they not do the more common successor model? ScaleTrains is relatively new to the game and they gave us that stellar C39-8 model, so they get a pass... But you (hopefully) see my point... You get so upset for Rapido seeing an opportunity for a long overdue model, but don't chastise the others for ignoring it for decades?

Yes, models advertised as 100% perfect that retail for $230 should ideally be perfect, I agree wholeheartedly, make no mistake... But this is the real world, with cost considerations, minor mistakes made by those in charge, issues with production being done on the other side of an ocean, and other compromises behind the scenes we don't know about, these issues don't surprise me... I know CR road units do not have rear ditchlights, and I would certainly have noticed this on my model when it arrived... But would I slander the company who finally made it like others have? Certainly not... As for the CSX unit, I'd never have noticed the stepwell issue if it hadn't been pointed out... Yes, SP units should have light packages, Conrail SD40-2s should have Flexicoil trucks, and blah blah blah, I agree, but minor issues like these don't bother me and most others buying... No, they aren't 100% perfect, but since they did put in a solid effort and produced reasonably convincing and detailed models, and since they actually listened to folks begging for a B36-7 model and the big boys did not, they got my business...

Now, as a disclaimer, I have never bought a Rapido product and my B36-7s aren't here yet, so I can't fully defend them because I've not seen them in person and have no clue how well they look or run... That remains to be seen, but if the above-mentioned minor flubs are the only trouble, and they otherwise look and run nice, then I'll be happy...

You have every right to express your opinion as often as you like, to be certain... But when you beat a dead horse repeatedly on a public forum, you should expect a fair amount of backlash, especially from folks like me who never really cared if it was absolutely 100% perfect in the first place... And maybe in your eyes it's people with that attitude that are the problem, that we'll just shrug it off when a flub is made; it's a fair point... But the flipside? I blame people like you demanding 100% perfection for why model railroading is so damn expensive anymore... See? It's all a matter of perspective... It's a freaking miracle anybody makes anything new anymore if this is the thanks they get... It's a B36-7 in HO Scale, and I give one final hallelujah to end this rambling stupid rant post of mine...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/19 15:14 by MC6853.

needles_sub Wrote:
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> The marker lights look wrong to me when compared
> to prototype photos. Model looks great other wise.
>
>
> Posted from Android

Which model, which prototype?

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
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> needles_sub Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The marker lights look wrong to me when
> compared
> > to prototype photos. Model looks great other
> wise.
> >
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Which model, which prototype?

The one pictured, Conrail.

needles_sub Wrote:
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> NYSWSD70M Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > needles_sub Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The marker lights look wrong to me when
> > compared
> > > to prototype photos. Model looks great other
> > wise.
> > >
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > Which model, which prototype?
>
> The one pictured, Conrail.

Conrail had those unique FRA style marker lights. As delivered, they had a silver ring around the lense. What else in not correct?

> PS.  For those wanting more info and photos on
> the details in question, there's a discussion over
> on the Atlas Rescue Forum HO board (which I am not
> involved in, showing others have large concerns
> too) that is now 16 pages long and includes photos
> taken on some surviving real B36-7s.
>
Since you are such a B36 aficionado why not post a couple pictures here showing the issues to those of us that don't know anything about them but are curious.(no I'm not curious enough to comb through another forum for them)

Duane Witte
Holt, MO