Model Railroading > Rapido's Big USA tour - Dallas to St. Louis!

Hi all,

Here is the update on the last few days of Rapido's increasingly inaccurately-named bus tour.

On Thursday we visited Discount Model Trains in Dallas. This is an excellent all-round model train store with a great selection and we had a turnout of over 40 people. I got to meet some proper cowboys, which was great. Cowboys from Toronto are people going to costume parties who are really middle managers in a data analysis firm or something equally as boring. This was my first time in Texas and I gotta tell you - the state is GORGEOUS. It is booming, green, and just lovely all around. I say that having visited the state when it was 65 degrees. I may have a different feeling after visiting in 120 degree heat...

Friday morning I headed to the airport to fly home for two nights, while Josh flew in and proceeded to Oklahoma City in my place. They were supposed to go straight to Oklahoma, but they seemed to spend most of the day watching railfanning on my dime...

The guys met about the same number of people at the Oklahoma Model Railroad Association and got some nice photos of our samples on the club layout. The H16-44 first test shot shows off the see-through grilles and so does the Union Pacific FA-1 production sample. I'm surprised the H16-44 has survived so far - we have no proper packaging for it - it's just wrapped in foam and bubblewrap.

As far as I can gather they spent most of the day on Saturday railfanning, again on my dime. I trust there was a wide variety of 1980s VIA trains on the BNSF mainline, as that is what I would pay to see...

In the afternoon they visited Midwest Model Railroad in Independence, Missouri. This is a very large model train store with a wonderful selection. The guys ended up staying quite late and apologizing profusely for it, but nobody seemed to mind! I'm sorry I missed this one. 

Jeremy and I are now sitting in Toronto's Pearson Airport waiting for our flight to St. Louis. Tonight we're at the St. Charles Model Railroad Club, and tomorrow we head towards Chicago.

If you want to join us at our last four stops, you can find the info here: 

https://rapidotrains.com/rapido-s-big-american-bus-trip-march-2024

Best regards,

Jason

1 - Discount Model Trains
2 - Josh, Jordan and Craig at the Oklahoma Model Railroad Association 
3 - The meet & greet inside

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1 - The first test shot of one of the many (all different!) H16-44 models
2 - The FA-1 and FB-1 on the club layout
3 - Foamers! 

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1 - More railfanning! I bet if this photo were posted on that other forum someone would call the BNSF transport police to report us. Because that's how they roll over there.
2 - Midwest Model Railroad - outside the store
3 - Midwest Model Railroad - inside. This place is huge!

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I am really excited about the H16-44, mostly to hear it.

My Dad sold F-M engines ( not lokies, stationary engines) to to oil fields in
West Texas-Eastern NM in the 60's and 70's.

Yea, Texas is booming, like dynamite.

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> I am really excited about the H16-44, mostly to
> hear it.
>

We have reel-to-reel recordings of H16-44s in action, and we've now bought a vintage reel-to-reel player to listen to them and digitize them!

My guess is the sounds will not be good enough to use, but we can send the files to ESU and they can rework one of their existing files using "jiggery pokery" to sound correct.

We'll see. Mohan just picked up the player this weekend.

-Jason
 

rapidotrains Wrote:
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> WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am really excited about the H16-44, mostly to
> > hear it.
> >
>
> We have reel-to-reel recordings of H16-44s in
> action, and we've now bought a vintage
> reel-to-reel player to listen to them and digitize
> them!
>
> My guess is the sounds will not be good enough to
> use, but we can send the files to ESU and they can
> rework one of their existing files using "jiggery
> pokery" to sound correct.
>
> We'll see. Mohan just picked up the player this
> weekend.
>
> -Jason
>  
Jason,

Please include P&WV #'s 90 - 93.  You guys are doing outstanding work.
https://www.american-rails.com/images/91f0193015584910oqlecnb7895.jpg