Model Railroading > More GP40s than you can shake a stick at

For years we had only had one decent GP40 by Atlas, but even though being a good runner, you got one body with no details and painted in multiple roads that if customized by roads or different phases, you were out of luck if you like accuracy. My 2 favorite locomotives have always been Funits and GP40s. The Atlas came short for a WP locomotive as the earlier phase body had WPs unique barrel headlights. A pain to change when Detail Associates had the parts, but those are long gone. Atlas did the WP Bicentennials, but again wrong phase dynamics and you had to cut in your own nose signal light. Pain on a prepainted unit but then they didnt get the paint right anyway.

I has pretty excited when ScaleTrains anounced WP Bicentennials as they were on WPs hottest train in 76 and 77 and I got to see them a lot. But if you didnt get in on them early the sold out fairly quickly. We we are lucky that Rapido is also making them and after getting there Silver and Orange GP40 I have seen another hi quality unit thats going to impress. I wish I had waited for Rapido to produce these as they are offering them in a special box and including the Liberty Bell and the Saving Bond roundels that they ran after the Presidential Seal roundels.

The new round of GP40s also includes Katy units and IC units. Sticking with tthe Bicentennial theme, they are doing the Katy Bicentennial.

I have to laugh, I keep hearing Jasons voice in my head from the GP40 video.....Too many GP40s!!!! 😆



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/25 18:24 by TomG.

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The IC units.

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Great looking units. Especially nice having seen all of these in person.
JB

The WP bicentenial GP40's offered by ScaleTrains were pretty nice - I was tempted.  I did pick up a couple of the standard green WP GP40's from ScaleTrains.

Glad Rapido is doing these, but I guess the SP TEBU sets are not ready to announce. Bummer. 

Mike ONeill
Okahumpka, FL

Not that I'm in the market for these personally, but if I were, RI 4710 in its hybrid scheme and a brace of Kyle units (maybe even with the HL initials on the electrical box) would be appreciated.

Yes, and, Yes, on the KYLE units! They were all over the BN in the late 80's, and would be a great seller for Rapido.
 

We are lucky to have so many awesome models for us to choose from now. I thought that fancy collectors box was an interesting idea.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Ya I really like the box as well. I wonder what the inside of it looks like.

TomG Wrote:
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> Ya I really like the box as well. I wonder what
> the inside of it looks like.

Looks like something you can keep your bicentennial cigars in when the loco's are on the layout. :-)

Thanks for sharing that info! Hopefully Jordan will get a chance to post all of the launch info in the next day or so.

The new runs of GP40s are already in production, so we can't increase the quantities.

Looking at the numbers today (Wednesday evening), here's where we stand:

IC - 60% sold out. These will be gone within a couple of weeks, methinks.
MKT - 50% sold out
WP - 33% sold out

The inside of the wooden box has some nice dense charcoal-colored foam to keep your WP engines safe. But I do agree it will make a nice cigar box once your engines are on the layout! 

During COVID my wife got us a couple of cigars and some whisky for Father's Day. It was raining outside, so we smoked cigars in the garage with the door open. The kids complained that the whole house smelled like skunk for two weeks, and we never did that again...

Actually, I think that was the last time I even smoked a cigar! 😁

-Jason
 

Did you consider getting new kids? 😄 

TomG Wrote:
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> Did you consider getting new kids? 😄 

We've tried trading them in but the hospital wouldn't take them back.

We're stuck with them... 

🤣

rapidotrains Wrote:
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> TomG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Did you consider getting new kids? 😄 
>
> We've tried trading them in but the hospital
> wouldn't take them back.
>
> We're stuck with them... 
>
> 🤣


Be nice, those kids will be selecting your retirement home when you get older.
And revenge is a dish best served cold!