HO Scale SD7 SD9 & SD10 Announcement from Rapido

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Күн бұрын

The thumbnail photo is an SD10 that I built and painted a few years ago. Photo taken at the Sioux Valley Model Engineers Society layout in Sioux Falls, SD.
Eric's Rambling Show Notes:
Early EMD 'SD' Releases:
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SD7 - 567 - 1500 HP
SD9 - 567 - 1750 HP
SD10 - Milwaukee Road rebuilt SD7 and SD9
This announcement has local interest in South Dakota
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CB&Q Chinese Red - Very cool livery and early BN rainbow consists - ran on high line to Deadwood before and after the 1970 merger
MILW - Thoughts of these running in the weeds on the Mitchell-Rapid City Sub next to I-90
CNW - I could use one in Sioux City or could remove lettering for use as a DME unit
DME - I have solid plans to have DM&E involved in BH&E Operations
BN - probably the phase IV units never got to Sioux Falls, but maybe on occasion on the Deadwood branch.
Note - Phase IV SD9 locomotives were commonly assigned to Leadville, CO out of Denver by C&S. Not local interest in South Dakota, but Leadville CO is SUCH a cool place.
Eric's builds of PROTO 2000 engines
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DM&E retained old road numbers on these engines
MILW SD10 - DME 5xx series
CNW SD9 - DME 66xx series
Many BN SD9s in representing earlier EMD builds using proto models, including one chop-nose unit
Also, a pair of BN SD9s using the Athearn blue box tooling
Analysis
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Why does this matter? What is missing from the HO scale market as a whole and my collection? Reasons above and the phase IV thing:
BN's later production C&S SD9s First time ever in plastic a phase IV SD9. Known to railfans as a "hammerhead" SD9 because of the taller cab and short hood.
What is missing from this announcement? Operations Manager Tim says DMIR SD9 and SD18 locomotives!
DCC & Sound considerations with the Rapido model
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Rapido models come either DC only/DCC ready or DCC+Sound with LokSound.
My existing SD7 and SD9 fleet in HO is all silent Digitrax DH163 and DH166 decoders.
There likely will be issues getting the LokSound SD9s to play nice with the Digitrax SD9s.
Rapido's 4 LED rotary beacon simulation for Burlington Northern locomotives - Would need a controller?
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Reference Links:
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Rapido Trains SD7 / SD9 / SD10 Announcement
rapidotrains.com/ho-scale/die...
BN 6234 / MTMX 6234, a former C&S "hammerhead" SD9
www.rrpicturearchives.net/show...
Mike Conden's Site - a C&S Phase IV SD9 at Leadville, CO
www.condrenrails.com/BN/SD9s....
Charles Biel's Trainpix.com - green SD9s
archive.trainpix.com/BN/EMDORI...
archive.trainpix.com/BN/EMDORI....
archive.trainpix.com/BN/EMDORI...
An example of a DM&IR hammerhead SD9
www.rrpicturearchives.net/show...

Пікірлер: 24

@gilbertporter4992 8 ай бұрын

Good to see. Walthers is coming out with a new run of SD9s in the DIMR scheme in their proto line. I hope that does not deter people from choosing it instead of waiting for Rapidos version.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 8 ай бұрын

I hope Walthers does well with their release. I had not seen that they were going to do a Missabe SD9. The DM&IR SD9s and SD18s are quite a little different than everybody else's, so I'm hoping Walthers does them right and not just "good enough" like all those Proto releases from 20 years ago!

@Rosso_Dabosso 9 ай бұрын

I've already preordered all 3 DM&E numbers, can't go without them!

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 9 ай бұрын

I hope they remember to send them to you!!!

@J3scribe 9 ай бұрын

I model N but I'm hoping this release is popular with HO modelers, because when it is, Rapido awards N modelers with the same products. So I've been pushing this release on my HO friends. I have a railroad of lies where I use both CNW and MR locomotives in the early 1980s, so these are basically a must-have. Just waiting on Scale Trains to announce an N SDL39.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 9 ай бұрын

@J3scribe Absolutely. I hope the release is wildly successful and you N guys get your SD10s!!! The SDL39 in N would be a nice release for you too! Rapido and ScaleTrains are killing it lately!

@coasterodyssey 3 ай бұрын

These look great. I’m hoping for Chessie in the next run.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 3 ай бұрын

@coasterodyssey C&O or Chessie System? Agreed, but first things first! There hasn't been much news on the first run since the announcement, near as i can tell. I've got my order in for a pair of late production BN SD9s.

@SPSteve 8 ай бұрын

I plan to buy the orange lettered Southern Pacific SD7. I have 2 Walther's Proto 2000 Black Widow SD9's and a Broadway Ltd Bloody Nose SD9 so this early SD7 would be a nice addition. I'd pre-order from Rapido but I'm hoping to get a price break from one of the vendors when they release.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 8 ай бұрын

I have always liked the SP 'Cadillacs'. Have never owned any, but that scarlet and gray scheme always appealed to me. The SP light package added interest for me also. I'm guessing these will be the most accurate SP SD7 and SD9 models released in HO to date, correct?

@SPSteve 8 ай бұрын

The premium manufacturers keep raising the bar so I have I high expectations for the Rapido SD7/9/10. We've been waiting for a high end SD7/9. Many of the SP light packages were fantastic including the SD7/9 with the large Mars light on each end. 11 SP SD9E's were painted in the SPSF Kodachrome scheme so they were used right up to the UP takeover. From what I understand 4 SP SD9's have been preserved, and 3 still in service with Dakota Southern and Portland and Western! Speaking of SP light packages, Scale Trains is coming out with 'as delivered' Cotton Belt GP30's in March. They will have that wild SP light package on them. (I pre-ordered 2) @@blackhillsandeasternrailroad

@williamdavid9333 9 ай бұрын

When I saw the DM&E units I immediately thought of you!

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! I actually am the most excited about the phase iv BN units. I can finally stop daydreaming about building one and just buy one off the shelf.

@user-yr8ei8rg6i 8 ай бұрын

SD 10 had the 567 primermover removed and replaced by 645 prime mover and upgraded electrical

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 8 ай бұрын

So 2000 hp then from a 645-16?

@paulmack4090 7 ай бұрын

The artwork shows the extra step the BN added. It's a lot of work to fix the Proto model. But then, I got the Proto model for $20.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 7 ай бұрын

Now $20 doesn't even buy you the silent decoder that goes in the SD9. The level of attention to detail from the manufacturers is appreciated. I've been aware that BN reconfigured the step wells on its geeps and SDs, but it has never bothered me enough to spend the time to change them. Glad they are paying attention!

@paulmack4090 7 ай бұрын

@@blackhillsandeasternrailroad It’s different when you only need one and not a fleet of them. I think the GN started adding the extra step and the BN modified most, if not all, of the others so they all matched. My guess is that it would be annoying to go for that last step and it’s not there on the locomotive you’re on vs thinking you’re on the bottom step but, oops, there’s one more.

@majortomtogc 7 ай бұрын

I had started to make a chop nose SD9 for DME in the mid 90s before I took a major break from the hobby. I was following an article in one of the popular magazines at the time. Are you familiar with that? I am getting back into it and have a box full of parts and no magazine/instructions!

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 7 ай бұрын

@majortomtogc It has been so long since I put that one together! There are a bunch of different ways to do it. Some better options have emerged since I did mine... I free-handed the nose with a razor saw. Pretty sure I used a Proto 2000 GP20 cab on this one. I did a pair of green GP10s since then where I spliced the Proto cab with an Athearn dash 2 cab numberboard and some windshield parts whose origin I don't remember. I can remember since then seeing chop nose kits on ebay that supply the cab and the nose. Not sure if they've made one to fit the proto SD7/9 or not. Do some looking. I'm guessing you'll at least find 3-d printed parts. Good luck! I'd love to see pics when you're done!

@majortomtogc 7 ай бұрын

@@blackhillsandeasternrailroad Thanks! I think I might spend the money on the CNW 6614 since it became a DME unit.

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 7 ай бұрын

@@majortomtogc That would also be a good way to go. A few green and yellow former CNW SD9s that DME had never got blue and yellow paint. They would make an interesting weathering project!!!

@charlescarter6163 9 ай бұрын

Hopefully they make a BN SD10 low nose

@blackhillsandeasternrailroad 9 ай бұрын

@charlescarter6163 I chopped a proto SD9 and painted it green. Haven't gotten around to showing that one on the channel yet. I personally think it would be a hoot if Rapido would release a BN hammerhead unit with the tall short hood in tact in that late BN whiteface scheme!