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Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

The RTL looks like if you’d asked 10 year old me to “draw a fast train.” Handsome but simple.

Hoping Rapido gets their orders! Someday if I ever have space and time for a layout, I’d enjoy having one.

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:55 pm

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

The RTL looks like if you’d asked 10 year old me to “draw a fast train.” Handsome but simple.

Hoping Rapido gets their orders! Someday if I ever have space and time for a layout, I’d enjoy having one.

I'm so close to say "Yeah, and they're probably work better too."

Wonder if they come with a tech "Jerry" he will mumble alot and have about 15 jumper wires around his neck.

Jerry only comes with the DCC version

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

Maybe I have been out of the HO hobby too long, but what about Rapido products command such high prices over Bachmann?

frequentflyer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 27, 2019 12:21 pm

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

Maybe I have been out of the HO hobby too long, but what about Rapido products command such high prices over Bachmann?

Comparison in real world would be buying a 1999 Kia Rio to a 2020 Lexus F Sport.

Rapido owns 2 factories in China,and Jason is a "hands on " owner there.
As an example,he took some heat on the RS-18 motor,is replacing burned out motors.and published the DCC CV FIX
in the latest newsletter.
Remember the tariffs now imposed add to the coast!!!!!!

frequentflyer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 27, 2019 12:21 pm

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm Merry Christmas! This promo vid for a potential HO scale Rohr Turbo model includes both some historical footage and some unique recent footage of the stored RTL-III trains.

Maybe I have been out of the HO hobby too long, but what about Rapido products command such high prices over Bachmann?

Apples and oranges in terms of build quality and level of attention to detail. Rapido's models are painstakingly designed around original prototype tech drawings, include details like working, switchable marker lights, windshield wipers, gaskets on windows, working diaphgrams. They're also not made at the quantities that Bachmann would produce. On top of that, Rapido makes very specific models that appeal to regional modelers - like the FL9 loco, the Comet coaches, etc.

So they are high end then like MTH and Williams. Ok, got it, thanks for the answers.

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:55 pm The RTL looks like if you’d asked 10 year old me to “draw a fast train.” Handsome but simple.

Funny you say that, as I clearly recall 10 year old me thinking that the two fastest trains ever were the HST 125 in Britain and the RTL turbo here in the states. They just looked so darn fast!

28 years later, I've had one ride on the HST125 and quite a few pics of them at KX. They're simply amazing. The real kicker is that they were only intended as a short term solution, but lasted 40-ish years. The RTL, not so much. GIve it all the love you want, it was a commercial failure. I sincerely wish we had taken the Australian path, which was to licence the HST125 locomotives and have Budd build matching passenger cars as the MK3 cars were not suitable for Aussie (and presumably US) rough track.

There are still two Turboliner trainsets near New Brunswick, NJ at the Amtrak Jersey Ave complex. Anyone knows what will happen to them? Probably continued to be stored?

Tadman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:14 amFunny you say that, as I clearly recall 10 year old me thinking that the two fastest trains ever were the HST 125 in Britain and the RTL turbo here in the states. They just looked so darn fast!

28 years later, I've had one ride on the HST125 and quite a few pics of them at KX. They're simply amazing. The real kicker is that they were only intended as a short term solution, but lasted 40-ish years. The RTL, not so much. GIve it all the love you want, it was a commercial failure. I sincerely wish we had taken the Australian path, which was to licence the HST125 locomotives and have Budd build matching passenger cars as the MK3 cars were not suitable for Aussie (and presumably US) rough track.

Worst thing was, we wouldn’t have even needed to license those cars to have an equivalent set. Six Amfleets and a pair of lightweight locomotives (picture streamlined SW1504s or MP15ACs, but with the 12-645T from the GP39) would have been a good start.

The remaining sets in NJ and Cedar Hill are used for SWAT/First Responder training,after that abuse,will be scrapped.

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:59 pm

Tadman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:14 amFunny you say that, as I clearly recall 10 year old me thinking that the two fastest trains ever were the HST 125 in Britain and the RTL turbo here in the states. They just looked so darn fast!

28 years later, I've had one ride on the HST125 and quite a few pics of them at KX. They're simply amazing. The real kicker is that they were only intended as a short term solution, but lasted 40-ish years. The RTL, not so much. GIve it all the love you want, it was a commercial failure. I sincerely wish we had taken the Australian path, which was to licence the HST125 locomotives and have Budd build matching passenger cars as the MK3 cars were not suitable for Aussie (and presumably US) rough track.

Worst thing was, we wouldn’t have even needed to license those cars to have an equivalent set. Six Amfleets and a pair of lightweight locomotives (picture streamlined SW1504s or MP15ACs, but with the 12-645T from the GP39) would have been a good start.

There was a proposal for a streamlined locomotive back in the late 70's or early 80's to be called at AMT125. This proposal was for a locomotive that looked very much like the BR class 43 in the front tapering to the profile of an Amfleet car at the rear. Two of these locomotives, one at each end, would provide high speed service much like the BR class 43/Mark 3 cars. While I do remember seeing drawings of this proposal some 40 years ago in either PTJ or RTN I can't find anything on Google about it.

Of course you don't have to go back 40 years to see this proposal, just go and ride Brightline/Virgin. That's what we should be doing which would give us much more flexibility in consists rather than going down the EMU/DMU fixed consist route ....