Rapido announcements

[JonMann]

Rapido have announced 2 new projects in N. An OAA wagon and the LNER Dynamometer Car.

Will definitely be getting the LNER Dynamometer Car.

[Newportnobby]

The Dynamometer Coach looks terrific but an eye watering £99.95 RRP will result in a discounted £85 or so
I also think this is a very niche item and have a worry they may have chosen poorly on this one
Happy to be proved wrong, though.

https://www.ngaugenews.com/post/rapido-trains-to-produce-lner-dynamometer-coach-in-n-gauge

[emjaybee]

I kinda assume that at that price for the dynamometer car it's fully operational to register scale data.

[StufromEGDL]

Hi Gang,

The Dynamometer Car is a great choice and the two 'spoof' liveries will grab a few more customers who use the Rule 1 scenario. Remember , they are already doing an RTC Co-Bo and this will fit nicely beside it.
The OAA is a more interesting choice as that has previously been done by Farish, although quite an old tooling, so this one should be light years ahead in terms of detail.
I would have liked someone to have announced the MRA side tippers. As a rake of 5, it's a better volume sale and, as with most things that get announced in the model railway world, the prototypes are just about to disappear from daily use!!

Later,
Stu from EGVN.

[Roy L S]

The Dynamometer Coach looks terrific but an eye watering £99.95 RRP will result in a discounted £85 or so
I also think this is a very niche item and have a worry they may have chosen poorly on this one
Happy to be proved wrong, though.

https://www.ngaugenews.com/post/rapido-trains-to-produce-lner-dynamometer-coach-in-n-gauge

Hi Mick

Doubtless as well as the high spec for the model the price reflects the issue you raise, i.e.  the likely sales volumes for the model. That said, it is worth noting that RRP of "bread and butter" Mk1s is already within touching distance of £50 (Unweathered £45.95).

I personally think it will appeal quite widely, not least because the said appeal will be expanded by the "spoof" models.

I'll be ordering the BR teak one   

Roy

[thebrighton]

Great to see this being reduced to 'N'. Sure it's a niche item and nearing £100 but so what? No one is forcing anyone to buy it but already complaints about the price. Unfortunately everything is going up and it's only a hobby not a necessity but Rapido so far appear to know what they're doing and their market.
If it's too much you can always order one from Shapeways, £30-£42 depending on print quality plus £15 postage then you need to prep it, paint it and source the interior and bogies......
You'd think people would be happy another manufacturer is risking their own money in the 'N' gauge market.

[steadfast]

The dynamometer car isn't cheap, but like Caroline, you only need one... it's not like a vehicle to make a train you need 20 of them. Definitely a bit of a showcase item.

I would have liked someone to have announced the MRA side tippers. As a rake of 5, it's a better volume sale and, as with most things that get announced in the model railway world, the prototypes are just about to disappear from daily use!!

Later,
Stu from EGVN.

Worry ye not, at least a third of the fleet are staying as side tippers. There is still a need for them, just they never reached they're full potential as not as flexible as Autoballasters.

Jo

[StufromEGDL]

Hi Gang,

Ref pricing...the likely production run of models, coupled with the expectation of detail and finish these days will dictate the unit price, pretty much in the same way that the Revolution Caroline is over £100 for a single coach. Even the Farish DBSO represented a significant loading to the standard MK2 pricing as more detail and DCC capability was added.

Each person has their own tipping point ref pricing, and I have bought a Caroline but doubt if I will stretch to a Dynamometer Car as it is out of region/era for me, despite how nice it looks. I cannot therefore justify the £99/£85 price tag for a Rule 1 model, where I am happy to have the more expensive Caroline as it fits into my scenarios.

Later,
Stu from EGVN.

[Steven B]

The Farish OAA isn't quite old tooling - it's almost worthy of an archeologist! It was first released in 1988.

£60 for a triple pack is quite good value for money by today's standards, although I'd be happier with two rail-freight red and one dutch one in a set!

With Farish having done the OBA, OCA and SPA to a decent standard we now just need the VAA, VBA, VCA and VDA vans doing to complement them.


Steven B

[steadfast]

It was the VBA and VCA that definitely shared a chassis with the OAA, VDA was different.  VAA I'm not sure about off hand.

The SAA steel wagons shared the OAA chassis. Some were converted to container carriers too, FPA was it?

Jo

[AdrianC]

The Farish OAA isn't quite old tooling - it's almost worthy of an archeologist! It was first released in 1988.

£60 for a triple pack is quite good value for money by today's standards, although I'd be happier with two rail-freight red and one dutch one in a set!

With Farish having done the OBA, OCA and SPA to a decent standard we now just need the VAA, VBA, VCA and VDA vans doing to complement them.


Steven B

I agree, a mixed set would be my preference too. I'm not sure I can be bothered with three of the same, but they are reasonably priced.

I'm hoping someone takes a punt on the OTAs at sometime soon.

I have pre-ordered the dynamometer car though in RTC to go with the Class 28 in RTC. I like the fact that someone is prepared to take a punt on fictitious (but not entirely ridiculous) liveries.

[CaleyDave]

Doubtless as well as the high spec for the model the price reflects the issue you raise, i.e.  the likely sales volumes for the model. That said, it is worth noting that RRP of "bread and butter" Mk1s is already within touching distance of £50 (Unweathered £45.95).

Makes it sound cheap when you put it like that

Whilst I desperately hope that normal everyday coaches stay as low as possible, I wonder, if the selling point isn't just reliant on the historical/unique interest (I think its right to lump Caroline with the Dynamometer Car in this category),
could the market support niche or low number coaches like restaurant cars which would otherwise not be produced at a similar price?

The Farish OAA isn't quite old tooling - it's almost worthy of an archeologist! It was first released in 1988.

£60 for a triple pack is quite good value for money by today's standards, although I'd be happier with two rail-freight red and one dutch one in a set!

With Farish having done the OBA, OCA and SPA to a decent standard we now just need the VAA, VBA, VCA and VDA vans doing to complement them.


Steven B

I agree, a welcome improvement with potential and quite happy with £23.32 a wagon (£69.95 on Rapido's site) at today's standards to use Steven's term.
I can dream of a good chassis to aid development of Vans or maybe even an OTA Timber wagons in the future.

I note Rainbow Railways have an exclusive Bauxite triple set with CORPACH wording on the side.


I think one of each Railfreight, Civil engineers and Bauxite Corpach packs will be purchased as and when finances allow.

[Bob G]

...could the market support niche or low number coaches like restaurant cars which would otherwise not be produced at a similar price?

Dapol tried that with the Gresley buffet in 2007. It was originally released in BR Maroon at the whopping price of £35, compared to £25 for the others IIRC. And they all had really badly spaced bogies too. Didn't go down well with the punters.
By 2009 the buffet car was back down to the same price as the other Gresley coaches, which also had their bogie centres improved a little, and a whacking price drop to £20 for all coach types.

Bob

[steadfast]

From what I've gleaned from other manufacturers,  the reason you don't get mixed liveries in multipacks generally is because the same paint schemes etc are applied to all 3 models in the pack, reducing costs as actually you have three times the quantity. The tampo printing can be varied to gove different running number's, but that is relatively cheap to alter.

Jo

[Skyline2uk]

I am please the shrink ray has been turned on some of Rapidos 00 models, especially the Dyno car as I thought it a shame if this fine piece was not offered to the N gauge world.

I do hope the N gauge one has a smoother birth than the 00 one...

I have some old tool OAAs (bought on a wim as a lad with some pocket money), not a priority to replace but nice all the same.

Annoyed I didn't clock the goody back and scratch cards..some bloke one a jackpot APT-E set.

Skyline2uk