Can I Build a Better Model Than Rapido Can?

Absolutely not.
I started making this video on Feb. 2nd, 2023, and finally finished it September 21st, 2023. Seven months summarized in just under five minutes and a half.
Thanks to ‪@MLWQC‬ for his research, Travis B. for staging, and Tony D. for his technical expertise.
Special thanks to ‪@johnarthur6302‬ for his "DCC and Sound Installation in a Proto 2000 GP7" ( • DCC and Sound Installa... ) which ultimately led to not cutting the metal weight in the chassis.

[@6axlepwr]

This is a really well put together video and great point made.

[@SouthDown]

Thank you for the kind feedback especially coming from someone with your skill and knowledge!

[@jordanellis5699]

I have stopped buying new locomotives and rolling stock. I only purchase good deals at train shows or cheaper DIY kits. The kits in which you assemble your own rolling stock are very satisfying, especially when you see the finished product in use on your layout. Recently got an Athearn blue box SW7 for 25 dollars that I am going to kitbash and put DCC in. Prices are just crazy, paying 50 dollars for rolling stock because it has crazy good underbody detail, which I will never see anyway, or now half a grand on a locomotive that in all likelihood is going to have technical issues. Love your videos man, keep it up! It's always good to take a step back from the hobby too once and a while.

[@SouthDown]

Sound advice! Beyond sourcing models, parts, knowledge, and skill, I did indulge in some other activities that didn't involve trains this summer, including building a deck on my own, having a working payphone in the house, and a functional semaphore, among other things! I can scratch those off my bucket list. Except for a single Genesis model gifted to me by my wife--which got me started into this hobby--everything else I own now is second hand and either "old new" or "in serious need of TLC." Either way, what has come out of it has proven to be far more satisfactory than anything I've bought brand new, and far better performing. The hobby is in a sad state right now yet somehow they had it figured out 20 years ago. Thanks for the feedback!

[@sophiekadams]

Blueboxes are horrendously slept on, they make up like half my fleet and everyone at the club is always saying how good my stuff looks

[@SouthDown]

I would absolutely love to see some of your engines! Tell me more about your club! Thank you for your feedback.

[@TheClosetBranch]

I agree 100% with your point. I wish that the trend of model manufacturers are geared towards more to the accessibility and upgradability. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Dats

[@SouthDown]

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback, especially coming from you! At one point I had the Athearn Blue Box, a Life Like Proto 2000, and an Athearn Genesis all opened up, with the latter needing some work to bring up to par with the older models. And ironically, the LLP2K has more in common mechanically with a Blue Box than a Genesis other than in its name. I am working on a "analogue JMRI" and a few other projects. I am flattered you like my videos, thank you!

[@DaveCoTrains]

Great video. I feel like what you said about older models vs new models applies to so many aspects of our lives now. Things use to be build to last, but also to be maintained. Things were easier to take apart, easy to service, easy to customize. I find that you can replace the motors, chassis parts, decoders, etc.. in old models and be happy with something still costs less than one of these big company models, and if anything goes wrong, you can fix it yourself...

[@SouthDown]

The replacement wheels I used on the Proto2000s also worked on the Athearn Blue Box and all I had to do was remove a small plastic faceplate under the trucks for access: talk about easy to service! Try doing _that_ on a Rapido. Always great to hear from you, thank you for your feedback.

[@normmaclean375]

That was down right philosophical- well done locomotive and video.

[@SouthDown]

You are kind, thank you. I appreciate your seeing of the video the way it was intended.

[@long5243]

This is the exact reason I enjoy the hobby. Its not about the most expensive model, or the newest engine. I enjoy the process of building, and recreating a prototype or freelanced design. The satisfaction of tangibly being able to build and create is unlike any other. This channel is criminally underrated! 👍👍👍

[@SouthDown]

You’re bang on! Having unique models that I know inside out is quite rewarding and while their looks may be outdated, their performance rivals modern offerings. Thank you for your feedback!

[@mattw9667]

You're bang on Leo! That was the best video I've seen in a long time. You completely captured the essence of the hobby and provided a few laughs as well. Hope you're keeping well. Matt

[@SouthDown]

Huge accolades coming from you! Looking forward in spending some quality time with you.

[@michaelmaclatchy3714]

The WalthersProto units, like the GP9 and SW1200 have excellent mechanisms, and the quality of assembly seems better and more consistent than the Rapido units. Athearn Genesis has tightened their quality control of late, certainly after they did those first CP Rail GP9s.

[@SouthDown]

An excellent point. Additionally, it seems that Walthers has retained the mechanism it inherited from the original Life Like Proto 2000 line, which would explain why some of their modern offerings perform as good as they do. I'm happy to hear that since the GP9 Athearn has improved their QC. In the case of my GP9 once a new speaker and LEDs arrive, I'll be left with just the shell as the original component: pretty much everything else, including the chassis, motor, and wheels, had to be replaced so that it would work reliably. The added costs between parts and time have made this model more expensive than a brass offering. Thank you for your awesome feedback!

[@moghobbystuff]

Great! So much more satisfying to have something that runs well, especially when you've given it a little tlc .. I don't think any of my locos were bought new and certainly wouldn't pass close inspection from proper modellers or collectors, but they work for me and give me pleasure..

[@SouthDown]

As always, getting your feedback, the person that inspired me to start in the first place, is quite a treat. When I saw what the used market offered I thought of some of your earlier pre-Greenville videos and how you found some deals on eBay and made them work for you. I'm right behind you! Thanks again for taking the time to provide your feedback. Amazing to have this honour.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks for sharing this. At the end of the day I prefer the older Atlas 4-Axle switchers with Kato drives. The older Atlas MP15 is hard to beat if you can find one. The Proto 2000 are awesome as well. They run better than any of my Rapido's, Athearn, . . and even some Kato's. I basically run my best runners and my "good" lookers are shelf queens. Cheers.😁

[@SouthDown]

It is quite humbling and amazing to receive feedback from a heavy weight of the model railroading world. As a new modeller only looking for a few locomotives I thought Rapido or similar high-end manufactures would be the best course of action: splurge a little more and have a quality product. Reality has proven to be different. Kind of humbling that a 20-year-old Blue Box of such simplicity can outperform a model worth $300+. Perhaps the state of the hobby is sadder than I had assumed.

[@Greatdome99]

Some of the old Atlas switchers were bulletproof Roco/Austria

[@MLWQC]

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! Well said and well presented with factual arguments. You have not only great modeller skills but great insight as well. The GP7 NY Central looks and sound great. In my experience Proto and Atlas reliability blow the expensives , and unreliable a rpido out of the water every time. Well done Indeed

[@SouthDown]

I don't get tired of saying this: it is an honour to have so many veteran modellers and experienced YouTubbers commenting on my video, and yours sits up there with all these rockstars. Thank you! And you were the inspiration to find LLP2Ks, so my railroad is running thanks to your guidance!

[@mattw9667]

Well said Syl. If it can't run smoothly I tend to not want to improve it. Atlas have consistently been my smoothest runners. They also offer lighted numberboards and see through steps which other manufacturers are just catching up to now. I'm about 50/50 with rapido. I hope their gp9rm is on the right side of that ratio!

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Thank you for making this video, as I was considering a possible Rapido purchase. Now, they are on my do NOT buy list.

[@SouthDown]

Thank you! I appreciate your feedback!

[@themarkwiens]

When I got back into the hobby five years back, I watched videos from Brian Banna and Dan Cortopassi. They both touted the smooth running and reliability of Kato so I stockpiled every Kato SD40, 40-2, and 45 I could find online. I don't mind spending the time and effort to detail my own models either. Isn't that part of the fun?

[@SouthDown]

Both @6axlepwr and @DanielCortopassi are heavy weight rockstars of the hobby. The ease and confidence with which they take a model and bring it up to snuff is awe inspiring--if a bit intimidating for a n00b like me. Having said that, they are smartly picking brands that can be completely taken apart and modified to their liking and need. I do wonder if they've learnt the hard way like some of us which brands are worthwhile the efforts and which are best to be avoided. Thanks for the feedback! You don't have any videos posted but would love to see your engines!

[@themarkwiens]

@@SouthDown Thanks for your interest. This gives me the motivation to film what I'm doing. I'll let you know when I start posting.

[@SouthDown]

You got yourself a subscriber,@@themarkwiens​! Feel free to touch base if you have any questions about making videos, I'll be happy to share what I've learnt so far.

[@SecondSectionPodcast]

I loved this video!!! Nice work on rebuilding older locomotives...If you want to get rid of the coffee grinder noise in that one Athearn Bluebox let me know. I've pretty good at getting them to run silently! Good stuff! Andy

[@SouthDown]

Thank you for the kind feedback. I’d love to hear your suggestions to reduce the coffee grinding noise! I am extremely flattered to receive feedback from someone of your status!

[@johnarthur6302]

Glad you found that proto 2k install helpful - how’d you do it without cutting the frame? I couldn’t get mine to fit without at least *some* cutting! And yeah the bargains you can get on the “new” older stock, plus a little effort, is the way to go to assemble a roster! In addition to proto2k I like older Kato and Stewart as well.

[@SouthDown]

Recycling older models has proved addictive. I had set myself a limit of four engines for my entire fleet, consisted two by two. I may end up with seven! LLP2K's chassis for their SD7 fits comfortably a TSU-PNP8. But some of their other chassis, like the GP30 and GP7 don't have that kind of luxurious space, as you noticed. A TSU-2200 with an ESU cellphone speaker just fits just as long as you can shove the cabling in that gap between motor and decoder. As you identified, there isn't a lot of space in there. Thank you for your feedback. Kind of special to have someone of your caliber to comment on my video. Thank you! A real honour.

[@SouthDown]

The LLP2K GP7 uses a Tsunami2, the type picked based on this tool: soundtraxx.com/reference/decoder-selector The Athearn BB SW1000 is using a TCS Wow Sound (and, well, wow indeed) but even their small decoder was a tight fit in such a small body. They offer a similar tool (drupal.tcsdcc.com/installations/ho-scale) but the recommended decoder does not support sound.

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Leo fantastic video, those old proto 2000 locomotives are great , excellent work

[@SouthDown]

Thank you brother! It's actually amazing how all the cosmetic flaws the SW1000 brings to the table disappear when you're focused on switching. The smoothness of its motor and the incredible sound from the decoder make everything else irrelevant. It plays the part well and that's all I can ask of it.

[@mysticrailroad]

love that NYC GP7! cool video :)

[@SouthDown]

And it runs like a dream! Thanks for the feedback!

[@erikhilsinger9421]

Nice!

[@SouthDown]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@25mfd]

i had a walthers proto GP18 way back when... that thing ran SMOOTH and QUIET and was CINDER BLOCK heavy

[@SouthDown]

I have an old Life Like Proto 2000 GP18 waiting for wheels and a decoder board and I’ll soon have a cinder block heavy beast from yesteryear running with an equally old F3. It’ll be a fun duo! Can’t wait to show you!

[@25mfd]

@@SouthDown looking forward to seeing it

[@evertroop1173]

I buy only pre owned models some run straight out of the box others require work to get going. It's much more affordable.

[@SouthDown]

It’s the only way to do it. Have no expectations other than knowing going in you have to get your hands dirty to make it work for you. Doesn’t break the bank if it doesn’t work, but if it does end up working, it always exceeds expectations. Thank you for your feedback.

[@Gfysimpletons]

I have John English, Bowser, Varney and GILBERT engines that run like new……and some are 50+ years old…..

[@SouthDown]

I know saying "they don't make them like they used to" is a cheesy cliché, but there is truth to be found even in cheesy clichés. Thanks for sharing. Loved the legacy equipment you have on your channel! Thank you for the feedback.

[@Gfysimpletons]

@@SouthDown 👍🏼

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

Heard their problem was with the wheels , but their locos are gonna have capactors with should help with the cutting out

[@SouthDown]

I replaced all the faulty wheels whether the gears were cracked or not, and the light board was completely removed to make space for a modern-day sound decoder. Looking forward to showing off my small but eclectic collection of top performers. Proto for the win.

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

@@SouthDown i forgot to say their wheels were painted

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

If Athearn goes back to the blue box kits ill buy it in a N.Y. minute.

[@SouthDown]

We can dream! In the mean time, train shows and eBay! Thank you for your feedback!

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

@@SouthDown Thank you for your comment. Also, Ill just stick to train shows, flea markets, and garage sales. I Don't trust "eBay" and shopping on the internet either.

[@SouthDown]

That’s fair, @michaelquinones-lx6ks albeit I won’t lie, all my Proto 2000s are from eBay and so far-this being the keyword-I’ve been luckier than buying Rapido. Thanks for the reply!

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

@@SouthDown No problem.

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

@@SouthDown Oh i forgot to mention, Thrift Stores.

[@RonStanek]

Isn't the current draw from the older motor, too much for the newer DCC decoder you installed? Did I understand right? Those decoders will hold a max of about 2.5 amps and with more draw from more cars, that's going to escalate. So you will have to knock the ampage down or put a newer motor with less draw in, say .5 or less. Of course your only doing light switching.

[@SouthDown]

The worst offender was the SW1000 at almost 0.9 amps which was brought down to under 0.75 with some running and lubrication. The Life Like Proto 2000 have excellent motors intended for DCC. I'm sure there are cases where older models draw more than 2 amps, but it appears these motors are not the case. Thanks for the feedback!

[@RonStanek]

​@SouthDown maybe just need a cleanup and lite mechanical or penitrating oil, for the noise. Some use transmission oil, not sure if that's good for plastic though? Here's a good video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXW6d3mcppt8rZosi=yR6tMnDQs8DV-POI

[@SouthDown]

The veteran modeller that has been helping me recommended a plastic-safe lubricant by LaBelle. Did some wonders with the gears of the LLP2Ks after replacing the cracked gears. Thanks for the video link!