Product Review HO Rapido Horizon Coach

  Рет қаралды 4,481

Daniel Cortopassi

Daniel Cortopassi

Күн бұрын

In this review, Dan takes a look at the new Amtrak Horizon coach from Rapido Trains.
Amtrak Horizon cars were built by Bombardier and entered service in 1989. The design was based on earlier Comet cars built by Pullman-Standard.
The cars came in two types, coach and dinette. Amtrak ordered a total of 104 cars, 86 of those coaches.
These cars were used in the Chicago area, and a few Horizon cars were used for a time on California’s Capitol Corridor before they were replaced by double-deck California Cars in the 1990s.
Many remain in service today.
Rapido offers the car in two different versions of Amtrak's Phase III scheme, with narrow or wide red, white, & blue stripes. Dan's coach has the narrower stripes.
This highly detailed model has lighting and a complete interior. The lighting should work on DC or DCC track power.
As usual, Dan evaluates the model's packaging, prototype accuracy, paint & detail, and how well it operates and conforms to applicable standards.
There's also a RIP Track segment where Dan talks about some of the issues found with the model, and shows how to open up the car. The interior seats look like they should be able to accommodate seated passenger figures.
If you're a fan of Amtrak or passenger trains in general, be sure to check out this review!

Пікірлер: 67
@Nswle
@Nswle 7 ай бұрын
You did an excellent job in your description of these cars. I was hesitant to spend so much on these cars until I viewed this video. I recently purchased 2 coach's and one dinette. Definitely worth the price.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 7 ай бұрын
I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching!
@traindad77
@traindad77 2 жыл бұрын
Dan, thanks for letting us know they're worth buying now that they've been sold out everywhere for 6 months.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I would expect Rapido will do another run eventually. Unfortunately I can't always get the reviews done right when the products are released. Thanks for watching!
@Torquewrench1
@Torquewrench1 3 жыл бұрын
Cool review I like your channel
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for finding the channel and for watching!
@Trainmaster909
@Trainmaster909 3 жыл бұрын
I gotta say, seeing you tinker with rolling stock has inspired me to do the same. Now I fix the height and wobble on all my cars, as well as swapping couplers, trucks, and wheels on my cars as necessary.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I really think it's worth it, and that it helps the trains operate more reliably. I'm glad you've found my methods helpful. Thanks for watching!
@MMRails
@MMRails 3 жыл бұрын
“Oh look, more oil.” Lol. Another great review. Always so thorough. Thanks for the coupler tips. I have the same issues with my VIA ones. -Mark
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
Sorry you had the same issue with your cars. And I really hope not to find oil in any draft gear boxes again! Thanks for watching!
@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS
@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS 3 жыл бұрын
Back when I had passenger cars I used just Walthers cars. I don't remember them having so many errors like these. Nice review !!!!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
The old Walthers Horizon cars are not as detailed. The newer Walthers Superliners and Amfleet cars are better. They don't have quite as much detail underneath, but that's hard to see anyway. Thanks for watching!
@ricksalmon4916
@ricksalmon4916 3 жыл бұрын
Very fair review. For that kind of money it should be “good” right out of the box!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I agree. Thanks for watching!
@theodoreshasta7846
@theodoreshasta7846 3 жыл бұрын
Comprehensive review, as usual. I agree these a very nice cars despite their shortcomings, and there are no alternatives, as you point out. I purchased quite a few and fortunately did not have to deal with any paint flaws. As my layout has very broad curves I am able to use Kadee #153 short shank couplers. These couplers bring the diaphragms together. Truck wobble is an issue, and I like your solution. Mine involved put a ball end mill in a Dremel tool and grinding down the posts (no need to remove the trucks) using a cautious trial and error approach as it is best not to remove too much material. Yes, Rapido could put a little more effort into this and make our lives easier. Obviously not a problem for either one of us, but not all modelers have the necessary tools and skills. Keep up the good work.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info on the 153s. I was wondering if those would close the gap but don't have any right now to test it out. Right now I'm planning on a 32" minimum radius for my upcoming layout so I'm hoping that will be broad enough to avoid issues with most equipment. I often resort to grinding or filing stuff to solve wobbling problems, though I couldn't quite figure out how to make that work on these cars. Sounds like you did. Thanks for watching!
@theodoreshasta7846
@theodoreshasta7846 2 жыл бұрын
@@DanielCortopassi My minimum radius is 48”, which is quite generous for a home layout. Radii of 32” will call for some experimenting, and I am sure you will come up with a satisfactory solution.
@multicolorfilms
@multicolorfilms 3 жыл бұрын
Cool product, I could just never let myself spend $100 for one car. I just couldn’t justify it
@conrailfan6277
@conrailfan6277 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah it's crazy that the prices of HO equipment have went thru the roof, for years I was getting Walthers and Athearn cars for 20 to 25 each to build up my fleet for a future Conrail layout!!!!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
The cost is definitely a factor. Even with the issues this car has, the detail is much better than the old Walthers version. For me I have to weigh how much work and time it would take to detail out one of the Walthers cars, vs. paying more but doing less work to one of these. Thanks for watching!
@espeescotty
@espeescotty 2 жыл бұрын
I don't always agree with every ding in points you may give a model, but many times I think there are valid points for the deductions. However, this time I fully disagree with dinging these models for wobbling induced by "the hand of God". If the model wobbles while sitting still and being plucked by a 1:1-scale human hand, then that is just unfair nitpicking. Now if the model wobbled while running, then sure, a valid point. If the fix that the manufacturer suggests doesn't work for a reason like you pointed out, then sure, another valid point. But since you never actually ran the car on a layout, you don't know that it would wobble in operation and the "fix" that you showed may not have even been necessary.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
Granted, I don't have a functional layout to run cars like this on right now to test them in "real world" conditions. I have, however, been a model railroader for decades, and have had layouts in the past. One thing that bothers me is seeing rolling stock wiggle rapidly back and forth as its rolling down the track because it's wobbly. Some real train cars will rock back and forth, but they do it very slowly because they're heavy. Model trains are light and so the wobble is way too fast to look realistic. I am admittedly very fussy about operational standards for my equipment. Some people aren't as fussy, and they might be happy with the results they get, so that's fine. When I do a review, I'm mostly just trying to give as much information as I can. People can do what they like with it. Thanks for watching!
@espeescotty
@espeescotty 2 жыл бұрын
Yes, you're absolutely right -- wiggles don't scale down, so a wiggling or wobbling model train car does look silly and unprototypical and I agree, it should be fixed. Also, I'll say that your fix on the review car was more complicated than it should have been. I mean tightening one screw more should really be all that it takes. I just think that in a situation where it was uncertain whether wiggle would happen in actual operation, then maybe points shouldn't have been deducted until it could be determined. I too have been a model railroader for getting close to 40-years now, and I have come across some cars that actually tracked better after I loosened both trucks. That's not always the rule of course, but that just proves that one cure doesn't always cure all. Thanks for doing these reviews and for sharing your modeling knowledge and techniques. They are helpful.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I had to do the fix I did because tightening the screw didn't work, which I mentioned in the review. As far as deductions, I apply the same standard to all models. If people aren't worried about wobbling, then they can disregard that deduction.
@conrailfan6277
@conrailfan6277 3 жыл бұрын
Hey Dan nice review, when you go to take the body off the car use a few tooth picks to wedge the body away from the frame, I learned this trick years ago from an older gentleman that was part of a group of retired guys who operated a Model Railroad at my local Library!!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
That's a good idea. It can be difficult sometimes to keep things disengaged on both sides while trying to remove the body. Thanks for watching!
@amtraklover
@amtraklover 3 жыл бұрын
Ya know when Rapido used to go over to their factories throughout the year it seems like they didn't have as many problems like they've run into recently with some of their products. After the fiasco with the SP switchers I'm just hoping my Ski Train F40 doesn't have as many issues. I'll still support them but I'm a bit more cautious nowadays.
@Trainmaster909
@Trainmaster909 3 жыл бұрын
They just aren’t able to control the quality nowadays with COVID.
@amtraklover
@amtraklover 3 жыл бұрын
@@Trainmaster909 sadly you're right. Like I said this is just a rough patch for them but I still like their products
@Trainmaster909
@Trainmaster909 3 жыл бұрын
@@amtraklover give it another year or two and they will sort it out. I myself am going to hold off on ordering any of their products unless they make something I absolutely need. As of right now, I am much more interested in stocking up on Scaletrains and Athearn Genesis 2.0 equipment. They are doing a very good job (except for the SD80MAC which mine would have gotten a 60/100 using Dan’s scale).
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I hope they can get the quality control issue under control. I hadn't considered that it could be pandemic related. That has certainly had a ripple effect. I actually had some of the Ski Train cars on pre-order a while back but canceled them because the COVID situation has reduced our income, and I'm trying to save my hobby money for stuff more directly related to my 1990s SP theme. Thanks for watching!
@conrailfan6277
@conrailfan6277 2 жыл бұрын
@@DanielCortopassi Amen Dan!!! I cut back on everything outside of Conrail middle to late 80s!!!
@Hunter_Dawso
@Hunter_Dawso 3 жыл бұрын
I’ve done similar modifications to my Horizon for improved operations with the exception that I used Kadee 118’s modified to represent H type passenger couplers.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I've thought about doing that but haven't tried it yet. I have a bunch of 118s laying around that I don't really have a use for, so maybe I should try it. Thanks for watching!
@robingagnon9659
@robingagnon9659 3 жыл бұрын
nice review Dan. I see Rapido has lowered their QA. For me that is not really a big thing since I like fixing things but at those prices they should had verified and fix the samples before going to production. Thanks for the shim advice to raise the coupler :) I got some oil in another model too, cant remember which one, maybe my sw1200 drgw
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I first saw the oil in my SP SW1200 when I reviewed that. Rapido's models would be awesome if they could just keep the QA under control. Thanks for watching!
@amtrakisveryepic
@amtrakisveryepic 3 жыл бұрын
I pre-ordered the n-scale version :3
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
Cool. I hope they are nice. Thanks for watching!
@needs2quit1atgmail87
@needs2quit1atgmail87 3 жыл бұрын
Wow rough review but very good tips and mine had no greese
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad yours were oil free. Thanks for watching!
@alco251b9
@alco251b9 3 жыл бұрын
Shame that Rapido missed the mark again, still a nice model though
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
At least most of the issues with these cars are fixable, which redeems them a lot. Thanks for watching!
@railfanman7709
@railfanman7709 3 жыл бұрын
Did you purchase a rapido trains B36-7 in SP from the new run of them?
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
No, I didn't get one of those. I have one from the last run, and I'm building a B30-7 as part of my SP Consist Build series. I also have an Atlas B23-7 somewhere, so I think I probably have enough Dash 7s in my fleet. Thanks for watching!
@mgr_video_productions
@mgr_video_productions 2 жыл бұрын
Great review! I've always thought these passenger cars were very neat in appearance.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
They are a nice contrast with the more rounded Amfleet cars. Thanks for watching!
@jodyblackwell9012
@jodyblackwell9012 Жыл бұрын
You do know that the word rapido means swift or fast
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi Жыл бұрын
Yes. Thanks for watching!
@josecarlospereiramachado2016
@josecarlospereiramachado2016 3 жыл бұрын
Parabéns seus comentários são muito bons. Abraços.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you liked the review. Thanks for watching!
@epacm50
@epacm50 2 жыл бұрын
I just received my Rapido B36-7 a few days ago. I've already found some variances on the unit. Let's see if they improve the quality on their double decker Bombardier cars in the future. I predict several non-conforming issues ahead.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I skipped the latest run of the B36-7, but I have a couple from the first run that I reviewed here. I think Rapido would be completely awesome if they could just get their design process and quality control in line. Thanks for watching!
@cacline72
@cacline72 3 жыл бұрын
Yikes Rapido, great review!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@Steamerthesteamtrain
@Steamerthesteamtrain 3 жыл бұрын
I don't know why manufacturers can't make those diagrams out of rubber or something so that they can take narrower curves.
@Trainmaster909
@Trainmaster909 3 жыл бұрын
They do that in 3-rail O scale. Bachmann used swiveling diaphragms on their HO passengers cars and it works.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
It would be nice, or maybe use a design like those by American Limited. I might replace the diaphragms on these cars eventually. Thanks for watching!
@Steamerthesteamtrain
@Steamerthesteamtrain 2 жыл бұрын
@@DanielCortopassi I have a problem with my ConCor BCS coaches not taking narrow curves when I replaced the couplers with Sergent ones. If the diaphragms were made of something that squishes then I am positive that it could take those curves.
@randallellison6421
@randallellison6421 3 жыл бұрын
Cool passenger car but it really shouldn't have that many issues especially for the price. And passenger cars are expensive anyway which is why I hardly ever buy them unless they're second hand and go for an affordable price.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
It would be nice if models would at least not have the usual coupler height and wobble issues, which seem to be common problems on a lot of models. Thanks for watching!
@chip9177
@chip9177 Жыл бұрын
The ultra expensive Rapido again with a "C" grade model.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi Жыл бұрын
I have mixed feelings about these cars. They had a few issues, but they're still way better than the old Walthers cars. Thanks for watching!
@epacm50
@epacm50 2 жыл бұрын
This car should receive a "F" and send it back!!! That's an "Epic Failure ". Dan should call this a big failure!!!!
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
In spite of the score, I thought this car was more redeemable than the recent Rapido SW1200. I have yet to give a review that got a red signal / F. It still would be nice to have a model like this without all the issues. Thanks for watching!
@epacm50
@epacm50 2 жыл бұрын
I appreciate the honesty!!! You should be the Ralph Nader of the model railroad world.
@BritanniaPacific
@BritanniaPacific 3 жыл бұрын
I have a horizon car from walthers from many years ago in the phase 3 livery. Not as detailed as this one, like the diaphragms, or the working marker lights, it’s just basic. I’ve seen real ones with weathering, and the car I have has naturally weathered with age, makes it look more real. It’d be more realistic if the bogie frames were made of die cast metal and not plastic.
@DanielCortopassi
@DanielCortopassi 2 жыл бұрын
I have a couple of the old Walthers versions of these cars, and they're definitely less detailed. A little weathering can help any rolling stock look more realistic. Thanks for watching!
Rapido Titfield Thunderbolt Deluxe Train Pack | Review
13:11
Little Wicket Railway
Рет қаралды 2,1 М.
A New Horizon from Rapido
14:23
rapidotrains
Рет қаралды 26 М.
Oh No! My Doll Fell In The Dirt🤧💩
00:17
ToolTastic
Рет қаралды 13 МЛН
Люблю детей 💕💕💕🥰 #aminkavitaminka #aminokka #miminka #дети
00:24
Аминка Витаминка
Рет қаралды 1,3 МЛН
这三姐弟太会藏了!#小丑#天使#路飞#家庭#搞笑
00:24
家庭搞笑日记
Рет қаралды 119 МЛН
The Joker kisses Harley Quinn underwater!#Harley Quinn #joker
00:49
Harley Quinn with the Joker
Рет қаралды 42 МЛН
Rapido HO Scale RTL Turboliner Sample in Action!
11:38
rapidotrains
Рет қаралды 12 М.
Rapido HO Comet Car Closeup!
9:14
rapidotrains
Рет қаралды 12 М.
N Scale TurboTrain by Rapido
11:32
rapidotrains
Рет қаралды 37 М.
Rapido's Amtrak RTL Turboliner on Dave Abeles' Onondaga Cutoff!
9:36
Do you have what it takes to drive this?
2:35
CNN
Рет қаралды 85 М.
AMTRAK, F40's, "Material Handling Years, PART I"
16:40
jackmp294.5™
Рет қаралды 45 М.
Oh No! My Doll Fell In The Dirt🤧💩
00:17
ToolTastic
Рет қаралды 13 МЛН