Produced between March 1939 and November 1945 by the Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC), the FT takes its place in history as the first diesel-electric locomotive to successfully replace steam locomotives outright en masse across the United States. The FT was equipped with a 1,350 horsepower 567 series prime mover, and when combined in sets of two to four units in either cab (FTA) or cabless “booster” (FTB/FTSB) form, could replace even the largest of steam locomotives in demanding freight duty regardless of the service environment. By the end of production in 1945, Electro-Motive produced 555 FT A-units, and 541 cabless FT boosters.
Now available from Rapido Trains are highly-detailed HO scale replicas of the EMC FT with numerous road- and era-specific details, several number board styles, a close-coupling system, three versions of dynamic brakes, a full cab interior, full underbody detail and much more. The precision drive system includes a precision 5-pole motor with flywheels and Rapido’s Mo-Power capacitor system to provide uninterrupted operation over short electrical gaps under DCC operation.
Road names for this inaugural release include Santa Fe (blue/yellow ‘cat whisker’ freight, or red warbonnet passenger), Boston & Maine, Burlington, Lackawanna, NYO&W, Milwaukee Road, Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Reading.
DC/DCC-ready silent A-B sets retail for $439.95 MSRP while DC+DCC+Sound A-B sets equipped with ESU Loksound 5 decoders are $659.95 MSRP. Single FTBs for Santa Fe are $209.95 for DC/DCC-ready or $319.95 with sound. Available now while supplies last at your favorite dealer or direct.
Rapido Trains, 500 Alden Road, Unit 21 Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5, Canada;1-855-572-6917; www.rapidotrains.com
Santa Fe owned 320 EMC FT units (155 A-units and 165 cabless B-units). All were delivered in this “cat whisker” scheme of Cavalry Blue and creamy yellow with red vermillion separation striping. Rapido Trains offers both the “cat whisker” scheme and the classic passenger service red warbonnet scheme applied to select FTs beginning in 1948.
This view illustrates the primary spotting feature of the EMC FT – four portholes clustered tightly together at the center of the locomotive for both cab and booster units. Some railroads also exercised the option to have a large illuminated side numberboard assembly installed under the portholes on each side as shown here on this Rapido FTA for Santa Fe. Note also the large boxy structure to house the electrical grids for the dynamic brakes.
