Though General Electric entered the domestic locomotive market in the 1960s with its “Universal-Series” locomotives beginning with its U25B, it wasn’t until the debut of GE’s “DASH-7” line of locomotives in September 1976 that this builder could deliver a consistently reliable offering that could truly rival its competitors from General Motors. With over 1,100 units produced through 1986, the GE C30-7 was the vastly improved successor to the six-axle 3,000 horsepower U30C. While EMD’s SD40-2 would still outsell its GE counterpart, the C30-7 became the cornerstone from which General Electric would later assert its dominance over EMD in the North American locomotive market. Like the SD40-2, the C30-7 would find its home on long-distance heavy-haul freight assignments, from coal trains to priority intermodal and everything in between.
Now available from Rapido Trains are highly detailed state-of-the-art HO scale renditions of the GE C30-7 in multiple road-specific variations. Depending upon the prototype, each model includes either Rockwell or Adirondack trucks, different headlights, horn and radio antenna configurations, different anticlimber designs, pilot faces and other details where appropriate. All models include separately installed grab irons, metal handrails with plastic stanchions, full underbody piping and electrical conduits, traction motor details and more. Underpinning each locomotive is a heavy diecast chassis encasing a precision drive mechanism where all wheels are powered and provide electrical pickup. When combined with a DCC decoder from ESU, Rapido’s new “Mo-Power” capacitor circuit allows for uninterrupted operation under DCC over short electrical gaps such as dead frogs and occasional dirty track.
Lighting features include illuminated LED headlights, number boards, step lights at all four corners, and where applicable – classification lights, Stratolite beacons or strobes per prototype.
Road names for this inaugural production of C30-7s include:
- Santa Fe (as-delivered yellow warbonnet)
- Burlington Northern (as-delivered Cascade Green/black)
- Conrail (blue)
- CSX (YN2 gray/yellow/blue)
- NdeM (as-delivered red/yellow/green)
- Norfolk and Western (“NW” black),
- Norfolk Southern (black)
- Union Pacific (as-delivered Armour Yellow/Harbor Mist Gray).
Multiple road numbers offered per scheme. $239.95 for DC/DCC-ready silent units, while DC+DCC+Sound units equipped with ESU Loksound 5 will carry a $349.95 MSRP.
Available while supplies last.
DC+DCC+Sound units equipped with ESU Loksound 5 decoders carry a suggested $349.95 each MSRP, while DC silent units with a 21-pin DCC plug retail for $239.95 each.
Available now at your favorite hobby dealer or direct while supplies last.
Rapido Trains, 500 Alden Road, Unit 21 Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5, Canada;1-855-572-6917; www.rapidotrains.com
Details abound. A plethora of road specific details is evident on Rapido’s rendition of Santa Fe C30-7 8025. Note the radio antenna box atop the cab, sequential Stratolite rotary beacon, full-width front anticlimber and pilot snowplow.
Union Pacific 2415 represents the as-delivered appearance of the 2nd group of C30-7s arriving on the railroad in 1978. Constructed on a heavy diecast frame, each Rapido C30-7 comes with a precision all-wheel drive system and a “Mo-Power” keep-alive circuit for uninterrupted operation over momentary electrical gaps in DCC environments.
