Rapido HO GE 44-Tonner (Announced July 2023)

Rapido Trains is pleased to announce an all-new group of HO scale locomotives – the General Electric 44-Ton diesel.

Also commonly called “44-tonners,” these locomotive’s compact design was driven by a 1937 labor agreement with the railroad unions that specified that all locomotives over 90,000 pounds required the use of a fireman. At a target weight of 44-tons (88,000 pounds), these diesels allowed the railroads to use only an engineer, thus saving crew costs. They were perfect for light switching, industrial and shop use.

Built in several variations between 1940 and 1956, more than 300 GE 44-ton locomotives were produced. The 44-tonners saw service throughout North America (Canada, USA and México), as well in Australia, Cuba, India, France, Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay. The United States Navy and Air Force also owned a number of these locos. Many continued in operation with successive owners in industrial and shortline service. Numerous examples have been preserved.

The Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society owns ex-NYO&W 44-tonner #105. A group of volunteers from the society are currently restoring it back to operating condition at the Steamtown shops in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Rapido is pleased to support their efforts by donating 5% of the sales of all O&W 44-tonner models to the O&WRHS to be used in this effort.

Rapido’s HO model features all-new tooling and represents units from Phase Ic, Phase III and Phase IV, most never offered before in a plastic ready-to-run model.

The Rapido Trains HO scale GE 44-Tonner locomotive features:

•  Multiple phases and detail variations:

                Phase Ic (never offered before in plastic) both with and without lighted hood side number boards
                Phase III with positionable top hood hatches
                Phase IV

• Heavy, die-cast chassis and fuel tank
• Correct fuel tank skirting in two styles
• Separately-applied door latches
• Full cab interior
• Photo-etched cab steps
• Smooth running, strong coreless motor with dual flywheels
• DC models are DCC ready with NEXT-18 decoder socket and speakers
• DCC models are sound equipped with ESU decoders and sounds and include our own “Mo-Power” power capacitor