Thanks Dan I do appreciate your points, I'm just an old power pulling modeler. Your review encouraged me to purchase an RS-11, i'm a PRR, fallen flags modeler, NH, EL, etc. Thanks again
I am in my 50's and haven't had a model train since I was a kid. A TYCO set by the way. It seems model railroading has come a long way. I really enjoy your reviews. Very informative and entertaining. Thinking I may get back into it, as I'll be retiring soon.
jimi hendrix ......I’m 54 and was in the same boat as you last year. My parents kept my Tyco set from when I was a kid and sent it home with me when I went for a visit. I excitedly assembled the track and was surprised that everything still worked. I’ve since spent more money than I probably should have on Kato track (ho scale) and a mix of used and new locos and rolling stock. Very addictive. Lol
Catching up on comments... I started in N, but I had a similar experience. The stuff that's available now is amazing compared to what we could get way back then. Thanks for watching!
@THECOMMENTMASTER 7 I wouldn't say "Rapido blows" or the "model sucks" but getting close...sent my RS11 back to them and they received it March 17th....now because to the current situation I understand a delay on repairing it, but it's June 10th and I was just told it will be at least 8 more weeks as "things are moving much slower." To spend that kind of money I expected it to run smoother than my less expensive engines that have been running on my layout without so much as a stall.
I recently took delivery of my RS11 with the Black Widow color scheme. Other than making a few changes to CV settings I am very pleased with the overall quality and performance. I carefully checked the unit over when I got it and found no problems with it's construction or appearance. And is proving to get work horse on my layout.
Love your videos and great review of this locamotive. Mine had the same issues with the coupler but also had issues with other brands of locamotives. Very frustrating to spend decent money and have to do work on them. I'm now just changing all my couplings to Kadee though. Thanks Dan.
Coupler height is the most common issue I see with the models that I review, to the point where it's a little rare to get a model that doesn't have coupler height issues. I am admittedly pretty exacting in my testing. I agree that it's frustrating to have to work on a brand new expensive model. I'm glad you liked the review. Thanks for watching!
Dan, I like your reviews, Rapido makes great equipment, wonder if the coupler evaluations are to critical and will vary from box to box. My gripe is how much pulling power does the locomotive have which is a factor. We probably all have locos that can haul thirty-forty pieces of rolling stock single handed, some manufacturers it's not a priority and a disappointment. Please keep up the reviews your knowledgable and constructive, coupler height is breeze.
I'm glad you liked the review. I did a video some time ago on fixing coupler height, which is here on the channel, if you want to know why I want it to be spot on. Most of the locomotives I've been reviewing lately have had pretty good pulling power. When I get my layout going I plan to do more practical tests in addition to the workbench pull test I do now. Thanks for watching!
Yes I agree it should have worked correctly out of the box. I noticed in the instruction manual, that came with my RS11 that F6 was missing on the list of functions .F6 turns on the lights for the controller stand other than that it's a nice addition to my layout. Thank you for your help!
can you do a review of the locsound programmer ? I am thinking of getting one. but really want more info first. even to see if it would be a useful tool to have. being a average modeler
Received mine a while back and am very pleased with it. Very clean and no antenna problem or bent rails. Everything was very straight so there are no complaints here.
I got my Bloody Nose (2909) and Black Widow last week. Both of them have 2-pane cab windows. I have no exact "side-on" photos but it looks like most of them are 2-pane also. They too should be closer to the front of the cab. It's been difficult to determine where the evenly spaced square vent grouping changed to the 3-1-1 (I'll call it) grouping. I suspect 2909 is very near the boundary. (Original number: 5729) My antennas are only slightly bent. Excellent review.
Would like to add that when a manufacturer attempts models at this extremely high level, any sort of error in scale, position, or execution is going to stand out that much more. I can't really argue with the "C", but for me, these are "A-".
Catching up on comments... It's great to have a lot of detail, but I don't like it when there are errors that are very hard to fix, like the window placement (or the sill triangles on the SW1200 I reviewed more recently). I don't know how they could research a prototype extensively and miss things like that. If it's a matter of moving a horn or some other small part, that's not as bad. Thanks for watching!
I was about to complain that the review seems too harsh but then I looked up the price. That's a lot for ho. You can get brass locomotives for that price (obviously will need some work but still)
The more detailed models get, and the more fancy electronics they come with, the more they cost. I think it's great that we can get very prototype accurate models these days out of the box, when they're done right. I think Rapido made a good overall model but they let some details slip through the cracks on this one. Thanks for watching!
I was able to get a hold of the technical support team at Rapido and it's very easy to get the emergency light to flash by re configuring CV 347. I was able to do it using my NCE Power Cab.
It's great that they made the emergency light independent so it can be reprogrammed. It would have been nice if it was programmed correctly out of the box, though. Thanks for watching!
Catching up on comments... This has been a recurring problem with Rapido for some reason. Thankfully the ESU decoders can be reprogrammed to fix it, but it shouldn't be necessary to have to do that. Thanks for watching!
A Rapido model shouldn’t have *that many* problems when it releases, especially with how Rapido has been upping its game. lets hope the phase 2 F40s don’t suffer the same fate!
Catching up on comments... I would certainly like to see Rapido put out products with fewer issues. I think they could be an outstanding company. Thanks for watching!
Dan I had very similar problems. I noticed a white dot on the hatch by the back of the roof. You didn't say anything about it, was there a valve there? It appears to be another broken part to me. Loved the review, very honest. Is there a way to correct the DCC problems with CV's I don't have the same program you do?
The white dot on the roof at the back of the locomotive is painted on. I don't have any roof shots of SP RS11s, but I assume that it's a marking that's supposed to be there. You can reprogram ESU decoders with CVs. It's a little more tedious than using a LokProgrammer, but doable. The only thing you can't change without a LokProgrammer is the sound set. Thanks for watching!
That's a pretty nice model. I don't think I own any Rapido locomotives currently in either HO or N scale yet. Their DC model sure is spendy but seems to have quite a bit of mostly accurate details. I like that they're using metal handrails. Other than one of the stanchions being applied crooked they look great. Are they pretty rigid? One of the things I love about the old Athearn Blue Box is their metal handrails, despite their ugliness.
The handrails and stanchions seem pretty rigid on my model. The stanchions are apparently glued so getting them to be straight up and down is not quite as simple as just pushing it. Thanks for watching!
Yeah, this is a model that needs to right back to the drawing board, and rereleased once the details are corrected. That goes for all of the rs-11s in their range.
On the models I have where the class lights can change color, they cycle through the different colors (and off) by pressing the key that activates them repeatedly. Thanks for watching!
Very good review. I am not a fan of the handrails on this model. Many of the stanchions on mine were way off, and when I tried to put them straight some of the grey paint flaked off. Really bummed me out that a model at this price could have this problem.
I'm glad you liked the review, even though this model was disappointing in many ways. I would prefer if models came with brass handrails instead of plastic. You could get some aftermarket parts and make new ones, though you're right, at this price you shouldn't need to do that. Thanks for watching!
I believe it’s a major screw up from rapido. I ordered the n&w version from factory direct trains. It arrived with the lift rings bent/broke, both front and rear handrails broke, broke drop step, side shades fell out and the handrail stanchions separated from the deck. Joe immediately sent me another one upon hearing the problems. The new one arrived Saturday and, it to has broken pieces. Although, not as bad as the first one. Normally, with a model like this I would ask for my money back. But seeing not much is made for n&w. I decided I’d glue handrails, couple side shades, transplant some lift rings, glue some fill cap on the roof. Touch up the paint in some areas and weather the model and call it done. I’m not very happy with this model. Mostly because it took 2 locomotives, glue and a couple hours of time to get one decent locomotive. My hats off to joe at factory direct trains though. He really tried making it right.
At least he did not make you have to deal with Rapido directly. I bought my RS-11 from Lombard Hobbies and they made me send mine back to the factory after it stopped running in one week! Maybe I should look into another dealer.
I think these may be sold out by now. You could search on eBay. These seemed to be popular, so if you're willing to wait, I would guess that eventually Rapido will do another run. Thanks for watching!
Personally think this review is a tad bit over critical, but then again you have the SP version...other versions will be significantly simpler with a lot of extra 'stuff.' However, there's a lot of stuff that I don't like with the detail issues and I'm not going to be buying one. Maybe they'll make a second run, or another company will make an RS11 soon enough. Oh, and by the way, the cab interior lights up.
I do my best to apply the same set of standards to all the models that I review. If I see something wrong, then that gets included in the review. Rapido did a bunch of different versions of this engine for different railroads, and it's likely that some of those didn't have the same issues. There's a different fireman's side cab window variation, for example. Thanks for watching!
Some other reviewers should watch Dan's to learn "how it's done"'. I saw a review by DCC Trains that was 39 minutes long and the first 8 minutes were just a talking head rambling on. Who has that kind of patience anymore? Dan's are short and concise and not too much talking heads. Five minutes are packed with good useful in-depth information. Kudo's Dan. Many others should watch and learn or lose viewers to boredom quickly.
I have a new Rapido SP RS11. After not even one hour the locomotive began to jerk and hesitate. When I went to pick the model up, the fuel tank and even the trucks were extremely hot. I ran it a a few hours later when it finally stopped. I contacted Rapido, and they are sending me another motor which I appreciate. I took the old motor out and ran it on six volts, but it soon got very hot and stopped. Hard to believe Rapido would use such a poor quality junk motor. After reading about all the motor failures with the RS18 model I almost didn't get an RS11. I sure hope the replacement motor is not junk also.
That's discouraging. One thing I can't do right now is give the models a real workout as part of the review process. When I get to the point where I can start building my layout and run trains, then I want to do that. I hope your new motor works better. Thanks for watching!
I picked up 5 (4 N&W, 1 PC) for my Hagerstown, MD focused layout. All 5 had junk motors, so far replaced 4 out of 5 haven't had any further issues. Rapido supplied the motors, but the extraordinary complicated assembly on these units made the motor replacement jobs a nightmare, though slightly easier by the time I got to the 3rd and 4th one. Last one is waiting for a repaint. Would have had Rapido do it, but I didn't trust the P.O. during the pandemic.
I agree with you Dan! For how much they are charging for these models and all the problems I'm hearing about them. I considered buying one but after your review I won't be buying one. It's very disappointing.
Well, I'm glad you found the review helpful at least. I still like Rapido as a company. I just think they missed the boat in a few places on this one. Thanks for watching!
Catching up on comments... I didn't notice a motor issue on mine, though since I'm only running it on the workbench issues like that might not come up. When I get my layout going I will start doing more rigorous testing. Thanks for watching!
Two comments. 1. The mashed headlight housing on the front lower headlight. 2. The horribly mounted brake cylinder at the leading edge of front and rear truck.
This analysis is insane. The quality and details of this model exceed anything in production short of brass. It will be interesting to see how your future review of an Atlas or Lower compares. Rapid pretty much sets the bar in many ways. There is something wrong with your review system if this is a 'C'.
I agree George. Dan's rating system reflects the very high expectations of many of today's modelers vs. some older school hobbyists, to which this score is yes, too low. It probably deserves a B, not a C. Dan didn't grow up with the very limited selection of lower quality models we did. So us long timers have to do a standard deviation on some of Dan's reviews. The higher the bar is set, the worse very detailed engines will do on reviews. For example, taking off 10 points of one low coupler is overly critical. It should be 5 points. I do agree, the cab window issue on a model advertised as high accuracy and digitally scanned is probably warranted. The cab wind deflectors are cheesy but can be replaced with an after market part.
riogrande5761 I respectfully disagree. Dans reviews use historical reference to compare models to the actual prototype, giving the watcher the info necessary to make a decision regarding purchasing. I’ve watched all of Dan’s videos, and his reviews of high detail, high price models are often pretty high scoring. This is one of only a couple which scored below 80.... Sidenote: For clarity, the coupler issue is a 5pt deduction, not 10 (which would be extreme - I agree).
@@jgalexander510 Having been in the hobby since I was a teen in the 1970's, I've observed that the closer to fidelity and higher detail products are made, the easier it is to get further in the weeds and find fault vs. the older cruder models;maybe back then it was somewhat taken for granted what you were getting. Perhaps reviewers were more forgiving realizing how things were, the level of technology and so on years ago, which tempered how models might be scored using a metric. Compare what we used to get with the much higher level of detail we get today, even higher than our brass models of yesteryear, I can personally understand where Bob is coming from. Information and photo's are much more easily accessible than 25+ years ago; probably also a factor in making reviews more likely to be critical. That said, based on the things I have been reading, I also understand the criticisms being level on the RS11; some of the issues not being part of this review such as the CSX version. For me, a mostly D&RGW 70's fan, this model is of little interest but I do hope future models produced by Rapdio are freer of issues than this model. By the way, my comments above aren't meant specifically to take Dan to task; I understand he probably comes from a different generation and/or perspective than Bob does, but being a generation or so older than Dan, I can understand and sympathize with Bob's comments. Dan is clearly a highly knowledgeable and skilled modeler and it shows. But armed with his knowledge and expectations of modern day HO model makers, his metrics are going to be reflected. They were in this example. Perhaps Bob's old school view point made him think, "why so serious" to quote the joker from the Dark Knight. j/k My only "minor" beef with Dan's reviews is that he takes too much off for the Kadee height discrepancies. I agree with you on that. As great as Kadee couplers are, and superior to any other brand or operation, they do seem very prone to getting "off" from the height gauge. It seems all too often that at least one coupler is "off" on commercially manufactured RTR cars. I've watched many of Dan's reviews and maybe my memory is poor, but I can only think of two models that actually had both Kadee couplers match the height gauge - both were Wheels of Time HO cars (SSW flat car and SP bulkhead). I was almost shocked both couplers matched the gauge! I often wonder why Kadee's are so prone to being "off" on factory built RTR models. BTW, I own a number of the Wheels of Time SP bulkheads and they do have a fairly high incidence of bowed or slightly curled bulkhead tops. I could see the bow in Dan's review example but it wasn't called out in the review. I noticed mine right away, and send a couple back that were the worst and found better ones later. If one installs the wood part on the end, that would probably flatten it but so many were missing the boards after many years of service, it would be prototypical correct to have no boards or partial boards on the bulkhead.
I guess mine might have been a different production run.I ordered it last May and it arrived at the being of January. Other than the issue with the emergency light and no listing in the instruction manual for F6 which in fact turns the controller stand lights on and off. Overall I'm very pleased with product.
Dan anther great review. Did you notice the lower right front bezel around the headlight was scuffed? Also it looked like the ground lights also dimmed with F7. In the run by it also looked like the front truck was not level, lower in the front then next to the fuel tank. Agree, for the cost of this they should do a little better in the QC checking.
I didn't notice any issue with the headlight when I was doing the review, but it does look like it's either slightly damaged or paint is flaking off. I missed that one. If you're looking at the off-track shots, the trucks may appear not level because they're not straight. You're right that the ground lights also dimmed. That could probably be fixed by reprogramming the decoder. Thanks for watching!
I do think it could be better for the money. Sounds like yours was even worse than mine, which stinks. Manufacturers need to do better if they want to keep getting our money. Thanks for watching!
I don't think you are being fair with the coupler height, using a #58 series gauge on a #5 is not fair, plus the height looked fair to me, easley tweeked. Just my two cents.
The size of the coupler head doesn't really matter, it's the horizontal center line that needs to match up. Mismatched coupler heights can lead to unwanted uncoupling, which is why I test for it. Sometimes I take points off for stuff that can be easily fixed, but that's not the point. The point is that you shouldn't have a to fix anything on a brand new model. Thanks for watching!
Thorough review, thank you! Too many demerits for such a high-priced loco. Overall looks are great, but unfortunately I’ll have to pass. Pity. I was looking forward to this one. Oh well.
Catching up on comments... It is nice that models are coming from the factory with more details, but when something that's very hard to fix, like the window placement, is on the model, it negates a lot of the added value for me. Thanks for watching!
A lot of the newer sound equipped and highly detailed diesels come at higher prices. For me it's a trade off between getting something that needs very little work vs. having to spend a lot of time to bring a less detailed model up to the same level. I ended up selling this model because it didn't fit my era. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
My Rs-11 just stopped running after one month. Cost me $32 to send it to Canada for repair after paying $280 for engine. Never again! Stay away from Rapido!
Sorry to hear that. Since I don't have an operating layout yet, I can't do any long-term testing. I hope they're not all like that. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Update: I bought a second RS-11 in DC while waiting for my first unit to get repaired {three months later} and after one hour of break in it started to get noisy and jerky. After another seven hours to try and break in the gears the engine got hot and stopped running. Two engines with bad motors!!!
I think that this video goes to show how ridiculously demanding the general train buying population has become. I challenge Dan to get an Atlas RS11 and do one of these videos and see how it compares using this same standard. I guarantee that he will be tying himself in knots to justify this analysis and final grade.
I do these reviews to provide as much information as I can. People are free to draw their own conclusions, and I realize that some of the things that bother me may not bother other people. This review is not about the Atlas model, it's about the Rapido model. If anything, I'd compare this model to other locomotives at the same price level that have been recently produced. I've bought a lot of them, and those that don't have as many issues score better. I run every model locomotive through the exact same set of tests, and do my best to be as consistent as possible. Thanks for watching!
Catching up on comments... Until my HO layout is at least partially built I won't be able to do any "road test" kind of reviews. That's something I want to do eventually as part of the review process. Thanks for watching!
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Thanks Dan I do appreciate your points, I'm just an old power pulling modeler. Your review encouraged me to purchase an RS-11, i'm a PRR, fallen flags modeler, NH, EL, etc. Thanks again
You're welcome. I'm glad you found the review informative. Thanks for watching!
I am in my 50's and haven't had a model train since I was a kid. A TYCO set by the way. It seems model railroading has come a long way. I really enjoy your reviews. Very informative and entertaining. Thinking I may get back into it, as I'll be retiring soon.
jimi hendrix ......I’m 54 and was in the same boat as you last year. My parents kept my Tyco set from when I was a kid and sent it home with me when I went for a visit. I excitedly assembled the track and was surprised that everything still worked. I’ve since spent more money than I probably should have on Kato track (ho scale) and a mix of used and new locos and rolling stock. Very addictive. Lol
Catching up on comments... I started in N, but I had a similar experience. The stuff that's available now is amazing compared to what we could get way back then. Thanks for watching!
Beautiful model. I love all the detail on HO models these days, especially the photoetched parts. (The cab window would not bother me at all.)
@THECOMMENTMASTER 7 I wouldn't say "Rapido blows" or the "model sucks" but getting close...sent my RS11 back to them and they received it March 17th....now because to the current situation I understand a delay on repairing it, but it's June 10th and I was just told it will be at least 8 more weeks as "things are moving much slower." To spend that kind of money I expected it to run smoother than my less expensive engines that have been running on my layout without so much as a stall.
Catching up on comments... this one was somewhat disappointing for me. Hopefully everyone found the review informative. Thanks for watching!
I recently took delivery of my RS11 with the Black Widow color scheme. Other than making a few changes to CV settings I am very pleased with the overall quality and performance. I carefully checked the unit over when I got it and found no problems with it's construction or appearance. And is proving to get work horse on my layout.
I'm glad you're happy with it. Thanks for watching!
Love your videos and great review of this locamotive. Mine had the same issues with the coupler but also had issues with other brands of locamotives. Very frustrating to spend decent money and have to do work on them. I'm now just changing all my couplings to Kadee though. Thanks Dan.
Coupler height is the most common issue I see with the models that I review, to the point where it's a little rare to get a model that doesn't have coupler height issues. I am admittedly pretty exacting in my testing. I agree that it's frustrating to have to work on a brand new expensive model. I'm glad you liked the review. Thanks for watching!
Dan, I like your reviews, Rapido makes great equipment, wonder if the coupler evaluations are to critical and will vary from box to box. My gripe is how much pulling power does the locomotive have which is a factor. We probably all have locos that can haul thirty-forty pieces of rolling stock single handed, some manufacturers it's not a priority and a disappointment. Please keep up the reviews your knowledgable and constructive, coupler height is breeze.
I'm glad you liked the review. I did a video some time ago on fixing coupler height, which is here on the channel, if you want to know why I want it to be spot on. Most of the locomotives I've been reviewing lately have had pretty good pulling power. When I get my layout going I plan to do more practical tests in addition to the workbench pull test I do now. Thanks for watching!
Yes I agree it should have worked correctly out of the box. I noticed in the instruction manual, that came with my RS11 that F6 was missing on the list of functions .F6 turns on the lights for the controller stand other than that it's a nice addition to my layout. Thank you for your help!
You're welcome. I'm glad you found the review informative. Thanks for watching!
can you do a review of the locsound programmer ? I am thinking of getting one. but really want more info first. even to see if it would be a useful tool to have. being a average modeler
Ditto what Sparky said. I was thinking the same thing
Please!
Maybe some how to use videos also?
Catching up on comments... I did a review of the LokProgrammer some time ago if you haven't seen it yet. Thanks for watching!
Received mine a while back and am very pleased with it. Very clean and no antenna problem or bent rails. Everything was very straight so there are no complaints here.
Glad you liked your model. Thanks for watching!
I got my Bloody Nose (2909) and Black Widow last week. Both of them have 2-pane cab windows. I have no exact "side-on" photos but it looks like most of them are 2-pane also. They too should be closer to the front of the cab. It's been difficult to determine where the evenly spaced square vent grouping changed to the 3-1-1 (I'll call it) grouping. I suspect 2909 is very near the boundary. (Original number: 5729) My antennas are only slightly bent.
Excellent review.
Would like to add that when a manufacturer attempts models at this extremely high level, any sort of error in scale, position, or execution is going to stand out that much more. I can't really argue with the "C", but for me, these are "A-".
Catching up on comments... It's great to have a lot of detail, but I don't like it when there are errors that are very hard to fix, like the window placement (or the sill triangles on the SW1200 I reviewed more recently). I don't know how they could research a prototype extensively and miss things like that. If it's a matter of moving a horn or some other small part, that's not as bad. Thanks for watching!
I was about to complain that the review seems too harsh but then I looked up the price. That's a lot for ho. You can get brass locomotives for that price (obviously will need some work but still)
The more detailed models get, and the more fancy electronics they come with, the more they cost. I think it's great that we can get very prototype accurate models these days out of the box, when they're done right. I think Rapido made a good overall model but they let some details slip through the cracks on this one. Thanks for watching!
I was able to get a hold of the technical support team at Rapido and it's very easy to get the emergency light to flash by re configuring CV 347. I was able to do it using my NCE Power Cab.
It's great that they made the emergency light independent so it can be reprogrammed. It would have been nice if it was programmed correctly out of the box, though. Thanks for watching!
I noticed the same problem with F10 as well. Good to know I wasn't crazy.
Catching up on comments... This has been a recurring problem with Rapido for some reason. Thankfully the ESU decoders can be reprogrammed to fix it, but it shouldn't be necessary to have to do that. Thanks for watching!
A Rapido model shouldn’t have *that many* problems when it releases, especially with how Rapido has been upping its game. lets hope the phase 2 F40s don’t suffer the same fate!
I agree. While most of Rapido's models don't fit my caboose era Rio Grande theme, the upcoming F40PH's are definitely on my want list.
Catching up on comments... I would certainly like to see Rapido put out products with fewer issues. I think they could be an outstanding company. Thanks for watching!
Dan I had very similar problems. I noticed a white dot on the hatch by the back of the roof. You didn't say anything about it, was there a valve there? It appears to be another broken part to me. Loved the review, very honest. Is there a way to correct the DCC problems with CV's I don't have the same program you do?
The white dot on the roof at the back of the locomotive is painted on. I don't have any roof shots of SP RS11s, but I assume that it's a marking that's supposed to be there. You can reprogram ESU decoders with CVs. It's a little more tedious than using a LokProgrammer, but doable. The only thing you can't change without a LokProgrammer is the sound set. Thanks for watching!
That's a pretty nice model. I don't think I own any Rapido locomotives currently in either HO or N scale yet. Their DC model sure is spendy but seems to have quite a bit of mostly accurate details. I like that they're using metal handrails. Other than one of the stanchions being applied crooked they look great. Are they pretty rigid? One of the things I love about the old Athearn Blue Box is their metal handrails, despite their ugliness.
The handrails and stanchions seem pretty rigid on my model. The stanchions are apparently glued so getting them to be straight up and down is not quite as simple as just pushing it. Thanks for watching!
Great review Dan!
Catching up on comments... Thanks so much!
Yeah, this is a model that needs to right back to the drawing board, and rereleased once the details are corrected. That goes for all of the rs-11s in their range.
Yes I think I'll wait
Agreed
Catching up on comments... I was disappointed that Rapido didn't do a better job on this one. Thanks for watching!
Also what is the trick to get the classification lights to change color ?? Thanks for your help and patience.
On the models I have where the class lights can change color, they cycle through the different colors (and off) by pressing the key that activates them repeatedly. Thanks for watching!
Very good review. I am not a fan of the handrails on this model. Many of the stanchions on mine were way off, and when I tried to put them straight some of the grey paint flaked off. Really bummed me out that a model at this price could have this problem.
I'm glad you liked the review, even though this model was disappointing in many ways. I would prefer if models came with brass handrails instead of plastic. You could get some aftermarket parts and make new ones, though you're right, at this price you shouldn't need to do that. Thanks for watching!
Great model review Dan, and the details is bit like toy like from Windows to wind deflectors but it's nice for Rapido to add some extra details parts
Catching up on comments... This model does have a lot of details for sure, though some could be better. Thanks for watching!
Is the LOK programmer required to get the emergency light to flash on and off or can this be corrected by changing the value of CV ??
It can be done with CV programming. Using a LokProgrammer just makes it easier. Thanks for watching!
I believe it’s a major screw up from rapido.
I ordered the n&w version from factory direct trains. It arrived with the lift rings bent/broke, both front and rear handrails broke, broke drop step, side shades fell out and the handrail stanchions separated from the deck.
Joe immediately sent me another one upon hearing the problems.
The new one arrived Saturday and, it to has broken pieces. Although, not as bad as the first one. Normally, with a model like this I would ask for my money back. But seeing not much is made for n&w. I decided I’d glue handrails, couple side shades, transplant some lift rings, glue some fill cap on the roof. Touch up the paint in some areas and weather the model and call it done.
I’m not very happy with this model. Mostly because it took 2 locomotives, glue and a couple hours of time to get one decent locomotive. My hats off to joe at factory direct trains though. He really tried making it right.
At least he did not make you have to deal with Rapido directly. I bought my RS-11 from Lombard Hobbies and they made me send mine back to the factory after it stopped running in one week! Maybe I should look into another dealer.
Catching up on comments... Rapido models have certainly had some issues. I hope they eventually get it together. Thanks for watching!
I want this locomotive can you tell me how i can buy this.
I think these may be sold out by now. You could search on eBay. These seemed to be popular, so if you're willing to wait, I would guess that eventually Rapido will do another run. Thanks for watching!
Can you gift me this locomotive?
Personally think this review is a tad bit over critical, but then again you have the SP version...other versions will be significantly simpler with a lot of extra 'stuff.' However, there's a lot of stuff that I don't like with the detail issues and I'm not going to be buying one. Maybe they'll make a second run, or another company will make an RS11 soon enough.
Oh, and by the way, the cab interior lights up.
agreed
I do my best to apply the same set of standards to all the models that I review. If I see something wrong, then that gets included in the review. Rapido did a bunch of different versions of this engine for different railroads, and it's likely that some of those didn't have the same issues. There's a different fireman's side cab window variation, for example. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Thanks for replying! You make very unbiased reviews. I've found a Geep that will fulfill the same purpose as this Alco would've.
Some other reviewers should watch Dan's to learn "how it's done"'. I saw a review by DCC Trains that was 39 minutes long and the first 8 minutes were just a talking head rambling on. Who has that kind of patience anymore? Dan's are short and concise and not too much talking heads. Five minutes are packed with good useful in-depth information. Kudo's Dan. Many others should watch and learn or lose viewers to boredom quickly.
Thanks. I have seen reviews like that, too, and I don't want to do that. I think sticking with a standardized format helps. Thanks for watching!
I have a new Rapido SP RS11. After not even one hour the locomotive began to jerk and hesitate. When I went to pick the model up, the fuel tank and even the trucks were extremely hot. I ran it a a few hours later when it finally stopped. I contacted Rapido, and they are sending me another motor which I appreciate. I took the old motor out and ran it on six volts, but it soon got very hot and stopped. Hard to believe Rapido would use such a poor quality junk motor. After reading about all the motor failures with the RS18 model I almost didn't get an RS11. I sure hope the replacement motor is not junk also.
That's discouraging. One thing I can't do right now is give the models a real workout as part of the review process. When I get to the point where I can start building my layout and run trains, then I want to do that. I hope your new motor works better. Thanks for watching!
I picked up 5 (4 N&W, 1 PC) for my Hagerstown, MD focused layout. All 5 had junk motors, so far replaced 4 out of 5 haven't had any further issues. Rapido supplied the motors, but the extraordinary complicated assembly on these units made the motor replacement jobs a nightmare, though slightly easier by the time I got to the 3rd and 4th one. Last one is waiting for a repaint. Would have had Rapido do it, but I didn't trust the P.O. during the pandemic.
I agree with you Dan! For how much they are charging for these models and all the problems I'm hearing about them. I considered buying one but after your review I won't be buying one. It's very disappointing.
Well, I'm glad you found the review helpful at least. I still like Rapido as a company. I just think they missed the boat in a few places on this one. Thanks for watching!
At least the motor issue wasn’t mentioned
Catching up on comments... I didn't notice a motor issue on mine, though since I'm only running it on the workbench issues like that might not come up. When I get my layout going I will start doing more rigorous testing. Thanks for watching!
Two comments.
1. The mashed headlight housing on the front lower headlight.
2. The horribly mounted brake cylinder at the leading edge of front and rear truck.
I guess I missed those. There were a lot of disappointing things about this model. Thanks for finding a couple more and for watching!
This analysis is insane. The quality and details of this model exceed anything in production short of brass. It will be interesting to see how your future review of an Atlas or Lower compares. Rapid pretty much sets the bar in many ways. There is something wrong with your review system if this is a 'C'.
I agree George. Dan's rating system reflects the very high expectations of many of today's modelers vs. some older school hobbyists, to which this score is yes, too low. It probably deserves a B, not a C. Dan didn't grow up with the very limited selection of lower quality models we did. So us long timers have to do a standard deviation on some of Dan's reviews. The higher the bar is set, the worse very detailed engines will do on reviews. For example, taking off 10 points of one low coupler is overly critical. It should be 5 points. I do agree, the cab window issue on a model advertised as high accuracy and digitally scanned is probably warranted. The cab wind deflectors are cheesy but can be replaced with an after market part.
riogrande5761 I respectfully disagree. Dans reviews use historical reference to compare models to the actual prototype, giving the watcher the info necessary to make a decision regarding purchasing. I’ve watched all of Dan’s videos, and his reviews of high detail, high price models are often pretty high scoring. This is one of only a couple which scored below 80.... Sidenote: For clarity, the coupler issue is a 5pt deduction, not 10 (which would be extreme - I agree).
@@jgalexander510 Having been in the hobby since I was a teen in the 1970's, I've observed that the closer to fidelity and higher detail products are made, the easier it is to get further in the weeds and find fault vs. the older cruder models;maybe back then it was somewhat taken for granted what you were getting. Perhaps reviewers were more forgiving realizing how things were, the level of technology and so on years ago, which tempered how models might be scored using a metric. Compare what we used to get with the much higher level of detail we get today, even higher than our brass models of yesteryear, I can personally understand where Bob is coming from. Information and photo's are much more easily accessible than 25+ years ago; probably also a factor in making reviews more likely to be critical.
That said, based on the things I have been reading, I also understand the criticisms being level on the RS11; some of the issues not being part of this review such as the CSX version. For me, a mostly D&RGW 70's fan, this model is of little interest but I do hope future models produced by Rapdio are freer of issues than this model. By the way, my comments above aren't meant specifically to take Dan to task; I understand he probably comes from a different generation and/or perspective than Bob does, but being a generation or so older than Dan, I can understand and sympathize with Bob's comments. Dan is clearly a highly knowledgeable and skilled modeler and it shows. But armed with his knowledge and expectations of modern day HO model makers, his metrics are going to be reflected. They were in this example. Perhaps Bob's old school view point made him think, "why so serious" to quote the joker from the Dark Knight. j/k
My only "minor" beef with Dan's reviews is that he takes too much off for the Kadee height discrepancies. I agree with you on that. As great as Kadee couplers are, and superior to any other brand or operation, they do seem very prone to getting "off" from the height gauge. It seems all too often that at least one coupler is "off" on commercially manufactured RTR cars. I've watched many of Dan's reviews and maybe my memory is poor, but I can only think of two models that actually had both Kadee couplers match the height gauge - both were Wheels of Time HO cars (SSW flat car and SP bulkhead). I was almost shocked both couplers matched the gauge! I often wonder why Kadee's are so prone to being "off" on factory built RTR models.
BTW, I own a number of the Wheels of Time SP bulkheads and they do have a fairly high incidence of bowed or slightly curled bulkhead tops. I could see the bow in Dan's review example but it wasn't called out in the review. I noticed mine right away, and send a couple back that were the worst and found better ones later. If one installs the wood part on the end, that would probably flatten it but so many were missing the boards after many years of service, it would be prototypical correct to have no boards or partial boards on the bulkhead.
@@riogrande5761 10 points for coupler and decoder program issues
@@riogrande5761 10 points for coupler and program issues
Not bad, I see what you mean about the issues you found
I guess mine might have been a different production run.I ordered it last May and it arrived at the being of January. Other than the issue with the emergency light and no listing in the instruction manual for F6 which in fact turns the controller stand lights on and off. Overall I'm very pleased with product.
Thanks for watching!
Dan anther great review. Did you notice the lower right front bezel around the headlight was scuffed? Also it looked like the ground lights also dimmed with F7. In the run by it also looked like the front truck was not level, lower in the front then next to the fuel tank. Agree, for the cost of this they should do a little better in the QC checking.
I didn't notice any issue with the headlight when I was doing the review, but it does look like it's either slightly damaged or paint is flaking off. I missed that one. If you're looking at the off-track shots, the trucks may appear not level because they're not straight. You're right that the ground lights also dimmed. That could probably be fixed by reprogramming the decoder. Thanks for watching!
I guess the less than great couplers adds to the lack in quality. Not sure why so many models are provided with other than Kadee couplers.
Cheaters that are cheap
Kadees are my preference for sure. It would be nice if everything came with them. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi manufacturers are getting better...its hard to convert everything...priorities go to engines and the like...I need more time!!! Lol
Received mine and am very disappointed in quality control, parts missing, front handrails on backwards and glue everywhere.
I do think it could be better for the money. Sounds like yours was even worse than mine, which stinks. Manufacturers need to do better if they want to keep getting our money. Thanks for watching!
I don't think you are being fair with the coupler height, using a #58 series gauge on a #5 is not fair, plus the height looked fair to me, easley tweeked. Just my two cents.
The size of the coupler head doesn't really matter, it's the horizontal center line that needs to match up. Mismatched coupler heights can lead to unwanted uncoupling, which is why I test for it. Sometimes I take points off for stuff that can be easily fixed, but that's not the point. The point is that you shouldn't have a to fix anything on a brand new model. Thanks for watching!
Thorough review, thank you! Too many demerits for such a high-priced loco. Overall looks are great, but unfortunately I’ll have to pass.
Pity. I was looking forward to this one. Oh well.
I'm glad you found the review useful. Maybe they'll do an improved second run of these in the future. Thanks for watching!
Daniel Cortopassi, if they do I’ll be looking forward to your review. Thanks!
Their trying to catch up to you Dan!
All of the details that come factory
now was something we would have to spend a few hours adding
ourselves!!
Catching up on comments... It is nice that models are coming from the factory with more details, but when something that's very hard to fix, like the window placement, is on the model, it negates a lot of the added value for me. Thanks for watching!
yicks first c for for rapido
Catching up on comments... and not the last, unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
Great video kinda pricy locomotive
A lot of the newer sound equipped and highly detailed diesels come at higher prices. For me it's a trade off between getting something that needs very little work vs. having to spend a lot of time to bring a less detailed model up to the same level. I ended up selling this model because it didn't fit my era. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!
My Rs-11 just stopped running after one month. Cost me $32 to send it to Canada for repair after paying $280 for engine.
Never again! Stay away from Rapido!
Sorry to hear that. Since I don't have an operating layout yet, I can't do any long-term testing. I hope they're not all like that. Thanks for watching!
@@DanielCortopassi Update: I bought a second RS-11 in DC while waiting for my first unit to get repaired {three months later} and after one hour of break in it started to get noisy and jerky. After another seven hours to try and break in the gears the engine got hot and stopped running. Two engines with bad motors!!!
I think that this video goes to show how ridiculously demanding the general train buying population has become. I challenge Dan to get an Atlas RS11 and do one of these videos and see how it compares using this same standard. I guarantee that he will be tying himself in knots to justify this analysis and final grade.
I do these reviews to provide as much information as I can. People are free to draw their own conclusions, and I realize that some of the things that bother me may not bother other people. This review is not about the Atlas model, it's about the Rapido model. If anything, I'd compare this model to other locomotives at the same price level that have been recently produced. I've bought a lot of them, and those that don't have as many issues score better. I run every model locomotive through the exact same set of tests, and do my best to be as consistent as possible. Thanks for watching!
Can't please some people....always the complaint about the hole in the middle of the donut.
Cant please some people. Talk about complaining about the hole in the middle of the donut!
Can you say "anal retentive" So how does it run on your or maybe our layouts ?
Catching up on comments... Until my HO layout is at least partially built I won't be able to do any "road test" kind of reviews. That's something I want to do eventually as part of the review process. Thanks for watching!
It kinda pisses me off how unbelievably nit picky you are with your model reviews but it’s understandable being like that with these expensive models
The higher the cost, the higher my expectations. When models are promoted as being accurate, then I want them to be just that. Thanks for watching!