Rapido HO – EMD GP40 Locomotive
Looking for the four-axle locomotive that defined a whole generation of North American diesel power — the one you'd find leading freights from coast to coast? This collection brings together the versions of Rapido Trains' EMD GP40 locomotive. Regarded as the gold standard among four-axle locomotives, the GP40 earned its place on dozens of railroads — a must-have for anyone modeling North American freight from the late 1960s to today.
Rapido recreates this locomotive with the level of detail the brand is known for. The GP40 series was the best of its class: over 1,000 built for some 30 railroads across North America. EMD began production in late 1965 with an order for the New York Central, and the last rolled off the line in 1971 for the Chesapeake & Ohio; in between, Penn Central amassed the largest fleet, with the Baltimore & Ohio a close second. This collection captures all that variety, with multiple liveries and many variations never produced in plastic before: nose and Gyralight/Mars lights, different stepwells, Canadian versions, and even slugs. The model stands out for its attention to detail — licensed Cannon & Company 48" radiator fans, dead-straight metal side handrails, a strikingly realistic underframe, and road-number-specific battery box doors and fuel tank sizes. Offered in DC or with an ESU LokSound sound decoder and MoPower capacitor system (for uninterrupted power), these locomotives bring your layout the realism Rapido is known for.
What this collection brings together:
- EMD GP40 locomotives, HO scale (1:87)
- DC versions and ESU LokSound sound-equipped versions (dual-mode DC/DCC/sound)
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted power
- Many variations: nose lights, Gyralight/Mars lights, stepwells, Canadian versions, slugs
- Licensed Cannon & Company 48" radiator fans
- Extended-range dynamic brakes (where appropriate)
- Dead-straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions
- Ultra-detailed underframe: traction motor cables, air filters, a multitude of separate parts
- Operating ditch lights and beacons (where appropriate)
- Road-number-specific details: battery box doors, fuel tank size
- See-through etched-metal steps, multiple truck sideframes and dynamic-brake hatches
- Multiple liveries and operators (Canadian National, Union Pacific, Western Pacific, Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, and more)
- Suggested minimum radius: 18" (46 cm)
- Ideal for manifest freight trains, late 1960s to today
