Rapido HO – EMD GP38 Locomotive
Looking for the quintessential do-everything locomotive — that non-turbo "Geep" you'll find working the branchlines of the big railroads as readily as the short lines? This collection brings together the versions of Rapido Trains' EMD GP38 locomotive. Reliable, hard-wearing, and everywhere, this 2,000-hp four-axle unit is a must-have for anyone modeling North American rail from the late 1960s to today — a workhorse that fits on nearly every layout.
Rapido recreates this locomotive with the attention to detail the brand is known for. Introduced in January 1966, the GP38 was a non-turbocharged machine, similar in look to the GP35 but longer, with two radiator fans, paired exhaust stacks, a new radiator grille, a straighter sill, and a redesigned fuel tank. Under the hood sat a 16-645 prime mover and a D32 DC generator (replaced in 1971 by an AR10 alternator, yielding the externally identical GP38AC). Built for lighter duty and track not suited to fast mainline running, it won over many short lines and industrial users, as well as the big railroads for their branchlines. This collection captures all that variety: low-nose and high-nose versions, with or without dynamic brakes, oil-bath or paper air filters, truck-sideframe variations, control-stand placements, and countless road-specific details (lights, horns, air conditioners, stacks, and more). The model pairs a die-cast frame, a cab interior, LED lighting, wire grab irons, and etched-metal steps. Offered as DC (DCC ready) or with sound and DCC (sound recorded from the prototype) and the MoPower capacitor system, these locomotives bring your layout the realism Rapido is known for.
What this collection brings together:
- EMD GP38 locomotives (2,000 hp, 16-645 prime mover, non-turbo), HO scale (1:87)
- Low-nose and high-nose versions
- DC versions (DCC ready, dual flywheels) and sound-and-DCC versions (ESU LokSound decoder, sound recorded from the prototype)
- MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted power
- Many variations: with or without dynamic brakes, oil-bath or paper air filters, truck sideframes, control-stand placement and quantity
- Road-specific details: lights, horns, air conditioners, exhaust stacks, lighted class lights
- Plastic and die-cast metal construction, weighted chassis
- Cab interior, LED lighting, operating headlights and auxiliary lights
- See-through etched-metal steps, wire grab irons, body-mounted magnetic knuckle couplers
- Multiple liveries and operators (BNSF, Burlington Northern, Southern Railway, Union Pacific, Penn Central, and more)
- Ideal for light-duty, branchline, and manifest freight service, late 1960s to today
