A General Electric 44-ton diesel locomotive is the latest addition to the Rapido Trains HO scale diesel lineup. The center-cab switcher has an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and prototype-specific details.
Prototype history
General Electric produced the 44-ton diesel locomotive from Sept. 1940 to Oct. 1956. During the course of the production run more than 370 units were built.
Why was 44 tons selected for the weight of the center-cab switcher? When diesels entered the scene, a labor agreement from 1937 required locomotives weighing 45 tons (90,000 pounds) or more to have an engineer and fireman. At 88,000 pounds, the GE 44-ton diesel was just under that threshold.
Over the course of the production run, GE made changes to the 44-ton diesel, referred to as Phases by railfans. Rapido’s first release features diesels based on Phase Ic, III, and IV prototypes. The Milwaukee Road (MILW) model is a Phase Ic. Spotting features include butt hinges, corner steps, front sand fillers, no vents on top of the hood, side radiators, and solid hood ends. This is the first time a Phase Ic model has been offered in plastic.
The sample we received is decorated as MILW 992, one of three GE 44-ton diesels rostered by the railroad. The class DE/3.8G-S (Diesel Electric, 380 horsepower, General Electric, Switcher) was built in Nov. 1941 as MILW 1701. It was renumbered 992 in 1959. The railroad retired the unit in Feb. 1966.
Model features
The Rapido GE 44-ton diesel locomotive features a plastic body consisting of the two hoods and a separate cab. The side radiators are plastic inserts with factory-installed number boards.
Details common to the front and rear pilots include plastic train line air hoses, footboard pilots, wire grab irons, plastic uncoupling levers, and molded poling pockets.
Features on the front and rear hoods include factory-applied metal door latches, molded sand fillers, and a wire handrail below the headlight. A pair of cast-metal, two-chime air horns are attached to the top of the front hood.
The walkways have raised nubs, and the cab steps are see-through etched-metal parts. Flexible engineering plastic was used for the handrails and stanchions. The vertical railings on the corner steps are painted white.
The cab is fitted with flush-fitting window glazing. Etched-metal windshield wipers are attached to the cab ends. The center-cab switcher has a detailed cab interior with two unoccupied crew seats.
Measuring up
The sample we received is neatly painted in Milwaukee Road’s orange-and-black scheme. The separation line between colors is sharp, and the lettering placement matches a prototype photo I found online. The DE below the road number stands for Diesel Electric.
Drawings of the GE 44-ton diesel locomotive appeared in Model Railroader Cyclopedia: Vol. 2, Diesel Locomotives (out of print). The Rapido model matches published data.
There were a few minor detail discrepancies between the prototype and model. The handrail below the headlight on both ends was black on the full-size unit. The prototype 992 had angled braces between the sill corner steps.
Our test sample has an ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder. I did the initial testing at the workbench with an NCE Power Cab. The 44-tonner crawled along at less than 1 scale mph at step 1. At step 28, the model achieved a top speed of 36 scale mph. That’s 1 mph faster than the prototype’s top speed.
Then I took the model over to our Winston-Salem Southbound for real-world testing. The short-wheelbase unit worked the industries on the 2’-9” x 8’-2” layout without issue. The Mo-Power capacitor helped the model navigate turnouts and the 30-degree crossing without losing power.
The GE 44-ton diesel made its debut 85 years ago, and examples can be still found earning their keep today. With multiple phase and detail variations, the Rapido Trains HO scale center-cab switcher is definitely not a one-size-fits-all model.
Facts & features
Price: direct current, $189.95; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $299.95
Manufacturer
Rapido Trains Inc.
500 Alden Rd., Unit 21
Markham, Ontario, Canada
L3R 5H5
Era: 1959 to 1966 (as decorated)
Road names: Milwaukee Road; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Boston & Maine; Canadian National; Denver & Rio Grande Western; New York, New Haven & Hartford; New York, Ontario & Western; Northern Pacific; Pennsylvania RR; Southern Pacific; Southern Ry.; and Union Pacific. Painted (red, blue, and yellow) but unlettered and undecorated models are also available. One to three road numbers per scheme.
Features
- Metal couplers, at correct height (low trip pin on front coupler)
- Metal wheel stubs mounted on plastic drive axle gears, correctly gauged
- Weight: 5.7 ounces
$180 for a 44 tonner ridiculous as are most current model railroad products. The hobby is extinguishing itself