Rapido Trains - 519012 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD F59PH - Go Transit - 559

Model Information: In the mid-eighties, GO Transit was looking to replace its aging locomotive fleet with a specially designed locomotive that could meet the growing demands for service across the Greater Toronto Area. The locomotive needed to be able to quickly accelerate while pulling up to 10 of the new BiLevel coaches. In close consultation with GO Transit, GMD developed the F59PH. It is equipped with a turbocharged 12-cylinder two-stroke diesel prime mover (12-710G3A), a full-width North American comfort cab, with HEP provided by a smaller 600hp GM 8-cylinder diesel.

Due to the success of the locomotives with GO Transit, Metrolink in California placed an order for 22 F59PHs, which were delivered between 1992 and 1993. In the mid-2000s, GO would begin retiring part of their fleet which saw many of these locomotives sent to other commuter agencies across North America.

Road Name History: GO Transit launched in 1967 as an experimental commuter rail operation between Oakville, Pickering and Hamilton, Ontario along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Since weekend operations were limited in the early years, GO Transit locomotives could be found pulling Canadian National freight trains on weekends between Toronto and Montreal. Over the years, new routes were introduced and the rail system now stands at 280 miles. In recent years, an average of 187,000 riders take a GO Transit train each day. In 1978, the first of the “lozenge” coaches arrived. The locomotive fleet during that period consisted of F40PH’s, GP40TC’s and GP40-2’s. The latter were paired with old F units rebuilt into HEP power/cab cars. This fleet was later replaced primarily with F59PH’s. MP40’s are now displacing the F59PH’s. The current fleet includes 65 locomotives and 574 coaches. Trains are as long as 12 cars.

Brand/Importer Information: Rapido Trains Inc. is a high-end manufacturer of model trains and accessories in HO, OO and N (North American 1:160 and British 1:148) scales. The firm's mission is to recreate the entire rail travel experience, from fully-detailed interiors and under-frames on models to fully-wired telephone poles for model railroads.

The name RAPIDO was introduced by Canadian National in 1965 to headline the railway's high-speed intercity passenger services. Until the mid-1980s, RAPIDO stood for fast schedules, frequent trains, and superb service.

Today, Rapido Trains continues the RAPIDO concept with state-of-the-art models and attention to fine detail. This company is not related to the venerable (and now defunct) German manufacturer Arnold Rapido, nor the present-day Arnold (which is owned by the United Kingdom's Hornby), Canadian based Rapido Trains was founded in 2003.