Dear HO Modelers: In 1944 my grandfather returned from England. He had been serving in England with the RCAF, where he was a tail gunner in a Lancaster Bomber crew. Upon returning to Canada he got a job working for CPR. My Grandfather rose through the ranks and became the head conductor on CPR's greatest named train - "The Canadian".

In 1955 my mother remembers having to accompany my Grandfather to the CPR Station in Winnipeg 4 hours ahead of his normal starting time. The reason? CPR was sending the first of it's new Budd Built Passnger Train - The Canadian. He had to go in early to become familiar with the new equipment.

I have been waiting for someone to produce this train for many years.  A few months ago I mentioned to Jason, if he didn't produce it soon, we would. Well either way I'm finally going to get "The Canadian" - my Grandfathers train.

We wish Jason and Rapido success with this project and want to work with all of our customers who want to afford this important Canadian Traiin.

Dan Huberman

Pacific Western Rail System

Below is Rapido's official annoucement.

Pacific Western Rail will have special pricing for all of our customer for this premier Canadian Train! Call us for details.

Dear Rapido Customer, I mentioned in an earlier Telegraph that we had two more product announcements to make this year. I've decided to save one of the announcements for later... because this one's a biggie. CANADA'S WORLD-FAMOUS TRAIN in HO SCALE The Canadian A Complete, Limited-Edition Train in HO Scale At 1 p.m. on Sunday 24 April 1955, a legend was born. The sleek stainless steel passenger cars of Canadian Pacific's The Canadian departed Montreal's Windsor Station for the inaugural run across Canada to Vancouver. Today, even with numerous upgrades and route changes, The Canadian still makes the journey every week, uniting communities across the country. As a proud Hosehead from the north, I am pleased to announce the release of Canada's most famous train, The Canadian, in HO Scale. This will be the first complete model of The Canadian ever produced in ready-to-run plastic, including the first ever 100% accurate model of Canada's unique FP9 locomotive. All other FP9 models out there are really FP7s in disguise... Each limited edition train features TWO sound-equipped FP9A locomotives and TEN glorious Budd passenger cars. Included in each numbered box is a coupon redeemable for one FREE unpowered F9B locomotive. The Canadian features all-new, super-detailed tooling from headlights to marker lamps. As you recall we were over a year late delivering the TurboTrain, so I'm not taking any chances - delivery of The Canadian is in early 2010, over a year away. I decided to announce it now to coincide with Model Railroader magazine's 75th anniversary issue. The production run will be strictly limited to 2000 trains or less, divided into six consists. Once we have orders for 2000 trains, the order desk will close. So even if we sell out in a month, we will not make more than 2000 sets. The Canadian can be reserved with your dealer on a first-come, first-served basis. Once they're gone, they're gone for good. The MSRP for this complete train is $1499.95. We've kept this as low as we can, but everyone knows how much model railroad product costs have been going up lately. To give you an idea, it cost us the same amount to tool the Osgood-Bradley 10-Window Coach as it did to tool both our Lightweight Coach and our Duplex Sleeper! Ouch! Dealers please note that standard dealer discounts do not apply to The Canadian, so please don't quote prices to your customers until you receive the pricing information from your distributor in the next couple of weeks. Canadian Pacific FP9A Locomotives Photo courtesy Brian Schuff Collection. Two Powered FP9A Locomotives First true Canadian FP9A ever produced in plastic Both locomotives are powered and sound-equipped, DC and DCC Smooth-running motor and gears broken in at the factory Correct fuel tank, end door, icicle breakers and winterization hatch Correct CPR-style grab irons and water tank Road number specific details (how's that for detail?) 100% accurate for CPR and VIA I've got a fleet of "FP9s" that I kitbashed a long time ago, but like most plastic FP9s they have the wrong fuel tanks, the wrong end doors, and loads of other "wrong" details. I was happy with these compromises then, but with today's technology and the proper investment it's possible to get things 100% right. Canadian Pacific Budd Passenger Cars Photo courtesy Brian Schuff Collection. Ten Budd-built Passenger Cars Fully Ready-To-Run Super-detailed underbodies, trucks and interiors All steam, air and electrical lines New, all-metal MacDonald-Cartier Couplers (TM) All grab irons installed at the factory Working diaphragms and etched-metal end gates Smooth Stainless Steel finish Full interior and dome lighting Illuminated drumhead and marker lamps on the Park Car 3D "Beaver" heralds on each car (in maroon schemes) 100% accurate for CPR and VIA Canadian Pacific's 1953 order was for seven different car styles, and we're doing all of them: Baggage-Dormitory 60-Seat Coach SKYLINE Buffet Dome Coach 48-Seat Diner 4 Section, 8 Roomette, 3 Bedroom, 1 Drawing Room CHATEAU Sleeper 4 Section, 6 Roomette, 5 Bedroom, 1 Compartment MANOR Sleeper 3 Bedroom, 1 Drawing Room PARK Dome Lounge Sleeper The Canadian will also include an extra Coach, an extra Chateau Sleeper and an extra Manor Sleeper for a total of TEN CARS. These cars will feature the same insane level of detail as our Super Continental Line passenger cars. We are currently looking at different plating methods to get the perfect stainless steel finish. I ride The Canadian all the time and I want to make sure the feel is perfect. This is a very subjective thing, so I hope that you like our final take on it. In answer to the question on many people's minds, we won't be doing the U-series heavyweight tourist sleepers at this time. When we expand into heavyweight cars, that will be on our list of priorities. In the meantime, it might be worth contacting The BGR Group to see if they would be interested in producing a resin model of this car. Click here to visit The BGR Group. For those wishing to expand their train, Norwest Kits and Castings offers CPR lightweight coaches and baggage cars which were often used on The Canadian. Click here to visit Norwest Kits and Castings. Even though we are announcing The Canadian, our Super Continental Line is alive and well. Expect more announcements in that line next year. FREE Canadian Pacific F9B Locomotive Photo Courtesy Brian Schuff. And a free F9B, to boot! A coupon redeemable for one free unpowered CPR/VIA F9B locomotive is included with each model of The Canadian. 100% accurate for CPR and VIA, including step skirts A different F9B paint scheme/number is available for each consist. This super-detailed F9B will ONLY be available to purchasers of The Canadian. It will not be available separately. The Complete 10-Car Canadian Photo Courtesy Brian Schuff Collection. (Yes, I know those are FP7s ruining what would otherwise be a perfect photo.) (I should complain to CP.) Consists and Paint Schemes The Canadian by Rapido Trains Inc. CPR Maroon (Block) - FP9A 1406 & 1407 plus F9B 1900 Product Number 210001 Baggage-Dormitory 3017; Coach 111; Coach 120; Skyline 515; Diner Louise; Chateau Argenson; Chateau Rigaud; Amherst Manor; Douglas Manor; Yoho Park CPR Maroon (Block) - FP9A 1410 & 1413 plus F9B 1901 Product Number 210002 Baggage-Dormitory 3008; Coach 105; Coach 119; Skyline 504; Diner Princess; Chateau Roberval; Chateau Lauzon; Grant Manor; Stuart Manor; Banff Park CPR Maroon (Script) - FP9A 1408 & 1409 plus F9B 1903 Product Number 210003 Baggage-Dormitory 3000; Coach 103; Coach 117; Skyline 512; Diner Kent; Chateau Montcalm; Chateau Iberville; Thompson Manor; Dufferin Manor; Algonquin Park CP Action Red (5" Stripes) - FP9A 1411 & 1412 plus F9B 4476 Product Number 210004 Baggage-Dormitory 602; Coach 108; Coach 123; Skyline 506; Diner Emerald; Chateau Salaberry; Chateau Dollard; Cornwall Manor; Burton Manor; Assiniboine Park VIA Rail Canada (early) - FP9A 1406 & 1413 plus F9B 1962 CP Action Red (8" stripes) locomotives with VIA passenger cars Product Number 210005 Baggage-Dormitory 605; Coach 102; Coach 113; Skyline 501; Diner Alexandra; Chateau Maisonneuve; Chateau Levis; Cabot Manor; Mackenzie Manor; Evangeline Park Via Rail Canada - FP9A 1405 & 1414 plus F9B 1965 Product Number 210006 Baggage-Dormitory 610; Coach 116; Coach 127; Skyline 516; Diner York; Chateau Bienville; Chateau Lasalle; Bell Manor; Wolfe Manor; Riding Mountain Park Glorious Stainless Steel Project Status So Far Right now the FP9s are in tooling as well as the passenger car bodies and interiors. The F9B is in the design stage. We are not finished designing the passenger car underbodies as we're waiting for some underbody piping diagrams from Bombardier. If you have blueprints of The Canadian in your possession it may speed things along - please give me a shout if you can help. You won't find this at IKEA. Foamer Contest Still On! We're still on the lookout for photographic evidence that you are completely nuts about trains. Do you have a train-shaped mail box? An Amtrak sign on your front lawn? If you've train-ified your life, we want to see it. Three lucky winners will be selected from all the entries and will receive free Rapido stuff. The photo above shows my bedroom back in the days when I was a bachelor living with Mum and Dad. That's one of my old FP7 models on the Pullman step. It made an unexpected trip to the basement floor about eight years ago and now rests in the model railroad roundhouse in the sky. You can read more about the contest by clicking here. Oddballs Order Deadline - November 30th! As mentioned in Volume 11 of the Rapido Telegraph (which you can read here), the order deadline for our new batch of passenger cars is next weekend. Full details about these new car numbers and paint schemes are available on our web site. Click on any paint scheme below to read more. Burlington Northern Executive Scheme C&NW (Simplified Scheme) ***NEW SCHEME*** Burlington (Silver/Shadowlined - Havelock Baggage) ***NEW SCHEME*** Canadian National (Oddball Schemes) ***NEW SCHEMES*** Central of Georgia Canadian Pacific Railway Illinois Central Milwaukee Road (1950 Scheme) Milwaukee Road (1955 UP Scheme) MOPAC (Jenks Blue Scheme) Ontario Northland (Modern Scheme) Southern Railway ***NEW SCHEME*** Texas & Pacific (The Eagle) ***NEW SCHEME*** Union Pacific VIA Rail Canada (Oddball Schemes) ***NEW SCHEMES*** VIA - CN You can order these products in advance from all fine model railroad retailers. If your local dealer doesn't stock our products, he or she can order them from all the major distributors. If you know you want a certain paint scheme or car number, it is always recommended to order in advance to ensure that you don't miss out. Just ask all those guys looking for B&O coaches... I'll be sending out one more Telegraph before the end of the year, including detailed delivery and status updates on our N scale passenger cars, HO scale "Oh, So Steamy!" Steam Generator Cars and all of our other products. We're expecting some new samples from the factory this week. In the meantime, keep those foamer photos coming! All the best, Jason Jason Shron President Rapido Trains Inc. ABOUT RAPIDO TELEGRAPH Rapido Telegraph is ©2008 Rapido Trains Inc. You have received this email because you signed up for the newsletter on our web page or you have inquired about our products or because we know you and we think you will want to read it. How's that for a disclaimer? To unsubscribe, follow the link below. Rapido Trains Inc. supports our hobby shops - please buy our products from your local dealer. Rapido Trains Inc. is a registered trademark. TurboTrain is a registered trademark of Rapido Trains Inc.

The Canadian

The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is currently operated by VIA Rail Canada (as the Canadian) with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, British Columbia. Before the current transcontinental service, the name "The Canadian" had been used on CPR's overnight Montreal / Chicago trains. 

Canadian Pacific

In the years following World War II, passenger trains on the CPR consisted of a mixture of prewar heavyweight and pre- and post-war lightweight cars, even on their flagship transcontinental The Dominion and its eastern extension, The Atlantic Limited. While these cars were serviceable, American trains of the early 1950s, such as the California Zephyr, had already adopted streamlined all-stainless steel consists featuring domed observation cars. Following an evaluation in 1949 of the dome cars featured on the General Motors / Pullman Standard demonstrator Train of Tomorrow, CPR management, including then Vice-president Norris Crump resolved to upgrade their rolling stock. In 1953 CPR placed an order for 155 stainless steel cars with the Budd Company of Philadelphia that included 18 rear-end dome cars (Park series), 18 Skyline mid-train dome cars, 30 coaches, 18 dining cars and 71 sleeping cars (Manor and Chateau series). A subsequent order for 18 baggage-crew dormitory cars brought the final to total to 173 cars, sufficient for establishing an entirely new transcontinental service and partially re-equippiping The Dominion. The interior design of these new cars was contracted to the Philadelphia architectural firm Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson (a company known for its industrial designs on other prominent passenger trains such as the Pioneer Zephyr), and the resulting furnishings and pastel-shaded colour schemes were widely acclaimed. After deciding to name the Park series dome cars after famous Canadian parks, leading Canadian artists, including members of the Group of Seven, were commissioned to paint suitable murals for these cars. When the decision was made to add budget sleeping cars, the Budd order was supplemented by 22 existing heavyweight sleepers that CPR refurbished in its own Angus Shops, each fitted out with Budd-style stainless steel cladding. To complement the new rolling stock, the CPR ordered General Motors Diesel FP9 locomotives to supplement an existing fleet of FP7s. Although these F-units remained the preferred power for the train, it was occasionally pulled by a variety of motive power, including Montreal Locomotive Works FPA-2s, and, as late as 1959, Steam locomotives.

CPR christened their new flagship train The Canadian and service began on April 24, 1955. Although CPR competitor Canadian National Railways began its own new transcontinental service, the Super Continental, on the same day, CPR was able to boast honestly that The Canadian was "The first and only all-stainless steel 'dome' stream-liner in Canada" — it was not until 1964 that the CNR acquired dome cars. CPR operated the train in two sections east of Sudbury, Ontario. The section operating between Montreal and Vancouver (also serving Ottawa) was known as train 1 westbound and train 2 eastbound, with a connecting section to or from Toronto splitting or joining at Sudbury (this section was known as train 11 westbound, and train 12 eastbound). Matching its streamlined appearance, The Canadian's 71 hour westbound schedule was 16 hours faster than that of The Dominion.

Although initially successful, passenger train ridership began to decline in Canada during the 1960s. Facing competition from airlines and increased automobile usage following construction of the Trans-Canada Highway, the CPR cancelled The Dominion in 1966, and petitioned the government to discontinue The Canadian in 1970. Although this petition was denied, CPR during the 1970s attempted to remove itself from the passenger service market. The Canadian was operated at reduced levels, with the government subsidizing 80 percent of its losses.

VIA Rail