Dear HO Scale Customers;

Rapido is thrilled to announce the GO Transit 60th Anniversary Train Sets in HO scale.

• THE BACKBONE OF TORONTO COMMUTER SERVICE FROM THE 1960s TO THE 1990s
• THE ICONIC GP40TC, SINGLE LEVEL CARS AND APCU, FINALLY IN HO SCALE
• COMMEMORATIVE BOXED SETS CELEBRATE GO TRANSIT’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

 

Metrolinx and GO Transit will be celebrating the 60^th anniversary, for what started as a 3-month experiment, in 2027!

Rapido are delighted to be celebrating with Metrolinx with a limited opportunity to grab your own GO Transit Anniversary fleet from Rapido Trains!

 

Note: You may be wondering why Rapido are launching this celebratory project so early! Rapido are hoping to slate this into production as soon as possible, so that you can celebrate the 60th with your own GO Transit Rapido models just in time for the anniversary.

 

In the early 1960s, Toronto was in the middle of a population boom as rapid industrialization and immigration turned the city into a major metropolis. As the population increased, it quickly became evident that the Greater Toronto Area needed a full-fledged commuter network to connect the many surrounding suburbs and communities.

Metrolinx photo

 

Canadian National operated a limited commuter operation in the region using a mixture of transition-era equipment, but a new regional authority was needed and thus GO Transit came to be.

Launching on May 23, 1967, GO Transit’s Lakeshore line between Oakville and Pickering Ontario began the commuter rail revolution in the GTA. Today, as part of the provincial Metrolinx agency, GO Transit’s network comprises of 7 rail routes, 39 bus routes and over 71,000,000 annual riders (which continues to grow!).

 

To power most of its new trains, GO turned to GMDD in London Ontario. GMDD responded with an all-new purpose-built locomotive: the GP40TC. Largely based on EMD’s new GP40 freight locomotive on a stretched platform, the GP40TC was powered by a 3000 turbocharged 16-645 prime mover with a smaller EMD 12V-149 for HEP.

Constructed in 1966, these were delivered several months in advance of the start of service, and most were pressed into freight service by CN. Painted solid dark blue with red railings and a small white CN noodle on the cab, these were regularly seen in freight service in Southern Ontario. Early in 1967, they were returned to London for the installation of the HEP equipment. Repainted in full GO livery in the spring of ‘67, all 8 units were on hand for the beginning of service on May 23, 1967.

Over time, GO renumbered and made several modifications to all the GP40TC fleet. This included modifications to the HEP setup with mufflers to make them quieter, as well as changes to the rear anticlimber setup.

By the late 1980s, GO decided to retire the GP40TC fleet in favour of the new F59PH, which went on to be their standard power through the 2000s.

 

The Rapido GP40TC Features:

• Design created from original drawings and measurements
• Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions  
• Incredible underframe detail including traction motor cables, air filters, HEP cabling and more 
• Cannon and Company licensed fan designs
• See-through, etched steps
• Separate metal grab irons and handrails installed at the factory
• Operating headlights, rear lights, marker lights, and inspection and walkway lights
• Suggested minimum radius: 18”
• MoPower capacitor system for uninterrupted DCC running
• DC/DCC ready or Dual-Mode DCC/Sound

 

After their illustrious careers for GO Transit, all 8 GP40TCs, along with the F40PH fleet, were sold to Amtrak in 1988. They were be repainted into Amtrak’s Phase III scheme and dispatched into revenue service. Some were placed into Hiawatha service and could be seen with Metra’s Gallery Cars running between Milwaukee and Chicago. Their mainstay was on short haul “intercity” trains in the Midwest. A few were assigned to Albany-Rensselaer and hauled such trains as the Maple Leaf, Adirondack, Empire Service runs and the Lake Shore Limited. A few found their way into Auto-Train service, as well!

The GP40TC fleet was rebuilt multiple times throughout their careers on Amtrak. Their current assignement sees them in work train service on the Northeast Corridor and Empire Service areas. They are now classified as “GP38H-3”, after their mid-2000s rebuild. Nearly 60 years of service since leaving the shop floors of London, Ontario!

 

 

Order Due Date: March 16, 2026

Anticipated Delivery Date: February 2027

 

Looking for more Rapido Trains Inc. Train Sets? Click here!

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