General Electric had long been touted as a company that supplied parts for other manufacturers. That would all change with GE’s entry into a road-switcher market dominated by EMD and Alco. In the late 1950s, GE’s engineers were developing a new V16 engine. What followed was the creation of the U25B road switcher. Available in both high-nose and low-nose variants, GE would sell over 450 U25Bs to a variety of Class I railroads. The U25B would pave the way for future Universal series locomotives.

Many U25Bs lasted into the early 1980s on some Class I railroads. A few ex-L&N versions would continue on to the early 1990s on CSX! A notable user of the U25B was Rock Island, which equipped a few of theirs with “frog lights” on the sides of the cab roof. These lights could alternate or shine steady. Get ready for a new run with new schemes on the popular U25B locomotive!

The Rapido Trains HO scale U25B locomotive Features: 

• New Phase IV units representing late U25Bs and early U28Bs

• Working "frog lights" (Rock Island and MEC #225 and #228)

• BN with five-step stepwell

• Improved thinner front and rear handrails

• Single front window or new double front window

• Both low and high-short hood versions

• Flat or new sloped low nose

• New side sill mounted handrails on Phase IV units

• Early high- and later low-style side doors

• Road specific details for each model

• Different exhaust stacks (depending on roadname)

• Road-specific battery box doors on engineer’s side

• MoPower capacitorl

Ever experience a loss of power? Experience it no more with the all-new "Mo-Power" capacitor.

Designed by Rapido with the guidance of ESU LokSound, this handy electrical component, which is integrated with the main PCB board, ensures you run uninterrupted from a momentary loss of track power. It will provide anywhere from two to five seconds of juice, depending on the Rapido locomotive.

Looking for more Rapido Trains Inc. U20 Diesel Locomotives? Click here!