Rapido Launch "Evolution" Range of 48 Foot Generic Bogie Coaches

[Horsetan]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

Over on RMWeb, Rapido are asking for suggestions on liveries for the next batch of Evolution coaches:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/188351-evolution-coaches-48-non-corridor-rolling-stock/?do=findComment&comment=5724666

Now's your chance to put in a vote for some CIE (or earlier) liveries.

This lovely photo posted recently by Ernie isn't far off in styling, but the Rapido coaches are non-corridor, non-gangwayed.

Were there suitable prototypes in Ireland? A quick scan at the IRRS archives indicates that the CBSCR had some carriages of about the right length and styling.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53509091095/in/album-72157662268090968

So did the GSWR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53508744101

Possibly the DSER:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53508837918

Possibly a negative point is that, so far, Rapido have insisted on all making all coach types in all liveries. I'm not sure all their coach types are similar to Irish prototypes, and it would be much harder to see a production batch of 5 different types, than 1 or 2 types. I could see a fair number of people adding a couple of 8-compartment bogie thirds to their trains of Genesis 6-wheelers.

 

 

As I've said before, were these somewhat cheaper, I think there'd be a bit of mileage in cutting and shutting the Generics to make them more like the common Irish carriage designs.

However, it's not in Rapido's nature to be truly helpful (their RTR locos are notoriously difficult to convert to P4 and I suspect they are deliberately designed that way to prevent tampering), so it is what it is.