Rapido H16-44

After placing my order 4 years ago, Rapido has finally delivered the H16-44 units. These units truly were worth the wait, the look good, sound great and run well. I purchased 3 units, two with DCC and sound and one straight DC. I have since added a non-sound chip to that unit and all three look great together. In the mid to late 1950's, these units where used a lot in service over the Norwich and Worcester line, passenger and fright. As time went on, the other 1956 road switchers (GP-9 and RS-11) locomotives would be typically mixed in as well. All lasted into Penn Central and were shipped out to Chicago area until scrapped. 

Three new H16-44 units from Fairbanks Morse on
 the Norwich and Worcester. 

Engineer's side

 

Cooling fans and exhaust stacks

Front end of the NH's class unit

Fireman's Side

Four screws around the fuel tank.

On both ends of the using the steam tine for passenger
service goes right over the coupler screws. You can
carefully bend it out of the way, but be very careful.
I did end up breaking one in the end.

The fuel tank screw are very long. 

Here is the mechanism. I replaced the DC board with the 21 pin board recommended by Rapido. This unit will not have sound. 

I do recommend these locomotives. They seem to be a the lower end of cost of the most recent Rapido locomotives, but they are top of the lone in detail and operations.