{"product_id":"rapido-146045-ho-scale-bilevel-commuter-cars-metrolink-ribbon-set-2-cab-car-635-coaches-107-111","title":"Rapido 146045, HO Scale BiLevel Commuter Cars, Metrolink-Ribbon, Set #2, Cab Car 635, Coaches 107 \u0026 111","description":"\u003cp\u003eRapido 146045, HO Scale BiLevel Commuter Cars, Metrolink-Ribbon, Set #2, Cab Car 635, Coaches 107 \u0026amp; 111\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Rapido Bilevel Commuter Car features:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccurate body shell designs with or without rivet details\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive windows or four windows on the lower level, as appropriate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFree-rolling, highly-detailed inside-bearing trucks with roller-bearing axles and metal wheelsets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull underbody and unrivaled interior detail\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccurate painting and lettering, both inside and out\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTinted windows\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMetal side grab irons\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConstant interior lighting in DC and DCC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eControllable cab car lighting in both DC and DCC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCab cars pre-wired with a speaker and a 21-pin socket for full DCC\/Sound functionality\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Recommended Minimum Curve Radius: 22 Inches\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrototype \u0026amp; Model Overview\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe current Bilevel design, although largely originating in Europe, found its ways to North American rails in the 1970s and has since been put to use by dozens of commuter agencies all across Canada and the United States. Originally designed by Hawker Siddeley Canada, the cars have been manufactured over the years by Hawker Siddeley, Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), SNC-Lavalin, and today, Bombardier. The cars have always been built at the original Canadian Car \u0026amp; Foundry (CanCar) factory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Bilevel Commuter Car was originally designed in the mid-1970s at the request of the Government of Ontario (Canada) to develop a higher-capacity solution for their GO Transit commuter trains in the Greater Toronto Area. The commuter trains had grown to 10-car single-level trains during peak times and it was felt that the ideal solution was to increase the height rather than length of the trains. Designed by Hawker Siddeley Canada and Dofasco with input from GO Transit, the first coach models entered service in 1976, while the first cab cars entered service in 1983.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1989, the first Bilevel cars were introduced to the United States by Tri-Rail in the Miami area. In 1992, Metrolink in the Los Angeles area introduced the design to the West Coast. This spurred further orders in California including Coaster of San Diego, and Altamont Commuter Express (now Altamont Corridor Express) of San Jose. By the 2000s, more agencies across North America began using the Bilevel Commuter Cars for start-up commuter operations, such as Sounder in Seattle, FrontRunner in Salt Lake City, RailRunner in Albuquerque and West Coast Express in Vancouver, just to name a few. As of late 2020, 14 agencies across North America operate fleets totaling almost 1500 Bilevel Commuter Cars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Rapido model aims to finally bring museum-quality details, improved operations and prototypical accuracy to this long loved and under-appreciated mode of (commuter) transportation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hobby Outpost","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48414911398133,"sku":"RAP146045","price":230.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/8274\/2261\/files\/rapido_146044.jpg?v=1784134875","url":"https:\/\/nortrano.com\/products\/rapido-146045-ho-scale-bilevel-commuter-cars-metrolink-ribbon-set-2-cab-car-635-coaches-107-111","provider":"nortrano","version":"1.0","type":"link"}