Guaranteed Pre-Order Deadline is January 15th, 2027After closing, you may still place a pre-order and we will attempt to acquire one for you.Estimated Delivery Date Is: TBA
Product Information:
Rapido HO Scale GE B30-7 – Chessie System C&O 8280 – DCC SoundDC/DCC/Sound: ESU LokSound V5 decoder with the correct 16-cylinder FDL sound file. Mo-Power capacitor system for uninterrupted operation in DCC.
HO Scale B23-7, B30-7, B30-7A Locomotives features:
- “Phase III” details for the wide variety of Dash-7 4-axle models
- Headlights and rear lights
- Tri-color class lights (where applicable)
- Ditch lights (where applicable)
- Lit numberboards
- Walkway Lights
- Step lights
- Full traction motor casing details
- Rotating bearing caps
- Metal brake chain on engineer’s side
- Detailed underbody piping and conduit
- Separate grab irons
- Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions
- Detailed cab interior
- Lighted control stand
- Heavy, die-cast weight for heavy hauling
- 5-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels
- Sound-equipped units feature ESU LokSound V5 decoders
- Many road specific details – see table
- Suggested minimum radius: 18″
Road Specific Details – Chessie System (C&O) B30-7, Road Numbers 8279-8298:
- Phase III B30-7 with a 3,000hp 16-cylinder engine
- Correct 16-cylinder FDL sound file for sound equipped models
- Eight tall hood doors for the 16-cylinder engine
- Built as C&O 8279-8298 in 1981
- Rear hood has 4-grille arrangement
- Raised rear numberboards
- Lower rear class lights
- Class lights on nose
- Tall bathtub exhaust
- AAR trucks
- Rotating Timken bearings
- Chessie rock pilot on front pilot
Chessie ordered 20 Phase III B30-7’s featuring a distinctly Chessie look – AAR Type-B trucks and rock pilots. The same 20 units went to CSX yet end up looking so different that it is hard to tell. CSX swapped the trucks to FB-2’s, blanked the class lights, added ditch lights to both ends, and added electronic fuel gauges and air dryers. One of these units, Minnesota Commercial 49, is still in active service on the railroad with the same features.
Prototype photo: C&O 8285 (Chessie System), Richmond, VA, April 20, 1986 – photo courtesy Warren Calloway (via Rapido Trains). Artwork is subject to change before final production.
