Guaranteed Pre-Order Deadline is January 15th, 2027
After 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 Sound
DC/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.
