Rapido's New CN H16-44

I recently purchased Rapido's CN H16-44 new release in HO scale. It is a great running engine and the sounds are amazing. If you model the 1950's era these CNR diesel power could be found in use. Some of the fleet where designated to Montreal as I have seen pairs of these engines in photos along the Central Vermont Railway on the CN Montreal to New London run-through freights that was beginning to replace steam in New England. One or two of these engines would be nice to have for such a layout. My layout is smaller so one unit is more than enough. I recently took a number of photos of my model just out of the box on my White River Division which has one running through Vermont on the CV and B&M. Now to get it on the workbench for a bit of light weathering. It may jump past some of my others that are lined up waiting work.

Check out Marty's Central Vermont Blog also as he has posted photos of these engines on the CV. One I found interesting was a H16-44 sandwiched between an CN GP-9 and RS-3.

A bit of history regarding this engine from the Rapido's "Engineman's Manual " which looks a lot like the prototype manuals that were placed in the units 70 years ago. 

In 1955. Fairbanks-Morse offered a new design for their existing H16-44 model locomotive. These changes involved raising the walkway and simplifying both short and long hoods to make construction easier. Under the hood, the locomotives were nearly identical to the earlier phases of H16-44 except for replacing the Westinghouse Electrical System with a more reliable General Electric system.

A total of 165 of the H16-44 Phase III Locomotives were built between 1955-1963. Locomotives for the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National were built by Fairbanks-Morse subsidiary Canadian Locomotive Company. A total of 58 H16-44 were built at the CLC plant. 18 of the units built in1955 where for the CNR.

Hauling a string of CNR boxcars along the WRD.  

Rapido has reproduced the engine manual for this model.