The United Aircraft TurboTrain
is an important part of our railroad heritage. The Turbo was a high-speed passenger
train that operated
in Canada and the United States from the 1960s to the
1980s. To this day, it is the fastest production train in North American
history.
It achieved the American speed record of 170.8 MPH in 1967 and the Canadian speed
record of 140.6 MPH in 1976,
both of which still stand today. The TurboTrain
was designed and marketed by United Aircraft
Corporate Systems Center (later
Sikorsky Aircraft) as a gas turbine-powered, high-speed intercity train. Each
train was powered
by four or five Pratt & Whitney ST-6 gas turbine engines,
with an additional gas turbine providing auxiliary power. The
Turbo featured
a unique pendular suspension over articulated single-axle trucks, which allowed
the train to tilt in curves. That
feature, combined with the short Intermediate
Car length, meant that the Turbo could travel much faster than regular trains
on
conventional track. It was a high-speed train without the need to invest
in high-speed train infrastructure.
The American TurboTrain operated first
for Penn Central and then toured the United States in 1971 to introduce the nation
to
Amtrak. The Amtrak Turbo operated mainly between New York and Boston until
1976. In Canada, the Turbo operated first for CN
and later for VIA Rail Canada.
Operating between Montreal and Toronto (and, for a time, Ottawa), the Turbo became
one of the
most reliable trains in the country. Sadly, the Turbo era came
to an end in 1982. Each and every Turbo was scrapped.
The Rapido Trains Inc.
N scale TurboTrain is your chance to recreate this important piece of our railroad
history on your own
model railroad.
Features:
Accurate
dimensions scaled from original blueprints
Two powered Power Dome Cars
with smooth, reliable drive systems
Articulated single-axle trucks
with needlepoint axles
Full interior detail with interior lighting
Different Canadian and American versions with accurate details
All wheels pick up power for electrical reliability
Working headlights,
tail lights, and Gyralites
Prototypically-tinted windows
Canadian customers can add a four-pack of Intermediate Cars to complete
their
trains
Sound-equipped models feature a sound decoder and sugar cube
speaker in
each Power Dome Car
Sounds are accurate Turbo sounds
sourced from original Betamax video
recordings
Sound decoders are
custom ESU LokSound with amazing sound quality