Charls Gendron
- Jun 14
- 2 min read

RapidoTrains: GP9u and Slug

In 1970, CP embarked on a progam to rebuild its aging fleet of GP9 road switchers. The locomotives had their front noses chopped along with many other appearance details change. The later rebuilds would receive upgraded 645 power assemblies. The rebuild program lasted until 1988 and ushered in the plain CP Rail red scheme.

Starting in 1993, CP converted various end-cab switchers to “daughter” units, or slugs, by decommissioning or removing the prime mover (replacing it with ballast to return the unit to its operating weight) and drawing power for the traction motors from GP9u “mother” units using cables that were semi-permanently connected between the units. All of the mother units were drawn from the 1500/1600 series of GP9u units.

The CP Chop Nose GP9u locomotive features:

Heavy diecast frame with super-detailed piping and traction cables
Detailed Blomberg trucks (Later series have rotating bearing caps)
Traction motor details on gearboxWorking track lights, class lights, control stand lights
Metal side handrails
Working ditch lights on prototypically appropriate road numbers
Front and rear plows, plates or footboards on appropriate road numbers

The CP Chop Nose GP9u Slug features:

Heavy diecast frame
Metal handrails
Removed exhaust stacks
Full lighting and flashing beacons Both models will have: DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DCC/ESU LokSound

Ever experience a loss of power? Experience it no more with the all-new "Mo-Power" capacitor.

Designed by Rapido with the guidance of ESU LokSound, this handy electrical component, which is integrated with the main PCB board, ensures you run uninterrupted from a momentary loss of track power. It will provide anywhere from two to five seconds of juice, depending on the Rapido locomotive.