Between January 1946 and October 1950 a total of 440 FA-1s and 240 FB-1s were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) and their Canadian subsidiary, the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). They were originally sold to twenty-five railroads in the US, Canada and Mexico. The FA-1 (and its matching booster, the FB-1) was rated at 1500 horsepower and was designed primarily as a freight hauler. In a market that was becoming dominated by EMD products, the FA-1 came in a distant second due in part to reliability issues with its rushed-to-market 244 prime mover. Still, they were popular with several roads and could be found at the head of freights into the late 1960s.

Following on to Rapido's FPA-4, FA-2 and PA loco models, their new FA-1 continues the Rapido tradition for accurate ALCO cab units with unsurpassed detail.

Rapido’s new HO scale FA-1 and FB-1 feature:

• Correct nose and windshield contours
• Flat or angled number boards as appropriate
• Dynamic and non-dynamic brake versions
• Air- or water-cooled turbo exhaust stacks
• Etched side and fan screens
• Heavy, die-cast chassis
• 5-pole motor with dual flywheels
• Operating headlights, class lights and back-up lights
• Full underbody piping and conduit
• Separate free-standing grab irons and handrails
• Many railroad-specific details installed or included
• Full, multi-color cab interior
• DC/Silent (21-pin DCC Ready) or DC/DCC/Sound (featuring ESU LokSound) options
• Accurate sounds