Building the last spike engines, ?? Rivarossi Genoa and Reno??

The only substantial difference between Rivarrossi's Genoa and Reno (in both O and HO) was the Genoa has the balloon stack, oil headlight and wood load, where as the Reno has a straight stack, electric headlight, air compressor and oil bunker.  Otherwise the loco models are identical.

If you fabricate a straight stack for a Genoa kit, you'd be in "close enough-land" for the 119.

Rusty

Keep in mind also that the Golden Spike recreation locos are not full scale.

Last Spike???? Always heard it called: The Golden Spike! Can't help you much, but I am fairly sure someone (PSC maybe) did the set in brass. Bad news is, I think they were around 6 grand!

Simon

PSC did the pair - they run ~$3500-4000.  You see a set for sale about once a year....

Thanks MWB! That 6K figure may have been someone's "Have I got a deal for you!" price, or maybe a product of Senior imagination. At least I got the importer correct.

Simon

As evidenced in the photos, when you have a nice spindly Rivarossi Genoa or Reno sitting in front of you, most of the period steamer offerings from MTH and Lionel look disappointing even at 3 feet (to me anyway), especially the solid look of the boiler and firebox areas.

I scan for the Rivarossi stuff on the Bay once in a while, and the Genoa seems to come up more than the Reno.

A re-motor and a Marx shoe underneath? I dunno. The wheel flanges on 3-rail switches would be a challenge, and a lot of playing with weight would be in order. Just my lowly $0.02

Tks for input.

I was able to get the Reno from a local vintage toy shop to add to the others in my photos above. Took the track and transformer down and tested it and it runs so picked it up for a good deal.

I think the Genoa and Reno will work fine for my pair of engines. They both run and will rarely get run much, not the strongest or most reliable motor and gears.

Will just take a little work to do some repainting and a few modifications, will not try to be exact but reasonably close.

But I thought perhaps if I get ambitious I might also do up a pair of the Lionel Generals in 3 rail to run at kids model train shows they will run for hours though not at all to scale close enough for the kids.

Yes it is known as the Golden Spike National Historic Site, worth a visit if ever in the area nice collection of artifacts and info and fun seeing the trains run.

http://www.nps.gov/gosp/index.htm