Rivarossi American

During the 1970s, Rivarossi released a few plastic O Scale locos is kit form.  Motorizing kits were offered later.  First was the Casey Jones (IC) 4-6-0, followed by an IHB 3-cylinder 0-8-0 and two 4-4-0 locos based on the Virginia & Truckee Reno & Genoa.  I think the main difference between the two latter locos was the shape of the smokestack.  These four, plus a few European prototype items, were all imported by Associated Hobby Manufacturers (AHM) of Philadelphia.  I do not recall any advertising for a USMRR version of the 4-4-0, and my guess is that someone repainted one of the V&T models.   Can you tell if the parts were colored at the factory?

The two real V&T 4-4-0 locos still exist.  The Reno (#11) is at the Old Tucson movie town in AZ.  Fitted with different stacks & paint jobs, it has appeared in many western movies.  (Example: "Joe Kidd" with Clint Eastwood.)  The Genoa (#12, non-opertional) is at the CA State RR Museum in Sacramento.

AHM/Rivarrossi also offered the locomotives ready-to-run:

USMRR has to be a repaint.  The Genoa and Reno were the only two offerings.  The Genoa was painted a weird green, the Reno black, red and black.  The Genoa had a wood load, the Reno an oil tank.

I still have an unbuilt Reno kit buried away.  It's molded in black while the underfame is molded in red!

Rusty

I do not like plastic models.  But back then, one could buy an FM Diesel, three freight cars, and a loop of snap-track for $7.50.  And the 0-8-0 for $12.  So, yeah - I got about $50 worth and gave it to kids.  Well, I kept one of each.  Only a couple of upgraded freight cars are still here.

Ah-ha. Thanks! It was in an exhibit in a museum I work at, we were trying to figure out its origins.

There was a 3rd version:  in 1992, an outfit tried to import a special edition dedicated to commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Columbus voyages.  They commission quite a few of the 8-wheelers with special decals on the tender.  But there were delays in the production and shipping, so the engines didn't arrive until after the target year, apparently reducing their appeal.  Most of them were closed out at a great price--I still have a few of the ads around somewhere.  I had one of the engines for a while; contrary to the misinformation on the plastic engine thread, it pulled well--at least as well as the prototype--and it sure looked great.

To PRR4876:  is it motorized?  Is the lettering obvious decals?  What about the 13" mortar in the background:  do the wheels roll?

As for this example, about the only thing one can say for sure is that no USMRR would have been painted like that.  The poor thing looks seasick.

There was also a "modernized" 4-4-0 advertised, lettered for B&O, but I don't believe it ever made it into production.

Rusty

Rivarossi was also supposed to do a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy in plastic kit. I do not believe that it went very far as most of these kits came at a time when people stopped building kits. A few modelers have tried to build Big-Boys using two kits of the 0-8-0 and other spare parts.

Rivarossi was very innovative and the Pocher brand (Luxury car kits at 1/8 scale) are also issued from the same Italian factory. They combine plastic and various metal parts and turn into gorgeous museum quality models, with a lot of care.

Yves

Yves posted:

Rivarossi was very innovative and the Pocher brand (Luxury car kits at 1/8 scale) are also issued from the same Italian factory. They combine plastic and various metal parts and turn into gorgeous museum quality models, with a lot of care.

Yves

The Pocher factory was in Turino, Italy and the RivaRossi factory in Como, Italy. When RivaRossi took over Pocher the train manufacturing of Pocher went to Como but the 1/8 cars were still made in Turino; so these were never made in the RivaRossi factory. Now of course everything of Pocher and RivaRossi is made elsewhere and the brands are owned by British Hornby.

Regards

Fred 

Its definitely motorized with "Rivarossi" stamped on the bottom. Yeah, its a repaint. 

That O scale Genoa plastic kit looks EXCELLENT.

Andre

Inspired by the Burlington Bulletin nr 45 "Modern Americans" I started out with a real "Basket case" that I found in a box full of old Rivarossi parts and a mostly complete "Genoa" at a railway fair.  The engine still has its original gear box, but I changed the old motor for a new Mashima with a small flywheel. The smokebox is prolonged, a more correct smoke stack is made from a part of a pen. The tender is raised as the prototype for extended capacity. On the original Rivarossi there is only pick ups on the drive wheels, I added electrical pick ups on the tender to. CB&Q called this type A1 with it's old wagon top boiler. With a sound decoder this engine goes remarkably well. Since this project is still in the works everything in the picture is loosely fitted and parts are still missing.

My ICRR 382 is my best creeper period. 

 (conventional, 3r conversion w/gg1 rollers, bridge rectifier, modded pilot truck mount for 0-31 running (kinda poor on tubular, but loves the Super O)

(FYI these wheel flanges are smaller than "tin plate/pw" but larger than true scale. I don't know the code)

I had one of the IHB we we 0-8-0's in the kit box that l did nothing with and don't know where it is.  I would like all my freelance railroad's locos to look like that, except its tender. If it had a coal fired Vanderbilt tender, l would have raided train shows for more of those kits.  I have plenty of Elescos and smoke box mount pumps in castings, but,  that style tender is hard to find. 

I own a pair of the Rivarossi Genoa and Reno. Beautiful locomotives. I planned to restore them soon.

Little beauties, aren't they? I've had this one for years as a display model, but it's a runner. The Casey Jones 4-6-0 is another beauty, which I have a less pristine (but just as dusty!) version of. Couldn't bring myself to repaint it.

I was very surprised at how well the IC 382 pulls. An equal to a Lionel General. With some work to the pilot truck's attachment, I got it to handle standard O curves fairly well, and it loves Super-O. (Bridge.rectifier to run on ac & a GG-1 roller set on the bottom's gear cover)   I'd like the caboose. Almost got one when a case hit ebay, but wouldn't you know, someone bought the whole darn case

  I think that engine has possibly appeared on the forum before. I'd guess 3yrs ago, maybe more. It might be worth a search anyhow.

I am partway toward collecting the parts of 'bash a St. Louis & Iron Mountain 4-8-0.  I have just purchased a partly built 0-8-0 kit that will supply the main frame and the drivers; I am still looking for a similar ten wheeler for the cab, pilot truck and beam, and firebox.

One day, I hope to have a MIB example of all the kits and the R-T-Rs.

PALALLIN -- I have lots of parts for the 10 wheeler.  I'm sure I have what you need.  My contact info is in my profile.  I bought some 0-8-0's and 4-6-0's to kit bash and I think the little buggers multiplied on their own. 

   I have a 382 wheel set if someone ever needs them to convert a static model. I've been saving them "incase" but if someone really "needs" them just holler. (it's listed )

Adriatic posted:

   I have a 382 wheel set if someone ever needs them to convert a static model. I've been saving them "incase" but if someone really "needs" them just holler. (it's listed )

I have a static kit and would love to convert it....

Word was that all US prototype Rivarossi tooling was left outside in the storage yard (out in the weather) when all the tooling was sent to the UK after Hornby acquired the Rivarossi assets from the bankruptcy several years ago. This included most of the HO steam, diesel, and passenger cars, as well as the tooling for the Pocher 19th century items, and, presumably the O scale. The HO scale Allegheny and GE U-boat tooling May have escaped this fate, since they were in development or early stages of production at the time. As you might guess, weather in the UK is not conducive to outside storage of tooling (or much else, for that matter!), so it is likely those items will never be run again...

Bill in FtL

Ok I have the Casey Jones kit that I am seriously considering building to a PRR early G3 model as shown in O scale trains? 

My question to you is the drivetrain worth obtaining and building esp gor 3 rail trains or am I better off getting someone to build me a frame and wheels out of brass? 

The Casey Jones drive has a small HO size motor with a worm gear directly driven to the rear geared axle.  There is no flywheel on the motor.  The drivers are not sprung. 

It runs ok, but it is a plastic engine with a slug weight.  It's not going to pull a lot of cars.

The drivers do look pretty nice.  If my kitbash comes out nice I'm going to convert it to a NWSL gearbox.

Dave I sent you mail but I cant tell if you got it or not. If not, I'll try again with an unlisted but obvious back up address. Just let me know, then keep an eye. You'll know it when you see it. "All yours" without worry Dave.

I would say a medium or large ho motor. Mine is an equal to my Generals of the same period in pulling, and creeps much better.  In the 70s I don't think anything had a flywheel.  At a fraction of the cost, a great deal imo.

Captain John replaced his motor with a Lionel motor.  Catch him docked in the Marquette region and he will likely be able to tell you which one, etc..  (I knew, but lost the info to a bad device)

  It wont outlast a General imo because of bushing type and permanent attachment of drivers to the axles; but I was very impressed with the operation overall and have to have about 200 hours or more on it already. No signs of disappoitment so far.

   The wheels are not sprung, but at least one set of bushings does float a tiny bit vertically. I removed the fenders becuse of it. I didn't want to make them fit either, I just saw a pita that might return to haunt me later. I later read most of the similar prototypes had the fenders removed after a bit anyhow.

  Would a custom frame be better? I'd sure hope so.

   Would a custom frame be cheaper?   Fat chance.   A Lionel General likely costs less than a custom chassis alone.

I have bashed a couple of the Casey Jones ten wheelers  Here is a PRR D-16 from a C.J. I have on the bench right now.  I just finished making a jig to solder two sets of side rods together to account for the stretched wheel base between drive wheels. I am trying to decide whether or not to remove the flange from the front driver and limit the travel of the pilot truck a bit to cut down on the excessive front end overhand in curves. I have a Maxon coreless motor that just fits inside the firebox for power.   j

Tom D. posted:

The Casey Jones drive has a small HO size motor with a worm gear directly driven to the rear geared axle.  There is no flywheel on the motor.  The drivers are not sprung. 

It runs ok, but it is a plastic engine with a slug weight.  It's not going to pull a lot of cars.

The drivers do look pretty nice.  If my kitbash comes out nice I'm going to convert it to a NWSL gearbox.

"Not going to pull a lot of cars"   Neither did the real one.  I bought a dozen Maxon coreless motors on eBay a while back and one will fit nicely where the original motor was. It is a little taller so I cut out the top of the firebox but you can't see it with the roof in place. The Maxon is easily twice as strong,  or more.    . Being coreless it does not need a flywheel so much. I will also make a boiler weight by casting lead shot in epoxy to help with pulling power I want it to pull 5 MTH 60' wood coaches up a 2% grade,  and their a bit heavy.  One problem with these light plastic models when you try and add weight is, once they are heavy it's hard to find a point to lift them without breaking something.           j

  An old video of the 382 pulling a Generals set, plus some; way slower than a General can too.

My apologies for my forgetting this was a 2rs thread. But I'm hoping the performance is what's of real interest overall.

Bill Nielsen posted:

Word was that all US prototype Rivarossi tooling was left outside in the storage yard (out in the weather) when all the tooling was sent to the UK after Hornby acquired the Rivarossi assets from the bankruptcy several years ago. This included most of the HO steam, diesel, and passenger cars, as well as the tooling for the Pocher 19th century items, and, presumably the O scale. The HO scale Allegheny and GE U-boat tooling May have escaped this fate, since they were in development or early stages of production at the time. As you might guess, weather in the UK is not conducive to outside storage of tooling (or much else, for that matter!), so it is likely those items will never be run again...

Bill in FtL

Did not a large number of their HO steam engines end up in the IHC line?  I am pretty sure the Passenger cars did because I have a set in IHC boxes but which are obviously AHM/Rivarossi in origin.  If that's the case, this story is probably not entirely true.

Tom D. posted:

PALALLIN -- I have lots of parts for the 10 wheeler.  I'm sure I have what you need.  My contact info is in my profile.  I bought some 0-8-0's and 4-6-0's to kit bash and I think the little buggers multiplied on their own. 

 

Hey, thanks for the offer, Tom!

Email sent.

I understand what you mean about parts proliferating ;-)

My big challenge--and I really am not sure how I will approach this--is the slanted cylinders.  Duplicating this feature is a must since they were a significant part of the reason these engines were called "elephants."

I have chosen to do a static model so that this [articular part of the job need not stand up to the rigors of operation.

I am trying to figure out what I have--a description is as follows--exact copies of Lionel 700 series tinplate passenger cars (710)  712 observation car and a 711 baggage car--all repaints- in blue and stamped {embossed) with  "R" on the bottoms.  The sheet metal stampings appear to have been made on the lionel dies.  To date I've not  found out much about them--thanx for any leads  and info you may have for me--tomd

I think you'd have better luck if you made a new topic about those cars.  Without seeing them they sound like they were made by Rich Art.  Check out this link from the TCA:

http://www.tcawestern.org/richart.htm

thank you for setting me straight--the cafrsthat I have are definetly Rich A  -- I will deal with them as such-thanx again  tomd