I picked up an old Rivarossi "C" liner--which, of course--is not a "C" liner. It does not run! I need to replace the motor brushes. The motor runs when I put pressure on the brushes but one brush is actually cracked. The unit is in great shape, otherwise. If you have any brushes for these motor in your "parts" drawer and would be willing to sell them to me, please let me know!
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Why is it not a "C-Liner"?
Why is it not a "C-Liner"?
I'm curious, too.
C-Liner was FM marketing shorthand for "Consolidation Line," which covered everything from a 1600h.p. with B-B trucks to a 2400h.p. locomotive with B-A1A trucks, all using the same carbody. The Rivarossi model seems to fit this description.
Rusty
Tom, I too always thought the AHM was a fairly accurate rendering for an injection molded shell of a CFA-16(20)-4 C-Liner.
I have a pair of them finished in NYC lightening stripes with stock AHM drives too, albeit I run them in pairs and with each unit dual powered and slab weighted, retrofitted accordingly.
That said those little motors do fail, I'll check to see if I saved the last one though I typically throw them in the E-recycle bin. I just buy a new one as needed on e-bay as they're not expensive.
I'll let you know.
Pete
I have 3 A-units and a kitbashed B done up for Pennsy. I added antennas and cut off the cast on grabs and added wire ones. I also filled in the pilots.
Mine are also double powered and double weighted. As you say I run then in 2 unit sets and so far have kept them running.
Jim, love to see them with the antenna's and bashed B unit, I've thought about a B unit but the project stack is getting pretty tall. I did mine with wire grabs too and filled pilots using marine body epoxy.
The drives are not the best for these.
You might try repowering them with something ??
Perhaps a P&D drive??
They are a fairly nice body casting for having picked these up for very little $ used.
The ones I have can run but will be kept to a back display track with many much stronger and better engineered engines to run.
I have a couple I painted years ago but did not want to try to do the CDS decals rub on dry transfer on top of the rivet strips where they are on the real model. Dry transfer does not work that good.
Found some waterslide decals a couple of weeks back that are a good thickness and quality and spent a few hours trying to get the decals on, the stripes to sit straight on top of the rivet strips. Took hours!
But did a lot of it while watching the Olympics, seemed well suited to be applying CP decals while watching some of the girls and boys Cdn hockey games! Gold
When you get a stripe on top of the ribbing and pull the water out the decal shifts, move it back straight then apply a little decal set and it moves again as it gets real soft really fast. Took forever to get them straight and to sit down over the rivets.
Some photo links below to the original units.
1 down 1 to go;
Gorgeous! I like FMs, and really like the CP scheme. And who doesn't like the lightning stripes. I did a B unit a couple decades ago; traded it and an A for a live steamer.
Back in the late 70's I took on a PRR C-liner project splicing two Rivarossi A's to make a B, closing in the pilots, adding wire hand rails/grabs, and installing train phone antennas. The original Rossi drive train wouldn't stand up to heavy O scale service so I re-powered the A units with a conversion kit offered by All Nation. The B was a dummy. The conversion used the plastic Rossi side frames mounted to a U shaped brass bolster bracket. Brass tubing insets served as axel bearings. They ran well for many years but after a decade of service the sintered iron wheels developed pits from arching that progressively got worse with time. I had to clean the wheels prior to each operating night for them to run well. The pits collected crud which in turn caused more arching and larger pits.
When Car Works came out with their brass FM road switcher they brought in extra non-powered trucks and I picked up 3 pair. Using Overland drive train components (the improved good 1990's version!), NWSL flywheels, and Pittman motors I completely rebuilt the drives. About 4 years ago they were further upgraded with QSI Revolution-U DCC sound decoders as shown in the third picture below. The up and over bracket at the rear supports the downward facing enclosed speaker. Now they both run and sound great. The two powered A's and dummy B easily will hall 30 NMRA weighted cars up and around my 2.2% Horseshoe Curve grade. I’d like to hear what others did to glaze the front windshields – mine are still not done!
For anyone considering a Rossi repowering project using P&D drive components I have most of what you'd need (Pittman motors, NWSL 42" geared wheels sets in P&D gear boxes). I purchased the components to power AtlasO FM Erie-Built dummies and I've since gone a different route. Contact me off-line if interested.
Ed Rappe
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