# Rivarossi Trains



## kre8ive27 (Dec 1, 2015)

Does anyone have experience with Rivarossi trains? I picked these 2 up online and think I got them for a good price. Although the tenders shown in the pics are shown with the wrong locomtoive.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Rivarossi*



kre8ive27 said:


> Does anyone have experience with Rivarossi trains? I picked these 2 up online and think I got them for a good price. Although the tenders shown in the pics are shown with the wrong locomtoive.


 kre8ive27;

It has been decades since I have seen a Rivarossi product. They were big in the 1960s and 70s. For their time they were very good looking and pretty good runners, by the standards of those days. They do not compare in smooth running to today's models.
They used a three pole, fairly high current motor; with no flywheels. The gearing was quite basic, and again, current products are a lot better. Today's locos come with 5 pole, lower current, better quality, motors. Dual flywheels, and better slow speed gearing are also typical now. If you want to upgrade the Rivarossis, a new motor would be a good place to start.
www.nwsl.com & www.micromark.com have suitable motors. If you plan to run DCC( a good idea) you will also need a DCC decoder in the loco, or tender. If the decoder has sound, a speaker can also go in the tender.

Good luck;

Traction Fan


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

http://tycotrain.tripod.com/ahmhoscaletrainscollectorsresource/id154.html

http://hoseeker.org/ahmmiscellaneous.html


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## kre8ive27 (Dec 1, 2015)

Thanks for the info


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## kre8ive27 (Dec 1, 2015)

*Rivarossi*

Thanks for the info


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Rivarossi products had some of the best plastic moldings and they still hold up against today's products. The main failing was the motors. The other were the large European flanges that required code 100 rail. Replacing the motor is one solution but *DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES* attempt the reduce the flanges by turning the engine over and holding a file to the flanges with the motor running. That is a very good way to completely ruin the engine.


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## NWHOOSIER (Jan 6, 2016)

I recently got an N&W 2-8-8-2 off ebay and it was practically new. Nice smooth runner compared to Mantua and stays on my 18" radius snap track even under high speed. Headlights are dim on these and even LED does not help much.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Rivarossi Rocks!!*

Hey Kre8ive27, Yeah the tenders are reversed as that 2-10-2 has the B&O Tender(is the Smoke Box cover on this?) and that 4-6-4 Hudson has the NY Central, but that's a Pere Marquette that's usually paired with a 2-8-4 Berkshire. Good pick ups and though they could be grinds or noisy they are great pullers and look fantastic if you are running DC. Shaygetz is the Rivarossi King...and I would be his Court Jester as I have 12 Steamers with the 2-8-4 Berkshire being my favorite. DCC conversion can be done as Traction Fan has said and it can be done though some say its a tight fit...with sound added I think. You will be very happy and they are pretty easy to work on. Five years ago you could find these super cheap on Ebay but now folks have wised up to the popularity of these beautiful locomotives so I hope you got these at a good price. Go to the Kadee sight for coupler conversion chart and slap some knuckles on those baby's and congrats on your find!!:appl:


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

MacDaddy55 said:


> Hey Kre8ive27, Yeah the tenders are reversed as that 2-10-2 has the B&O Oil Tender(is the Smoke Box cover on this?) and that 4-6-4 Hudson has the NY Central, but that's a Pere Marquette that's usually paired with a 2-8-4 Berkshire. Good pick ups and though they could be grinds or noisy they are great pullers and look fantastic if you are running DC. Shaygetz is the Rivarossi King...and I would be his Court Jester as I have 12 Steamers with the 2-8-4 Berkshire being my favorite. DCC conversion can be done as Traction Fan has said and it can be done though some say its a tight fit...with sound added I think. You will be very happy and they are pretty easy to work on. Five years ago you could find these super cheap on Ebay but now folks have wised up to the popularity of these beautiful locomotives so I hope you got these at a good price. Go to the Kadee sight for coupler conversion chart and slap some knuckles on those baby's and congrats on your find!!:appl:


The Baltimore and Ohio tender is a Vanderbilt tender and has a coal bunker, it is not an oil tender, it carries coal for the engine, not oil. The 4-6-4 should have a New York Central tender, the Pere Marquette tender is probably from a 2-8-4 engine. If you watch and are patient you can still find then at a reasonable price and the smoke box fronts are sometimes listed for both engines, I didn't see them in the photos.

Newer engines have smaller flanges on the wheels and a larger diameter wheel on the tread for a more realistic look. These engines have the old flanges that are much deeper with smaller diameter wheels to accommodate the larger flanges. Newer engines also have revised drive systems and better motors for smoother running. In some cases the plastic shells may be interchangeable, but the mechanism parts are not.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Check the motor before swapping them to see what one you have. Some had a 3 pole and others did have a 5 pole. I have a Pacific and a Cabforward that both have the 5 pole motor in them. They run smooth and quiet after the proper cleanings. I measured the amp draw and found these were in spec to change to DCC without any need for motor replacement. I have a Decopod and Mikido that both have the 3 pole. They draw a few to many amps when the motor is stalled to be safe to convert.

I have converted the Cabforward to DCC with sound. Honestly the detail is not as good as the Genesis Challenger that I have but I have found it to be far more fun to run. Seeing a product from the 70s pull as well and cost a fraction of the amount with the upgrades and knowing I did that makes it worth while. 

On a side note if you need to open one of these up go to HOSeeker.com for instructions. Force nothing, the force is not with you on this one it only will cause breakage and pain.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

thedoc said:


> The Baltimore and Ohio tender is a Vanderbilt tender and has a coal bunker, it is not an oil tender, it carries coal for the engine, not oil. The 4-6-4 should have a New York Central tender, the Pere Marquette tender is probably from a 2-8-4 engine. If you watch and are patient you can still find then at a reasonable price and the smoke box fronts are sometimes listed for both engines, I didn't see them in the photos.
> 
> Newer engines have smaller flanges on the wheels and a larger diameter wheel on the tread for a more realistic look. These engines have the old flanges that are much deeper with smaller diameter wheels to accommodate the larger flanges. Newer engines also have revised drive systems and better motors for smoother running. In some cases the plastic shells may be interchangeable, but the mechanism parts are not.


Thanks Doc my brain was on Non Coffee mode...fixed it and thanks!


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

MacDaddy55 said:


> Thanks Doc my brain was on Non Coffee mode...fixed it and thanks!


Understood, I try to not post anything till I have at least one cup of coffee, and I don't touch decaf ever.


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## kre8ive27 (Dec 1, 2015)

I got both in an auction for $76, there was another lot and the correct tenders may have been in that lot but they were missing wheels and trucks in that batch.


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

kre8ive27 said:


> I got both in an auction for $76, there was another lot and the correct tenders may have been in that lot but they were missing wheels and trucks in that batch.


That sounds like a good price. I have the same 2-10-2. It is a good runner. It also has the same tender and road name with one minor difference. The letters on mine are yellowed. I never new if they were gold that turned to yellow or white that became dirty and looked yellow. I also have a Pacific. That does have a different tender as others have said.


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## kre8ive27 (Dec 1, 2015)

Thank you all for the help and useful info, just got notice that they shipped today, can't wait to receive them.


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## HOTrainNut (Feb 17, 2016)

In my experience any older rivarossi stuff, especially their steam, requires code 100 track to run without issues. Code 83 will cause derailments galore.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

thedoc said:


> Understood, I try to not post anything till I have at least one cup of coffee, and I don't touch decaf ever.


Well I'm working on my 2nd cup of coffee, so it's safe for me to get on the forum and post.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

kre8ive27 said:


> I got both in an auction for $76, there was another lot and the correct tenders may have been in that lot but they were missing wheels and trucks in that batch.


NICE JOB kre8ive27...thats one hell of a bargain especially for that 2-10-2. Heck they usually start at $76 and are getting hard to find...good man!! That Hudson is a beut as well...and I like your handle..cool!!:laugh::laugh::thumbsup:


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## alaska railroad (Oct 20, 2015)

I have a rivarossi 4-8-8-4 big boy that I won on ebay this summer, new still in original wrapper. It's from 1996 with the motor mounted inside the loco, with can motor, duel drive shafts, and a single flywheel . I love this loco. It runs excellent, and smooth, and it's virtually silent. Oh and it pulls great. This is one of my prized locos. 
💭
🚂 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃


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## Harvey Kravitz (Feb 12, 2016)

I never had any problems with Rivorassi/Pocher/AHM locomotives. I have the Virginia & Truckee series and the Casey Jones 4-6-0. The secret to these is clean wheels and track. I stuff lead shot in just about every cavity in the boiler and tender. It makes the locomotives heavier with great traction. I also solder little tabs of phosphor bronze shim to the contacts, for improved conductibility. I did that back in the 70s and these still work great. This can also be done with the other small HO and narrow gauge engines.
Harvey Kravitz


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

HOTrainNut said:


> In my experience any older rivarossi stuff, especially their steam, requires code 100 track to run without issues. Code 83 will cause derailments galore.


Hey HOTrainNut, I switched over to Atlas Code 83 and haven't had any problems with my Rivarossi Steamers derailing especially the non-articulated which are usually the major culprits, but I have 22" Radius turns and they don't look clumsy pulling freight through them.


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## HOTrainNut (Feb 17, 2016)

MacDaddy55 said:


> Hey HOTrainNut, I switched over to Atlas Code 83 and haven't had any problems with my Rivarossi Steamers derailing especially the non-articulated which are usually the major culprits, but I have 22" Radius turns and they don't look clumsy pulling freight through them.


Well back in the day I had a Rivarossi 4-8-8-4 and a code 100 layout when I tried running on code 83 it had tons of problems. I mean derailments, binding it corners, Even large radius corners, like 24" and larger. It was an older 1980s run of rivarossi, now ConCor is re-making their stuff its not as bad. But when I finally got my gem the Trix 4-8-8-4 Bigboy it ran on 100 and 83 no issues.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

HOTrainNut said:


> Well back in the day I had a Rivarossi 4-8-8-4 and a code 100 layout when I tried running on code 83 it had tons of problems. I mean derailments, binding it corners, Even large radius corners, like 24" and larger. It was an older 1980s run of rivarossi, now ConCor is re-making their stuff its not as bad. But when I finally got my gem the Trix 4-8-8-4 Bigboy it ran on 100 and 83 no issues.


My Big Boy and Challengers which were made in the 90's have had success even the Mallets have performed well...always figured I might have issues with my Berkshires and Mikados because of the large wheel arrangements...knock on wood they all run on 83 without a hitch.:thumbsup: I know I could get some new Steam Loco's but I really like the detail and running condition of these Trains. Some are a little noisy but damn do they pull!!:thumbsup:


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## HOTrainNut (Feb 17, 2016)

MacDaddy55 said:


> My Big Boy and Challengers which were made in the 90's have had success even the Mallets have performed well...always figured I might have issues with my Berkshires and Mikados because of the large wheel arrangements...knock on wood they all run on 83 without a hitch.:thumbsup: I know I could get some new Steam Loco's but I really like the detail and running condition of these Trains. Some are a little noisy but damn do they pull!!:thumbsup:


I know the old rivarossis pull well. When I spent $600 on my trix/Marklin bigboy my girlfriend at the time hated my guts and seriously thought I was a little touched in the head. But she realized it was worth so much. It was DC w/ sound.


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