# How is rivarossi GG-1?



## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Dear folks,

I am awaiting eagerly for my first rivarossi trains,a pair of GG-1. Anyone runs them, how are these trains? Poor/good runners, details on model... 

Feedback pls.. 

Kiong


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

You won't be disappointed, I've owned several, even the older ones were nice. They do not like tight radius curves.


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

shaygetz said:


> You won't be disappointed, I've owned several, even the older ones were nice. They do not like tight radius curves.



Hi,

I intend to use hornby 22" for them, will that be okay for thes GG-1?

I notice you have added a brass hook contraption on your overhead what do you call that? Are you powering your units via Overhead cables? Can the generic rivarossi unit do that out of the box? How do you hang your overhead cables then?

Cheers
Kiong


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

22" will work, they'll just lean into the curve a bit when running. Their actually designed to handle 18", they just don't care for it.

The brass hooks are called pantographs and come with them. They can run off of overhead wiring...some came ready to do it, others you'd have to wire them but all were able. It just depends on the year it was made. On mine I added a switch under the nose so that I could run two at the same time...one off the wire and one off the track.

Overhead catenary wiring is best done with kits offered by Marklin and a couple others. It can be hand made but it is quite tedious.

Hope that


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi shaygetz,

You are absolutely right...the rivarossi GG1 were fantastic, real model trains not toys. Runs smooth and fast on my 18" just have to control the speed at curves so they don't fly off. They ran fine on 22"...yeah despite the age of the loco (20-30 odd yrs?). I am eyeballing another silver GG1 and perhaps someday the blood nose Amtrak too.


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

But there the issue of the drooping couplers...how to change to Kadees?


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

Rivarossi made good HO engines. Smooth and quiet runners. I have there Casey Jones 4-6-0. Just make sure ya have code 100 track!


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi tyco man, 

Erm, I am on a mix of hornby and tyco tracks...code 100?

Kiong


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Should be code 100.


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