# Rivarossi heavyweight passenger cars



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

*Value-priced quality*_
Coaches, combines, RPO's and baggage cars.
(B+ detail)._

My passenger roster is comprised mostly of Bachman, Athearn BlueBox, Proto, and these Rivarossi cars.

_Excellent detail:_
Separate wire grabs; separate underbody details; flexible diaphragms; body-mount couplers; accurate 2 and 3-axle trucks.

Most are good rollers... (some just need simple TruckTuning).
Available from almost every popular online outlet, on eBay, and at LHS's. Usually priced between $18 & $22. I've negotiated them at shows for $9 each.

I run long passenger and mail trains, so (except for a few SP Larks) I purchase most of them painted-only, for decal lettering and 'wide-span' numbering.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*AHM/Rivarossi Good Passenger Cars ROCK!!*

Good Score LateStarter! I have my NY Central and B&O passenger cars which I had Kadee Couplers added, Trucks tuned and interiors( getting more expensive on The Bay for sure) slowly added! I have lights in the NY Central...but still working(Its never ends) on lighting the B&O!! $9 is incredible and you deserve a Big:appl::appl::appl::appl:


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

*Budd light*_
(in the mix)._

Besides the visual hoot of a few Larks in my passenger trains, this Budd RPO is sometimes slipped in with the headenders.
It's not un-prototypical.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Those coaches look short. Are they underscale?

I know a lot of foreign manufacturers sometimes have two different lines in their passenger rolling stock. One full scale of the exact prototype scale length, and another, shorter underscale line. 

The underscale line is used mainly on smaller layouts with tight radii often found on European layouts due to smaller living spaces in many foreign countries.

A typical full length coach is 303mm while underscale coaches are usually around 264mm and 280mm depending upon brand.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

MichaelE said:


> Those coaches look short. Are they underscale?


The Rivarossi's are 60-footers.
Do you find that to be a problem?

They look and work fine on a 5x10 layout with 28" radius curves, along with Bachman & Proto 70/72-foot cars, and MTH 80-foot sleepers, behind F's, E7's, and PA/B's.
"Underscale" or not, they're quite effective.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Typically RPO and Baggage cars were shorter than regular passenger cars.
Not always but most I've seen are.


Magic


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Magic said:


> Typically RPO and Baggage cars were shorter than regular passenger cars.
> Magic


I concur.
The Rivarossi RPO's are 60-footers.
The Proto Budd RPO is 65'.
I do have Bachman and Proto 72-foot RPO's, but most are 70' and shorter.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

LateStarter said:


> The Rivarossi's are 60-footers.
> Do you find that to be a problem?



No. An observation of product from a European manufacturer.


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## Joefrumjersey (Apr 16, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> I concur.
> The Rivarossi RPO's are 60-footers.
> The Proto Budd RPO is 65'.
> I do have Bachman and Proto 72-foot RPO's, but most are 70' and shorter.


The Rivarossi combine and coach are supposed to be models of C&NW Chicago area commuter cars, which, of course were generally shorter than intercity cars. The RPO and Baggage were also approximate 60' size. 

Shorter cars work better on small home layouts.

Boris


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Joefrumjersey said:


> The Rivarossi combine and coach are supposed to be models of C&NW Chicago area commuter cars, which, of course were generally shorter than intercity cars. The RPO and Baggage were also approximate 60' size.
> 
> Boris


Useful info...
Good to know.


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