# The mystery continues!



## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Well some of you knwo fo my endevor to get an HO scale Blue Comet set put together, and while getting the passenger cars is coming along decently (at best) the engine which I thought was originaly a Heavy Pacific class I have now pin pointed down the the specific type and class of the engine. A g3 Pacific, not a Heavy Pacific. Now also some of you know that I bought what had seamed to be the perfect Blue Comt Heavy Pacific, well when I got the engine a big and strange mistery began. It has the remains of an Elesco water heater which was original to the Blue Comet. Upon further investigation I discovered the emblem on the tank that I thought was the Jersey central Lines or was it the Central rr of New Jersey emblem? Anywho that is actually an NMRA logo and the road numbers that I thought was for the Blue Comet upon further investigation are not acurate to the 831, 832, 833 and is actualy a year number 1980. Further more this engine has emense detailing and things added to it to enhance it's running qualitys. I discovered that this is an engine made by Rivarossi and it must have been a special run for NMRA. I am unable to find out why this engine was made for the NMRA or what it's true value is. So the mystery continues until someone tells me what it's true value is. I have never seen another one offered up on ebay or even seen photos of it besides mine so I must assume that I have a very rare engine.

Picture time my valiant followers!








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Look at that metal detailing for the reverser and piston detailing! I want to see a model company today do that kind of metal detail on and engine that has a plastic shell.









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The strangest type of coupler holding device I have ever seen. Not sure what type of kaddee's I should get or even how to get the old horn hooks off of it.








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Gotta love them Italians.








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I four digit number plate telling the number of units made. I can't find anyinfo on it so this might be one of the few still around.








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A spring loaded front guideing truck! now that's something you never see on steamers nowadays!








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Rivarossi's good old round cab motors.

This a quite a nice engine with good running mechanics installed on it. If this is what could have been done in the 80's and it stumps the present engines made today that I have seen that are not made of brass or don't cost you and arm and a leg and even at that I don't think the plastic engines come with that kind of metal reverser detailing and what not. I want to see what company's could do today with the current technology since this was possible in the 80's. It is also a neat engine as it uses the tender trucks as the pick-ups which makes it run much smoother but the tender wheels are currently very dirty so it barely runs at the moment but I will change that soon.

Any thoughts or imput on this? Where would i go if I just want one engine made to the exactness of the G3-Pacific as is the Blue comet? NOT a thousand or five hundred just one nicely detailed one?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Mystery solved?




























Produced by Rivarossi in1980 only for USA market, for the NNRA Convention in 1980, on limited edition by Con-Cor

*code* *year* *description (in italian)* *1282* *1980* *Locomotiva a vapore 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific National Model Railroad Association 80*


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Here is their CNJ

* Steam Train class 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific - "Blue Comet" Central Railroad of New Jersey  *​ _ Steam Locomotive class 4-6-2 "Heavy Pacific" of the « Central Railroad of New Jersey. This model prospects a Heavy Pacific in its characteristic livery sky blue and dark grey, used whilst hauling the “The Blue Comet”» which linked New York with Atlantic City. The front headlamp is illuminated, and the gearing with Baker distribution all fully functioning , and high capacity tender on three axle bogies._








_ Length of the model cm. 33._
Produced by Rivarossi in 1978
*code* *year* *description (in italian)* *1256* *1978* *Locomotiva a vapore 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific 831 Central Railroad of New Jersey * *5087/10* *1978* *Locomotiva a vapore 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific Central Railroad of New Jersey* *5405* *1996** *Locomotiva a vapore 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific Central Railroad of New Jersey*


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

big ed said:


> Mystery solved?
> 
> View attachment 8732
> 
> ...


That halfway solves the mystery well more like 1/4. Year or production, who for, manufacturer and that it is rare I already knew. What I didn't know is what it was done for exactly till now. You say on limited edition to Con-Cor till now. What do you mean? Is Con-Cor remakeing this model? I still must figure out exactly how rare it is and what it's value is. So the mystery goes on!

It is actually funny, their Blue comet is the exact same engine as the NMRA just with different road numbers and possibly different running dynamics.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gc53dfgc said:


> That halfway solves the mystery well more like 1/4. Year or production, who for, manufacturer and that it is rare I already knew. What I didn't know is what it was done for exactly till now. You say on limited edition to Con-Cor till now. What do you mean? Is Con-Cor remakeing this model? I still must figure out exactly how rare it is and what it's value is. So the mystery goes on!
> 
> It is actually funny, their Blue comet is the exact same engine as the NMRA just with different road numbers and possibly different running dynamics.



I got that info from their site it was only made in 1980 a copy and paste,
Produced by Rivarossi in1980 only for USA market, for the NNRA Convention in 1980, on limited edition by Con-Cor.

I would say it would be considered rare since it was a limited edition only made one year. 

I will try to research some more on the production numbers and worth.

Why is the worth so important?
Are you going to try and sell it?
How much did you get it for?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I can't find anything and my fingers are getting sore from looking.

I will keep an eye open though I am done searching.hwell:


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

big ed said:


> Why is the worth so important?
> Are you going to try and sell it?
> How much did you get it for?


I am not going to try and sell this engine, I just like to know what my trains are worth. It makes me happy that I know as much as I can about them. i do not like to overpay for something unless I absolutely want it at any cost and sadly there may come a day sometime in the future where I have to sell them unwillingly and I will inevetably die (hopefully a long long time away) so it could help others if they choose not to keep my collection together and sell it which I hope will never happen. I really now knowing how rare it is that paying around 50 dollars for it is a really good deal for it, but I do need to get a new bell for it (not an Elesco water heater) and figure out how to fix the damaged smoke stack. I like it very much and plan on keeping it for a long time. Thank you for helping in searching for info on it. I am suprised that their are not more of them out there than just this one and a few others. I mean it has a four digit brass piece on the bottom that has the serial number so there should be more of them available no?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What is the # on the brass?


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

The number on the brass is 0758 or 758 out of ????


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

Hello, just found this site searching for info on a train I got from an inheritance. It is the same one being talked about here and I just listed it on ebay. I don't have any info for this engine but found yours very interesting. I have others I need to part with so am searching them out as well.

Paul


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

wogs64ss said:


> Hello, just found this site searching for info on a train I got from an inheritance. It is the same one being talked about here and I just listed it on ebay. I don't have any info for this engine but found yours very interesting. I have others I need to part with so am searching them out as well.
> 
> Paul



Why didn't you post a link or something so we could see (bid) on it?
What is the # on the brass tag?


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

Ok, where's the brass tag? Here's the link
bad link! I'll try again!
110671972216 Here's the listing number.


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

here's a pic


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

wogs64ss said:


> Ok, where's the brass tag? Here's the link
> bad link! I'll try again!
> 110671972216 Here's the listing number.




look in the above post for the picture plainly showing the tag on the under side.

we are trying to see how many were produced.

is that the picture you have in e bay?

not really that good of a shot to sell it.

do you see any damage?


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

There isn't a brass tag on mine mine also has red window frames above the number, not blue like above one has. It's a pic taken with my cell phone so I couldn't get a clearer pic. No damage at all, my Great Uncle was very fussy with his trains


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

Here are some better pics


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

????

Another mystery?

No tag and red windows.

Do you have the box and passenger cars it was issued with?


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## wogs64ss (Apr 7, 2011)

No box As far as cars, I have two big boxes of various cars and not sure if any of them belong to this engine. Would they be blue also?
Just checked, no cars by the manufacturer.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

wogs64ss said:


> No box As far as cars, I have two big boxes of various cars and not sure if any of them belong to this engine. Would they be blue also?
> Just checked, no cars by the manufacturer.



do you see the pictures I posted in this post?

It has the complete set with box with the cars shown.


Just as they issued it. 

Look above.

Do you see them?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Wait a minute you have the 831?

That is not the limited edition one that is the CNJ.

Different story now.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Are we talking about the Blue Comet engine or the 1980 NMRA steamer?


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

OOOHH! You have the Blue Comet version! Yes the cars should be blue. What are you listing it for


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gc53dfgc said:


> Are we talking about the Blue Comet engine or the 1980 NMRA steamer?



Both now.


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