I have been out of model railroading for about 20 years and am now getting ready to jump back in with both feet. I am in the process of "building" a train room in my barn and am about 2/3 rds. done. All of my old equipment has been stored in a fairly benign environment, however.....! I have not really examined in detail, everything, especially my old locos. The ones I am concerned with are the Rivarossi models...I had several including a Big Boy. They are probably in various states of dis-repair. My question is what to do with them? I do not think they will be usable on my projected layout. My intention is to go to DCC and use code 83 track. The flanges on the old locos will not operate on this size track(?). Is there a market for these old locos or is it possible to rebuild them so they will run on code 83 track. I don't really want to spend a lot of time re-building them unless it is worth while. I am SO impressed with all the newer stuff that is available now but I hate to just throw them in the scrap pile unless I have no choice. Ideas and suggestions will be more than welcome. This looks like a great forum...My thanks in advance. Richard
Richard, Welcome to Trainboard. I myself can't help you with your questions but I'm sure there will be those here that can.
Greetings Richard. Let me join Darren in welcoming you to TrainBoard. Hope you enjoy your visits. With regards to the resale possibilities for your Rivs, maybe eBay would be a good place to try. Very often guys are looking for older locos for parts, or even to restore. This might be a good route to consider seeing as how you mentioned how impressed you are with the newer units. It's worth considering. Good luck, Bill
I recently took two Rivarossi steam locomotives from the 70’s out of storage. Even after being dormant for over 20 years they both work just fine on DC. I don’t know anything about DDC conversions for the old Riv’s. The 2-8-8-2 does not like Code 83 rail as you observed but the 0-8-0 does not seem to care. I understand that the old wide flange wheels can be turned down or replaced but why not just use Code 100 track? Can you really tell the difference without putting your nose a foot from the track? Just my opinion, it’s your railroad. Hugo
Richard, There are several folks out there (myself included) that are interested in purchasing older Rivarossi's. Does this board have a classified section? If so, place them for sale in there. Send me an email, I may be interested.
Perhaps John Patton who is a Big-Big Riv Fan and a member of this forum can share with you his expertise. HELLO JOHN!
Richard, Welcome to the TrainBoard! I have a number of old, older, and one I understand Moses played with. They all run great yet today! You will have to turn the flanges down if you are going to take a lot of close-up photos, (The reason you would choose .083" rails instead of .100" rails). There is one place that can turn down drivers: yellowstone10@hotmail.com ( John Patton ) (The Trainmommiestore.com site may have gone out of business. He was a disabled vet that worked from his wheelchair making a living at wheel turning and a few other repairs.) [ 26. May 2004, 18:19: Message edited by: watash ]
Thanks for the info, John. Yes, I AM considering turning the flanges down. I still haven't got the stuff unpacked yet but the time is drawing closer. Richard
Get some track and check them out. I have an OLD Riv 2-8-8-2 that works fine on code 83. It has flanges bigger than the new ones, but they don't hit.
Richard, Watash's suggestion of John Patton is a good one, however he has moved his residence & business and is still not set up for work. You may not need to turn down those flanges(the easiest way to go, for a fix), try them on your code 83 -- see how each one works. As far as selling them. eBay always has them for sale and they bring good money. I just picked up a UP Challenger for $173(Ovrlnd). As you have found many people like them. I have many Rivs/Mant, Bows, etc., and realized, with a start, one day, that they may not run on my new Code 83 layout. Hoping for the best. Watash could have turned flanges for you, but his stone age tools have finally worn out. Guess what Watash, I just picked up a 2-10-4 T&P. Denis
I agree with Virginian but try them on some code 83 turnouts from various manufacturers also - there are differances. Turnouts are where my 30 + year old Riv. 2-8-8-2 has the most trouble. It gets through if it is moving fairly fast but stalls at slow speeds. The 0-8-0 (also 30 +) gets through at any speed. Large radius turnouts should also work better. Hugo
Dennis, please pack that Texas 2-10-4 carefully before sending it to me! I have check book in hand with ink dripping, waiting for it! It goes in stall 28, (unless it is a Bachmann, then it goes in stall 31). All the Bachmann and Rivarossi engines I have will bump up over the Shinnohara switches frog! The root of this frog is made like a real one, to support a wheel while it crosses over the gap at the frog point. None of the long flange locos will make it. I ordered code 100, paid for it, and they sent me code .083 flex Shinnohara track! They refuse to exchange for the one I ordered!RATZ! I got to find some Hobby Shop that will trade for code .100. Oh well, I may have to turn all the flanges after all! Oui Vey!
I have PLENTY of these Rivarossi loco's, I am the John Patton a few has mentioned an I have yet to find any trouble of Rivarossi loco's from the 1970's "bump" on code 83 track, (which means its .083 thousands of an inch high) so.... I have had at least 2 of every American prototype loco Rivarossi made from the 1970's an ran all on code 83 track without any troubles at all. As for my shop "Yellowstone Train Repairs" I HOPE to have it here, sat up for business, an running again within a month (I'm having trouble finding shop space to put it for right now, so in due time all..... I'll be back an running as usually hopefully soon.
Watash, This is a Bachmann Texas type, with, I think, that horrid NYC tender. So it should go in storage, BEHIND the roundhouse. Haven't gotten it yet, but am looking forward to seeing how far off it is. I know it has the Bach/SF Northern boiler, for starters. If your doing SF, this isn't bad though, because the boiler is only nine inches shorter than SF's Texas type boiler. John; thanks for the personal experience with older Rivs. It sounds encouraging, for running it on my Code 83.
Denis, Your all more then welcome, ALTHOUGH, I have thought about that post of mine above, an over looked a thought to it, in the 70's, Rivarossi had offered a complete set of drivers for the 2-8-8-2's, being the regul;ar set wouldn't run on code 70... So they gave a replacememt set of drivers to replace the long flanged drivers they had put on them originally. BUT I think they offered this as part of a prototype modeler being the 2-8-8-2 Y6b loco's ran on smaller rail, (that was equivenlent to code 70 rail) on the Norfolk & Western..... So, they never offered this to the rest of their loco line.... As far as code 83 goes, I haven't had any trouble with code 83 with the older Rivarossi loco's an running them on the smaller rail then code 100.
My comment was made about the Shinnohara .083 track that has the .090" diameter flat topped lugs on the inside of each rail that secures the rail foot to each tie. The outside lugs look more like track spike shape. I have a couple of the old old 2-8-8-2's that do touch these inside track lugs, but do not touch any on Atlas track. I did have some turnouts that had a molded plastic frog that these engines would bump up over, but I made a gadget to mill them down to miss the long flanges. These engines had no trouble running on Atlas .083 track. When I get around to it again, I'll actively seek to trade all the NS .083 track for NS .100, or just sell it on eBay. It is fine with the RP-25 flanges. [ 07. June 2004, 01:57: Message edited by: watash ]
Did any one have occasion to deal with John Patton,...C/O Yellowstone Train Repairs located in Concord, NH. I have been trying to contact him concerning a custom steam engine project he was doing for me, but have been totally unable to do so for to past several months ? I know he was ill for some time, but he would finally make an effort to get back to me. Now I get nothing, not even with a written letter to his home address. I know he used to do some really nice custom work. He had been kit-bashing a C&O H7 for me from a Proto Heritage 2-8-8-2. Regards, BrianEiland
He has done some overhauls of my IHC/Rivarossi 4-4-0 engines. I've commissioned him to remedy the issue where the worm gear drive comes disengaged(I'm sure you're familiar with that). Unfortunately, he was working on just such a project for me last summer, and I too have not been able to reach him since then. I hope he is okay, I don't want to give up hope...
