Rivarossi motors test run - now closed - see new "For Sale"

[mmagliaro]

I have no less than 20 Atlas engines - all from 1968.  Most still run and am in the process of doing a permanent consist of 6 identical pairs using only one decoder per pair.  The idea here is to provide twice the pick-up and it works remarkably well!  Have done one set and the darn thing actually works!  But low speed performance is still very poor but better than it used to be.  Will these new motors provide better slow speed performance do you believe?

My honest answer is "yes", the low-speed performance improves,  judging from the ones I've put these rebuilt motors into, as long as you start with a good running Rivarossi specimin.  A decent good-running Rivarossi that can run about 15 mph on a DC throttle will run under 10 with smoother starts and less noise.   But if you are looking for modern Kato diesel low-speed performance, no.   You need to do a lot more to an old Rivarossi chassis besides just upgrade the motor if you want that kind of performance.   I have a 4-6-2 that I really tricked out and it can do about 2 mph with the new motor.  But the motor by itself will never do that unless you work that chassis.

[Lemosteam]

Received my two motors back from Max yesterday that fit my two Rivarossi 0-4-0 locos. 

One loco sprung to life immediately and ran beautifully, the other suffers from crumbling metal and the front driver axle is literally loose.  I am waiting for a replacement loco from the bay to put this motor into.

The one loco ran so well in fact it pulled two BLI P70's one tricked out Keystone Details Lima P70 and one Hellgate B60 up a 3/17% grade.

No joke.  I'll put up a YT video for @wm3798 's High Rail FB group.

Sincerest thanks for this awesome service Max.  These are two of my oldest (30+ years) and most beloved locomotives and will now likely run for another 30 years.

[randgust]

Years ago I got visit another N scalers layout and was rather stunned at his Rivarossi 0-8-0.   It's the first time I'd ever seen a Faulhaber gearhead mounted in an N scale locomotive.   I don't know what the reduction was, but flat out it could do about 15mph.  But dead silent.   The only giveaway on what he'd done was the addition of cab curtains to try to conceal the back of the motor a little better.  I was astounded.

Decades later.... that stuck, when I had the chance to tinker with gearheads, I did.

As a result of my PRR 4-4-0 project where I harvested some Rivarossi drivers, cylinder set, and a lead truck, I ended up scrapping out about 3 Atlas 4-6-2's with damaged frames or missing motors.   I have a lot of leftover parts, so if anybody is missing something OTHER than a frame, motor, or driver pairs, give me a holler.   

[wm3798]

Boy am I late to this party...

I'm in for four, if there are still slots available.

I have the original parts, worms etc., I'm sure I can scavenge whatever else needs to go to make the swap.  I probably have a bunch of other motor parts surplus as well, if you'd like to have some on hand.

I've got one 0-8-0, two Mikes and a Pacific. (And a C Liner if you want to do experiments)
I still have those wee six volt motors, so I can start with 2 if that's all that's available (or even one!)

I can see where the new magnet can create issues with the steel plate on the truck.  What about the steel axle in the wheels? (this was a liability using Atlas metal wheel sets with magnetic uncouplers)

...Or for that matter, the track nails it will pull out of the ground!!

Lee

[mmagliaro]

Boy am I late to this party...

I'm in for four, if there are still slots available.

I have the original parts, worms etc., I'm sure I can scavenge whatever else needs to go to make the swap.  I probably have a bunch of other motor parts surplus as well, if you'd like to have some on hand.

I've got one 0-8-0, two Mikes and a Pacific. (And a C Liner if you want to do experiments)
I still have those wee six volt motors, so I can start with 2 if that's all that's available (or even one!)

I can see where the new magnet can create issues with the steel plate on the truck.  What about the steel axle in the wheels? (this was a liability using Atlas metal wheel sets with magnetic uncouplers)

...Or for that matter, the track nails it will pull out of the ground!!

Lee

In reverse order:

- There is no problem with the magnet pulling on the axles in the trailing truck.  It's just that one steel strip on top of the truck that is the problem. I replace that with a brass strip.  I drill out the old one, make a new one from 1/32" brass, bore the two correct holes in it, and thenthread the one hole for a 1/8" 2-56 brass screw which replaces the old rivet. You don't have to worry about any of this.  The "fixed" trailing truck goes right back on where the old one came off.

- I got requests, money and motors coming for all 10 of my initial orders.  So I'm not shipping any more out until those are done and everybody seems happy with what they got.  Then I will do more. 

If anybody else wants one, send me a PM.  All motors from now on will be $30 each, includes the fixed trailing truck, and postage is free.  They will be filled first-come, first-serve - but you will have to wait until AFTER the initial round of 10 are done.  I really want those to be my little "focus group" to make sure there are no problems before I continue on with this.

[rrjim1]

Years ago I got visit another N scalers layout and was rather stunned at his Rivarossi 0-8-0.   It's the first time I'd ever seen a Faulhaber gearhead mounted in an N scale locomotive.   I don't know what the reduction was, but flat out it could do about 15mph.  But dead silent.   The only giveaway on what he'd done was the addition of cab curtains to try to conceal the back of the motor a little better.  I was astounded.

Decades later.... that stuck, when I had the chance to tinker with gearheads, I did.

As a result of my PRR 4-4-0 project where I harvested some Rivarossi drivers, cylinder set, and a lead truck, I ended up scrapping out about 3 Atlas 4-6-2's with damaged frames or missing motors.   I have a lot of leftover parts, so if anybody is missing something OTHER than a frame, motor, or driver pairs, give me a holler.   

Would that have been Fred Graff in Knox PA? He also had PFM sound in box cars, great little layout. 

[mmagliaro]

Just to close the loop on putting a motor in the E8...

I got kiwi_al's, and I did succeed in doing it.  I rebuilt the motor doing it the first way I was doing these, with everything inside the can, and it dropped right in.  Making the engine actually run required some fiddling because unless the motor and worm height are just perfect, so that truck plate puts "a little, but not too much" pressure on the motor armature, it won't run or it runs horribly, but I got it adjusted and made it work.

Trust me, it took quite a few hours to get it just right.  So when I offer more of these for sale (coming soon!), I would sell a motor to anybody who really wants one for an E8, and I can put your worm on it, but beyond that, I won't be responsible for making the engine work.

[Mark5]

Those E8s are probably best left as museum pieces or re-powered with a better chassis, so I would think at least twice about it. 

[kiwi_al]

Just got my 3 motors back from Max, they are superbly done. Well worth doing. My Pacific runs beautifully, my 0-8-0 engine runs the same as the Pacific but the 0-8-0 is out of quarter so I need to fix that (my problem not Maxs - he rebuilt the motor).
The E8 runs a lot better than it did with the original motor, just need to fiddle with those odd external pickups then it will run like a champ. I am so pleased with them that I've nicknamed them Super Max motors 

[Showme]

Max

  Between the "Pony Express Mail" taking so long to get the rebuilt motors back to me plus my out of town work schedule, I made it home and got one of the motors installed in a Pacific. Difference of daylight and dark. Set it on the layout and instant joy. The locomotive now will creep along, forward to reverse and back without a bump to start. Excellent work. Now to decide if I want to put the second motor in a Mikado or another Pacific.....

Bob