Rivarossi 0-8-0 Steam Locomotive
11-18-2023
Estimated Value: $15.00 to $25.00 (depends on whether or not locomotive and tender are complete, locomotive has original smoke box cover, original box, etc.)
I like the Rivarossi 0-8-0's. The prototype was an Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) 0-8-0 switching locomotive. They are a husky looking locomotive with a nice "eyebrow" feed water heater on the front of the locomotive (part of the smoke box cover).
There are a number of versions of the 0-8-0.
Version 1 - Tender-drive unit with two-piece 1/16-inch diameter plastic drive shaft connected from tender to locomotive with flexible, clear elastomeric (polyurethane) tubing. The motor and gear reduction transmission are located in the tender. The tender has a coal bunker with flat sides on the top (that is, the same height all around the tender bunker). The tender chassis is made from Zamac (zinc alloy). The motor retaining / support features are integrated with the tender chassis. The tender chassis and motor support features have a nasty habit of warping, cracking, and swelling (becoming longer and cracking the back of the tender shell). (Note: Zamac chassis problems can occur on a variety of Rivarossi locomotives.) I have restored several of the tender-drive units by cracking the warped chassis pieces, aligning the pieces so that they are flat, shortening the pieces if necessary and reassembling the pieces using strips of tin can attached with super glue. The motor support can be repaired by filling any cracks with super glue and doing some creative shaping with a jewelers file. It is not an easy task, but it is feasible. The locomotive has a rectangular transmission which is visible above the tear driver wheels. The transmission has a worm which drives a brass crown gear. If the loco has been used often, the teeth on the crown gear may be worn out. In addition, the steel chassis on the locomotive may wear grooves in the brass axle(s) on the driver wheels. (Note: Brass axle wear may occur on a variety of Rivarossi locomotives.) The center of the drivers are plastic and there is some potential for the drivers to go out-of-quarter (90-degree offset on one driver wheel relative to the driver wheel on the opposite side). It does not do much good to try and use super glue to attach a damaged driver center to a brass driver axle. The only hope is to drill and pin the driver wheel center and the brass axle together. The inner side of the locomotive driver wheels and the inside of the tender wheels have conducting metal disks. The disks permit current flow from the metal locomotive driver tire (tender tire) to the axle. The disks on the locomotive wheels and the disks on the tender wheels need to be on opposite sides for the locomotive to operate. It is difficult to find the original smoke box covers if they are missing. (Note: Never glue the smoke box cover into the front of the locomotive or you will not be able to replace the light bulb. Consider using black sewing thread to tie the handrails on the smoke box cover to the handrail on the front side of the locomotive boiler. The same goes for most Rivarossi locomotives.)
Version 2 - Some 0-8-0's were provided with a rectangular motor in the cab of the locomotive. The locomotive also has a rectangular transmission similar to the one described in the Version 1 locomotive. The locomotive has a plastic tender. The tender is provided with plastic trucks / metal coil springs and metal wipers which pick-up current from the axles. It is difficult to find original trucks and wipers. I have made replacement wipers from brass sheet stock using the original Rivarossi wiper pattern. (Note 1: The valve gear is different between various versions of the Rivarossi 0-8-0. The threaded fasteners may also have different diameters between various versions of the Rivarossi 0-8-0.) (Note 2: The driver wheels are provided with brass hex nuts on the back side / inside of the drivers. The newer versions are provided with M1.4 metric hex nuts. The outside of the drivers are provided with tiny metal washers. Rivarossi rod screws / bolts are provided with shoulder screws / bolts. The shoulder of the screw / bolt presses on the washer and allows for proper tightening of the hex nut. If the washer is missing, the rod screws / bolts will eventually come loose.
Never, never use super glue to hold the screws / bolts and the hex nuts together.)
Version 3 - The locomotive has a vertically-mounted motor inside the locomotive. The base of the cylindrical can motor and vertical drive shaft are visible above the rear driver wheels. The drive shaft is fitted with a worm which interfaces with the brass crown gear. The motor is held in place with a U-shaped bracket which is attached to the chassis with small-diameter sheet metal-type screws. If the U-shaped bracket becomes bent, it can cause problems with the fit up of the worm and the crown gear. I like this version because it fairly easy to repair. (Note: As with all Rivarossi locomotives, be very careful not to use a motor mounting screw / bolt which is too long. I think that the motor screws are only about 1/8-inch long. The screw / bolt may be turned into the armature winding and severely damage the armature windings. Then it is necessary to disassemble the motor and rewind the armature windings.)
Version 4 - There is another Rivarossi 2-8-0 locomotive (European prototype) which is a tender drive unit and is similar to the Version 1 - 0-8-0 locomotive. The boiler is completely different than the chubby IHB boiler and it does not have a feed water heater. The tender is different also. The coal bunker slopes from back to front (toward the locomotive). Some parts are interchangeable with the 0-8-0 locomotive. If you don't like the European styling, consider using one as a parts bin to repair your Rivarossi 0-8-0.
Please write back if you have any questions, comments, etc.
Regards,
ag01
