Is there a way to tell what year a particular Rivarossi locomotive was manufactured?
Pinning down an exact year is difficult without reference materials on specific models, but you can usually figure out a general timeframe by looking at the motor.
Late 50's to early 60's had a large square motor with a ball bearing adjustment nut on the back. These are pretty rare, and only appeared in a few locomotives. I think they were all sold in Rivarossi red boxes, but I think I remember seeing a Lionel(?) branded C-LINER made by Rivarossi at some point from the 50's.
Early 60's to late 60's had a smaller square motor with a ball bearing adjustment nut on the back. These are a lot more common and were used in a lot of their trains, and I consider it to be their best running motor. Pretty much all of these came in blue AHM boxes with yellow foam lining.
Mid 60's to early 70's had small to even smaller square motors with a more typical sleeve bearing, which has the shaft sticking out from the back. The quality of the bearings wasn't great, and they had a tendency to dry out and get noisy (all the ones I've worked on have been that way at least). They also started getting cheaper on electrical pickup, with some models like the 2-8-8-2 having the number of pickup wheels cut in half. Same AHM boxes, but I think they started getting some plastic trays in place of foam at this time.
The early 70's to 1980 switched to round motors. The sleeve bearing quality was improved, and they ran more efficiently than the square motors. Some of the larger models came in large boxes printed with a sort of "old west" feel, but they all eventually went back to blue AHM boxes with plastic trays.
The 80's up to about 1995 were the same as the 70's with little to no change, but they came in red Rivarossi boxes and sometimes IHC boxes (IHC/Rivarossi was very short lived).
The mid 90's and on were upgraded with internal flat can motors, RP-25 flanges, blackened handrails and improved paint and lettering.
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When did Rivarossi abandon the "pizza cutter" wheels and move to RP-25 wheels?
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Thank you. Great information that will help. I appreciate the fact that you stayed on topic. The other replies were about wheel flanges? Too many times it's like the old "telephone" game, you start on one topic and end up miles away on something else. Thanks again.
That's nice. What about the topic in question?
What has that got to do with the original topic?
If you expect a thread in any forum on the internet to stay on topic I have a steam loco in Durango I can sell you.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
leewal What has that got to do with the original topic? That's nice. What about the topic in question?
I think Marlon and Mel were trying to offer helpful information.
You asked about how to judge the manufacture date of Rivarossi locomotives.
The time frame of the change to RP-25 wheel flanges may be one clue as to the age of the locomotive.
Why don't you tell us about the particular locomotive you are attempting to get information for and someone can try to pin-down a date range from your description.
This site has catalog pages and instruction sheets from a large variety of manufacturers. Keep in mind that Rivarossi manufacturered for several importers.
http://hoseeker.net/lit.html
In 2004 Rivarossi was bought by Hornby and some of the designs were changed.
YOU may have to put a little effort into doing the research.
Thank You, Ed