Lastspikemike Can you not just restore the truck axle pockets with the truck tuner to correct profile?
Can you not just restore the truck axle pockets with the truck tuner to correct profile?
No. Walthers trucks are metal. They conduct electricity to allow the cars to be lighted.
Good info regarding the options for interiors.
Since passenger car weight was mentioned; I'd like to respectfully add that for modelers that intend to keep the stock, 2-axle trucks on their Riv-IHC-AHM lightweights; be mindful as to how much weight you add to the car. As mentioned, too heavy and the bearings/needle points on replacement metal wheelsets can bore out the stock truck's soft plastic journals.
I like Doc's approach for his heavyweight units. Doc, do you think that your journals are not wearing out quickly because each car's weight & stresses are spread over 3-axles vs 2 for the streamlined cars?
After what happened to my lightweight Obsv.car I work to keep my lightweight Rivs at between 8 and 10 ounces. Sort of a reasonable compromise in having them heavy enough that they will track properly and not "wobble" when rolling over turnout frogs and diamonds.
I understand the suggestions in that it's better to just replace the trucks on Rivs-IHC's-AHM's. But, in my case, I don't want to invest anymore in my Rivs, just maintain them (current focus is on the older-run Walthers & Rapido varnish) .
Although as pointed out they are basically generic, with the simple mods and detailing mentioned in the posts, these inexpensive cars can look really nice in an E-unit hauled streamliner.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
John-NYBWAt one time there were interiors made for these cars, I think sold by IHC.
Note that the IHC cars are not the same as the older AHM/Rivarossi cars, and those interiors do not really fit the AHM/Rivarossi cars. The wall dividers and such won't line up with the windows of the AHM/Riv cars.
Palace Car Co. makes interior kits for the cars, you get a gray painted steel weight for a floor and individual seats as needed for each different type of car.
http://www.palacecarco.com/products.php?cat=10
The later maroon box Rivarossi cars came with interiors, you can find those tan plastic interiors for sale sometimes on ebay. Also on ebay there are a couple of makers of one-piece interiors for these and other passenger cars that are 3-D printings. They're relatively cheap and work well.
Wayne, your cars are even heavier than my standard which is 1 ounce for ever 10 scale feet so my 80 foot passenger cars are 8 oz. If I remember, the NMRA standard is 1 oz. plus 1/2 oz. for ever inch of car length. An 80 footer is just over 11 inches so that would work out to just 6.5 oz. I think heavier is better but I've never considered going as heavy as yours. My concern is going downgrade and getting excesssive pushing going around curves. Is that a problem?
I love how much detail you have added to those Rivarossi cars.
Tichy has nylon insert bearings that might work in the original trucks to prevent excessive wear.
mvlandsw Would KD wheels with their plastic axles cause less wear in the plastic sideframes?
Would KD wheels with their plastic axles cause less wear in the plastic sideframes?
A couple of my Rivarossi heavyweights (all bought second-hand) came with interiors, but for the rest of them, I used RIX plastic seats, along with interior partitions for washrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, using sheet styrene...
(Click on the photos for a larger view)
The seats come as groups of six, but I cut them apart, then install them to better match the car's window arrangements.Also visible in the washrooms are two custom-cast lead weights, which help to make the car track reliably. This particular car weighs 8.5oz.
This former observation car has been re-done as a business car, with partitions to create several rooms, most of which don't need much in the way of details....
...I did add a table and chairs, that can double as one for dining or for meetings, and there's a lounge area adjacent to the observation platform.
The interior of this dining car was all done using sheet styrene for the partitions and for the tables and banquette-type seating...
...the two lead weights in the kitchen area are complemented by an underfloor weight at the opposite end of the car, giving it a weight of 13oz.
This combine was originally a dining car, and has seats that may have been offered decades ago, perhaps by Walthers...
...another combine, this one from Model Die Casting...
...and with the same old-style seats in the passenger compartment, but Rix seats in the mid-car men's smoking lounge...
Those old time seats were in a box of train junk from a yard sale, many years ago.
Eventually, I'll get around to adding some passengers, as currently only a few cars have them. No wonder my railroad isn't making money.
Wayne
I use #8 birdshot to add weight to everything on wheels and build my own interiors.This is an Athearn car with 3oz of birdshot.
Athearn Streamlined Observation with 4 oz birdshot.
Building up an interior is a blast for me.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
I use 1/4 oz. stick on steel weights to add weight to cars. I prefer them to the lead weights because I don't have to break them apart. I just tear off what I need from the strip. I can buy them through Amazon. If I need to add more than 1 full ounce, I've got some left over flat weights that I salvaged from throwaway cars. I can buy these weights through Amazon so its very convenient. Rather than use the NMRA standard for weights, my cars weigh 1 oz. for every 10 scale feet. That is slightly heavier than the NMRA standard and easy to remember. A 40 foot box car is 4 oz. instead of 3.75 by the NMRA standard. There's a greater difference with longer cars.
Excellent! Imho, the smooth siders look even better than the Riv Budds. You'll find hopping them up easy to do.
For adding weight, the step I would change is that instead of using BB pellets in the cavities, I would now use the much smaller bird shot pellets. Once glued, the weight is pretty decent when combined with metal wheel sets and couplers. If still not heavy enough, a flat weight(s) can be added to compensate. But so far, all of my Rivs weigh about as much as the older run Walthers lightweight cars.
But, as mentioned, if you install metal axles on the stock Riv-IHC-AHM type trucks, issues can develop in the long run.
Wacky story: At the club I belonged to years ago, on one occasion I started to stare at my 11-car passenger train (mix of Rivs and Walthers) as it rolled on the layout at about 40-scmph. The back of the Riv observation car (photo below) was wobbling up and down like a submarine's periscope! Embarassed, I took the car off, checked the trucks and discovered that, apparently, the metal needlepoints on the axles had gradually reamed out the journals on the stock Riv truck!
(rear roof damaged from a fall. I retired the unit and now use the shell for paint testing)
Mine are smooth sided Pullmans. Other than what I identified in the OP, I'm not sure what other issues I might come across. I always liked the looks of Rivarossi passenger cars even though they were generic and for the most part not prototypical. I see them as a good starting point for a decent passenger car. What you got originally with them was the car body and the trucks. Just about everything else was an add-on, including weights which are essential for good running. I can't remember how long it's been since I purchased anything with the Rivarossi name on it. I was fond of their steamers in the good old DC, code 100 days. All I had to do was attach a KD coupler box and a #5 and they were good to go. I wasn't into weathering my locos back then.
Hi John,
Always enjoyable to read from passenger car modelers on this forum. I went to Walthers site and typed "Passenger Car Interiors" in the search bar. One-piece interiors from Palace Car are out of stock. But individual seats and furniture are available.
Respectfully, something to keep in mind: How much are you willing to invest in hopping up your Rivs? Currently, there are a number of IHC interiors on Ebay for sale that, imho, you should check.Some prices seem reasonable, others a bit steep. Ebay was my source for IHC interiors.
Just sharing info: From the 90's-up to about 2014, I enjoyed updating Riv Budds because it was, generally, inexpensive and easy to do. IHC interiors were readily available (new and used), replacement metal wheel sets were affordable, KD couplers, and even entire trucks were well discounted by dealers like MB. Klein.
Not trying to be discouraging, but conisder that for the current prices of what it takes to nicely hop up Riv Budds, you can purchase used or older "New In the Box" Walthers passenger cars, complete with interiors on ebay. Even with the hectic economy, many of them (classic Budd and Pullman Standard lightweights, unplated) are still selling between the $15-$35 range.
With that said, I do understand the satisfaction of sprucing up passenger car models. (photo below) the Riv the interior's painted, windows tinted, window shades cut from strip styrene, plastic wheels replaced with P2K metal wheel sets, couplers replaced, truck bolster filed down, body repainted (metalized) and decaled. All cavities in the floor filled with BB shot pellets and smothered with glue. Even with the stock plastic trucks, this car moves like a roller skate!
Photo below: A visual issue with the Riv Budds is that annoying gap between the truck bolster and body underftrame which you can see in this photo. At the same time, my Walthers car was sitting to high, but bending or removing the light p/u springs on the Walthers cars fixes that issue easily. But if you choose to keep the stock trucks, file the bolster down flat and shim with flat styrene strips to your desired height. But keep in mind that the metal needle points on replacement axles will eventually wear out the plastic truck's journals if the car does a lot of running on the layout:
Left: Riv (visible bolster gap) Right: Walthers (early 2000's production)
I see them often at the train shows around here. Join the hoswap.io group and make a wishlist posting. I’m pretty sure someone will have them to sell.
I've come across a stash of vintage (1980s) Rivarossi passenger cars that I had boxed up in my basement that I can use on my current layout. They have plastic wheels and truck mounted horn hook couplers. They are also seriously underweighted so they are going to need some upgrades to be useful. At one time there were interiors made for these cars, I think sold by IHC. I went to their website and they still have them listed but as not available. Does anybody make a suitable substitute. I have both coaches and an observation car to upgrade.