I have picked up a Rivarossi Challenger. I have gotten it to run nicelyl. Seller could not. It has a Falhauber replacement motor. Two wires exit the cab - one has what must be the brass tender plug soldered on - the other has just a bare wire ending. With the loco on test track - when I attach one transformer wire to the tender plug, and the other wire to the track - the loco runs fine. The other motor lead is unattached. If I touch this wire to the eng drawbar, it shorts the motor. If I attach transformer wires to these motor leads, off track, the engine runs. My question is, where should this one motor lead be attached ? I don't know its purpose, since the engine runs, on track, without it being attached to anything. Could it be used for a tender light?
It sounds like you have an older AHM/Rivarossi. I had one too until I sent it for repairs and the postal service made it beyond repairs. Anyway, the power to the locomotive came from the the tender. There should be wipers on the tender wheels. The tender wheels were insulated. I am trying to remember, my old set-up and I know there was a wiper on the back truck, and I think there was one on the front truck as well. But, I also see to remember two stiff spring clip wires that came from the locomotive and went to the drawbar pin on the tender. I suggest you look over the tender carefully and set up the tender for your right left pick-up's. You could also run a wiper wire to the locomotive wheels on one side and out to the tender to the other track for the other motor lead. Anyway, the wiring to the tender is important. I hope that helps.
Petey, I have the Rivarossi parts book and repairs manuel, and the only thing I see is that your loco is the 1977 to 1980 version stock number, 1200, 1253, 1267, 1268, 1523, or 1548. As of the diagrams shown their is no contacts from the tender! NONE! I will however ask if you can tell me what tender it has, AKA if it has the Union Pacific "Centapede" tender with 14 wheels, or the Delaware & Hudson square tender with 2, three axle trucks. The D&H tender is possible to have been up graded for have axle wipers to pick up power from the track to supply the loco motor and even a tender light. However if so, this IS NOT factory! It was added to the loco either from a personal owner or a hobby shop that may have gotten it to "upgrade" its preformance. On the other hand, if your Challenger has the Union Pacific "Centapede" tender It will NOT have any wipers on the tender. This is due to the fact that when Rivarossi brought them out they had already started the upgrade on the electrics of the loco. It should have push pins that rubs the wheel rim and flange to bring electric into the engine bed (frames) and then connect via bolts and isolated bushings and screws on the other set of engines. And the pins are all on one side of the front set of engines and just the opposite of the other set of engines. Being this all said that has some to do with the pilot truck and the trailing truck... The engine beds (frames) were isolated from each other from the possitive side and the negitive side of the power pack. Normally the front set of engines (driver wheels) picked up the possitive side or right side rail. As the rear set of engines (driver wheels) picked up the negitive or left rail. This all again being said, the front pilot trucks can only pick up the possitive flow of current being the pilot truck frame is metal bolted down to a metal engine bed (frame) which then makes contact through a bolt to the inside loco weight. with a eye loop connector and then a wire to the motor. If the pilot truck picked up the other side it would short out. As for the trailing truck, it also has a metal traveling monut that also bolts to the rear metal engine bed (frame) which would draw power from the negitive rail or left side rail. With that said, if you look, the drawbar is also riveted to this trauck! Which can not have any pick ups from the tender unless its reversed by changing wires. And most of the time, when you found a Rivarossi loco made the old way, being tender asisted for power, their was no wires seen between the loco cab and tender, it was all ran through the drawbar from the tender drawbar pin... and that connected to the steel plate (weight) inside the tender with holes taped for screws that held the trucks fast to the tender body. This won't be found on the "Centapede" tender! So if you go about doing a tender electrification, look at your drawbar on the loco, and the trailing truck! To see what side it draws power from, then you can run a solid line in the tender with the drawbar pin, to the steel plate (weight) from taping a hole in the steel plates and adding wipers to the wheels. And then if you decide to run a wiper for the other side to draw power that would have to be done carefully, you would have to have the wiper rub the wheel tread and have a separete wire running through the tender and into the cab with a mini quick disconnect plud to separate the tender from the loco for starage, and or maintenace. and into the cab and to the same place the factory wire is soldiered too. DO NOT run that wire dirrectly to the motor! that will not level out power draw amp rating and volt rating, depending on your track, that can do an over draw on some places and not in others. It all depends on your track and your loco wheels, and tender wheels... Run the wires to the place Rivarossi has them soldiered too and then to the motor this will keep an even electrical flow level for your power pack, and will make a smoother running locomotive... HTH
WOW. Those answers blew my mind. It was much easier to ask the question, than to formulate the response. Thanks to both of you. Both were very thorough. About the third sentence into the second response, I guessed I was reading something from J.P. I have never experienced anything so precise, and in such exhaustive detail, as his answers. I figure that after about the fifth reading of these two answers, I might begin to understand. The Falhauber motor has to be an upgrade. The engine is lettered for UP #3997, so had to have the centipede tender, which I do not have. The brass plug on the one motor lead has to be a quick disconect. The brochure I received w/th eng. is dated 1977. The number "17235" appears under the cab area, directly above the drawbar.
Petey, I answered like I did being I work on Rivarossi alot. I specialize in it..... So I needed to give the most detailed description possible to you.... So you understood and all to make no mistakes.... Thats why I done my best to post in as much detail as I possibly could! Sorry you had to read it a few times. but it all came into place once you know what you were looking at.... Thats the good thing.... I'm glad it helped....... Hopefully got it running now!
John, I have learned that you are the Rivarossi wizard from reading other messages. As I mentioned in my first message, the engine runs fine(on my test track). I did not receive any tender with it. Do you have any suggestions? Something readily available, and less expensive, such as, Mantua, Bowser, IHC Mountain, Bach Northern.. Also, you know me from a partial build on a Challenger. Thanks
Petey, How interesting!!!! A partial build on a Challenger ???? A Rivarossi Challenger or a Bowser Challenger ???? IF this is all making sence to me. Your first name is Dennis!!! Anyway, on the tenders, let me look I may have something here in the shop. I'll have to look tho. let me know what type tender your looking for.... I'll see what I have.... And get back to you! [ 31. July 2002, 04:39: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
