Just received my Allegheny and cant wait to get it home and try it out. Question???? Has anyone posting here gotten one? Set it up? And, have any advice or experience with the thing? I read the peice in Model Railroader this past month, and of course, I have the instructions. Just wanted to know if anyone had experienced anything I should look out for when first setting up and running this puppy. Thanks! -Kitbash
Congradulations on your new aquisition, and here is some links to past discussions on these machines: The Allegheny Discussion Enjoy your monster
Thanks for the link Benny! I got it home Friday and set the thing up w/ the packaged details from Rivarossi. Saturday AM, I ran it and it is now the jewel of my layout! The only problem was some rock castings. I have one series of rockcastings on a cliff that happens in a curved track section. I placed the castings well outside the range of a NMRA Track Guage to thinking I was insuring clearance. OOOOOPS! There was one 'chunk' of rock that was too close for the Allegheny's liking. The rockcasting quickly recarved, painted and blended.... the Allegheny running. All is right w/ the world. Great peice of work that engine. Hope Rivarossi tackles another C&O project soon! Thanks again for the link. -Kitbash
Kitbash, is the rear set of drivers made to swivel like the 4-8-8-4, or are they solid to the boiler like a real articulated?
The rear drivers are hinged.. yes. In reading the Model RR article, Product Reviews last month, it seems that is the way Rivarossi gets this thing to handle the 16" to 18" R curves. Several steam engines I have had in the past needed tinkering and adjusting to get the smokebox wheels and trailing trucks spring tension such that they would not bounce around at turnouts, etc. However, the Allegheny needed no adjustment whatsover. It runs like Rivarossi tuned it for my layout.. right outta the box. -Kitbash
Watash, I got my hands on "6206_S1a's", Mike K's and the rear set of drivers are articulated just like the Big Boys and the Challengers is.... Or even the Y6b's. But from what I seen and noticed on the thing it sure is one hell of a locomotive since Rivarossi brought out the Big Boy! I can remember Rivarossi saying at one time that "The Big Boy was thier (Rivarossi) signature engine".... And well my thoughts on the Big Boy to the new Allegheny is outstanding! It beats the looks of their Big Boy buy a L-O-N-G shot! And i'm yet to see it preform but, if its preformance is anywhere close to the looks, it sure is going to be one running loconmotive! Although I've not seen it run or anything I believe it will run on 15 inch radius curves and run smoothly. The detail is out of this world as well with the opening water fill hatches in the tender and the working butterfly doors in the cab along with the cab vent hatch and also the working windows. The only drawback for me that I seen is the way the draw bar is made and all, its not like the regular Rivarossi drawbar that was metal like the older AHM/Rivarossi and the newer Model Expo versions with totally metal drawbars. The Allegheny has the metal drawbar but their is a plastic section that the tender pin slips into and its split like 2 fingers that wrap around the pin. I believe in time and wear on those just may contribute a problem in time, unless the designing of it is better then it looks. Other than this, I have nothing bad to say about it. The locomotive is a real collectors piece and seems to be just as good for running as it looks as well. Even the version of the Model Expo version had the axle gear uncovered on the plastic plate that holds the wheels in the engine bed, which leaves the grease come out of the engine bed. On the Allegheny they had totally concealed the axle gear and all, so I believe its going to be alot easier on grease and even oil, it won't run out durring running as fast as it did on the older versions. And I believe it will also help it keeping the oils and grease moist being that air won't seems to get into the engine bed. So the oils and grease won't dry out and become a paste like it did on the older versions.... On its weight... I believe when they said its the heaviest plastic locomotive made, well they were right! The thing is WAY heavier then my Big Boys! So, in a rating of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst and 1 being the best.... I'd have to give it a 1... because Rivarossi is sure giving Brass a real run for their money with this one! One day I'll invest in one when I get caught up will finacances and can save some money then I'll have one! Can't wait till that happens being the Articulated/ Mallet fanatic that I am! [ 21 February 2002, 02:02: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Well guys, you are making me cry. I have my Riv H-8 just sitting in the box in the other room. I haven't taken out of the foam yet because I have no place to set up track!!! It is killing me not to be able to run the thing. I waited soooo long to get and now I can't run it. I don't even have time to run it on someone else's track!!!! Oh well hopefully in 6 months I will have a more permanent place with room for track. The wife has even ok'd it!! By that time John will probably have one!! Watash: were is the best place to get HO stuff from in FT Worth?
I got my hands on 6206_S1a's (Mike K's) H-8 and got it on track and I could cry! The thing WILL pull the paint off the wall! I swear its got to be the smoothest running loco I've seen yet right out of the box! I WANT ONE! HA
Great to have you back, John ole buddy!! John Has that engine of mine to run for the Maple Festival at the Western Maryland Station in Meyersdale, Pa for the next 2 weekends and also my Western Maryland Russian Decapod. But that Allegheny will bring alot of looks at the show when it runs!! Hey John, I will be up there tommorrow(Saturday)
Yes it is good to be back! I'm glad I got my computer back I can keep an eye on things with my e-mail better and get back into the swing with the things with my shop and my online customers and also the friends online as well!!!!!!!!!!
