Author Topic: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?  (Read 1620 times)

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bbussey

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2022, 07:52:16 AM »
+4
Picture attached is not a Rivarossi car.

 :RUEffinKiddingMe: :facepalm:

Yes it is. Smoothside roomette based on the PRR Broadway Limited prototype. Tooled by RivaRossi for Atlas in the late 1960s and released under the RivaRossi name in Europe. Later imported by Con-Cor under the RivaRossi name. I purchased this particular Atlas-branded model nearly 50 years ago when I first got into N scale and ran it for years before the newer-technology Kato models started appearing in the 1980s.

The model was upgraded to current standards in 2005 because I didn’t want to permanently retire it, and because a number of the vintage RivaRossi models still hold up well today with just a little detail work. It was featured in the May/June issue of N Scale Railroading.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2022, 01:15:04 AM by bbussey »
Bryan Busséy
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nickelplate759

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2022, 09:25:57 AM »
+1
Picture attached is not a Rivarossi car.

It was before @bbussey got to work on it.  He's a magician.
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

thomasjmdavis

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2022, 12:43:52 PM »
0
:RUEffinKiddingMe: :facepalm:

Yes it is. Smoothside roomette based on the PRR Broadway Limited prototype. Tooled by RivaRossi for Atlas in the late 1960s and released under the RivaRossi name in Europe. Later imported by Con-Cor under the RivaRossi name. I purchased this particular Atlas-branded model over 50 years ago.

The model was upgraded to current standards in 2005 because I didn’t want to permanently retire it. It was featured in the May/June issue of N Scale Railroading.

I have 3 of these cars that I have painted as Erie plan 4129 cars, although they are not exact replicas of the Erie prototypes- the major visual difference being the windows on the bedroom end of the car, which in photos appear to be in 3 pairs (like a plan 4140), rather than 6 evenly spaced windows. I did not think of doing Kato trucks at the time, but putting that on my "things to do" list (item #2144).  Frankly, I think the Rivarossi and Rowa cars of the late 60s are better than the Con-cor tooled models that succeeded them, and indeed, as good as anything available RTR until the Kato smoothside and Budd cars appeared 25 years later.

The prevailing wisdom 15 or 20 (maybe 30?, 40?) years ago was that the Rivarossi car was a model of an ACF built PRR class PS106, and there were pronouncements by various modelers that some of the earliest cars (there were 3 different ACF lot #s) were delivered with evenly spaced bedroom windows.  But since in the intervening time, I've never found a photo of one with evenly spaced windows, I assumed this was more a case of self-appointed experts pontificating, than actual prototype info.  But the aisle side of the car is pretty clearly based on the ACF window arrangement.

But given the subject matter here- are the evenly spaced bedroom windows accurate for PRR or any other prototype?
Tom D.

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bbussey

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2022, 07:39:50 PM »
0
I think it’s accurate for the ACF roomette built for the Broadway Limited.
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Angus Shops

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2022, 08:45:15 PM »
0
I thought it was a 10 - 6…

bbussey

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #20 on: January 08, 2022, 01:16:09 AM »
0
Yes, 10-6, I stand corrected.  RivaRossi referred to it as a roomette.
Bryan Busséy
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tehachapifan

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2022, 02:16:57 PM »
0
On a somewhat related note, how do the lights on the old Atlas Italy (lighted) passenger cars perform on DCC layouts? I just picked up another one of these cars and it turned out to be a lighted version. Being incandescent bulb based, my concern is immediate bulb burnout and/or heat damage to the shell from the bulb running at max volts.

PS- I know I can disable the lighting by flipping the wheelsets in one of the trucks but I'm still curios (but not curious enough to test it on my own! ;) )

« Last Edit: January 13, 2022, 02:46:31 PM by tehachapifan »

bbussey

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Re: Wheel/Truck Conversion for Old N Atlas (Italy) Passenger Cars?
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2022, 03:00:10 PM »
0
I would get rid of the existing lighting bar and put LED lighting in.  The mounting posts can still serve as the electrical feeds.
Bryan Busséy
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