Watash, Yes they have rubber tires. But I always check to see if the motors do get warm or hot and I haven't ran into that problem yet and i've ran them like that now for 3 to 4 years and still no problems. I do tator to them durring a run like that just to be on the safe side of things. And yes the Em-1's I got are customized 4-8-8-4 Big Boys. Old ones to, out of like that late 1960's to early 1970's. But 2 of them have the original motors and the other 2 have OMI motors, (brass locomotive power). So I think after I run them some more to see if i'm happy with the preformance on the new power i'll end up repowering all my Rivarossi stuff but my new EL-5's, and my new Challenger when I get it. I put a Challenger on a rain check till my income tax check arrives. But its got the new power drive from Rivarossi so... I may not have any problems with him but my 2-10-2's and my 2-8-8-4's (ex. 4-8-8-4's) and my 4-6-2's and 2-8-2's will probably get all repowered from the OMI motors, they seem to be good motors for one. And run quiet and smooth so.... And with double flywheels make a hugh difference. ~John [ 11 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ] [ 16 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
I am hugely dissappointed in my new AHM engines. I have been told the new Rivarossi motors are better than the ones they used in the AHM's, but they still have to have a rubber band to pull any where close to what they are supposed to. I think they are now using vinyl bands. The more I learn about the Rivarossi/AHM and Bachmann engines, the more heart sick I get! My dad wasted hard earned money buying me some of these engines, that have not yet been out of the box they came in. He died in 1983 believing they were great. Now I'm finding out they are all crap! Even the drivers have plastic spokes! pure cheap crap, and for the price they charged! I'm loseing interest in building my new layout I intended to run them on more and more.
Watash, Don't fret!! Don't take me the wrong way, The old ones don't pull bad but as you said they will heat up. I have an old 2-8-8-0 B&O with the same tender that the Y6b 2-8-8-2 has and it runs great to this day. It'll pull about 20 cars pretty slick, but it don't get hot and runs pretty smooth yet. And I haven't done anything to it but cleaning and basic maintenence. And besides a new paint job as well. The guy I bought it from painted it and never gave it an over coat to protect the supplied decals AHM or Rivarossi supplied with the loco so they started to peel and crumble up so I removed them, and repainted the whole loco, tender and all. But the cab decal weren't real bad but I thought i'd repaint everything to make it all match and to make that one "step" ahead to be ahead of the peeling and crumbling up old decals. And used Testors dullcote on everything. As all the painting I do gets a overcoat or finish to protect the paint and the decals...
The D&RGW used switchbacks on their Monarch Branch line out of Salida CO. It started out as narrow gauge, and what didn't on the Grande, and was later converted to standard gauge. The big difference was the degree of curvature and the length at the end of the switchbacks. It has since been removed, however, I am sure that it still can be followed. The line was for a limestone quarry near the top of Monarch Pass for use in steel making at CF&I in Pueblo CO. No Big Boys here. Only 2-8-2's(NG) and Geeps(SG).
