Rivarossi - 9113 - Locomotive, Diesel, EMD SW1500, Calf - Penn Central - 9150B

Specific Item Information: Unpowered (dummy) calf

Model Information: This body style is for the Rivarossi and Arnold versions.

This model was first produced by Rivarossi for Atlas in 1971. The trucks are marked 'Made in Italy' with a Rivarossi logo and an Atlas logo. The motor is visible from below on the powered cow. On the dummy calf, a large hollow can be seen from the bottom of the model, corresponding to the missing motor.
After Atlas stopped ordering them ca. 1977, Rivarossi continued selling them with its own brand and reference (#91xx) and released one additional paint scheme (SP Black Widow) in 1980. Con-Cor also began importing the Rivarossi model. On this model, the trucks are marked 'Made in Italy' with a Rivarossi logo only.
The Rivarossi/Con-Cor version was available powered or unpowered, for both the cow and the calf.
The boxes can be labeled with a Rivarossi stock number on one end and a Con-Cor stock number on the other end, sometimes printed on a Rivarossi label.
Models not in Rivarossi catalog, so only sold by Con-Cor, may still show a Rivarossi stock number, corresponding to the type of chassis - #9288 (dummy calf) or #9289 (dummy cow) or #9290 (powered cow) - on one side and a Con-Cor stock number on the other side. The Con-Cor number was on a sticker which tended to detach with age, leaving only the printed Rivarossi number. Hence many classifieds are using the non-distinctive Rivarossi number 9288 or 9289 or 9890.
At a certain point ca. 1985, apparently dissatisfied with the mechanisms made by Rivarossi, Con-Cor had Kato design a new, more reliable, mechanism but continued use of the Rivarossi shell. This new Kato/Rivarossi hybrid was produced until 1989. The change of mechanism only applied to the 'cow' powered unit; the 'calf' dummy unit continued to be fully made by Rivarossi. On the powered cow, the trucks are marked '17712/Made in Japan' with Kato logo and the fuel tank is marked 'Con-Cor' on the bottom.
In 1996, Arnold/Rivarossi re-released the same model with yet another new mechanism and a few improvements of the shell (thinner handrails and tank details). On this model, the fuel tank is marked 'Arnold/Made in Germany'. The couplers are truck-mounted.
At this point Con-Cor released a new version of the model this time using a Chinese manufactured mechanism, but with the shell still more or less the same. These Chinese versions were marketed as SW-1200s. The bottom of the trucks is marked '17712/Made in China', without logo.
Con-Cor stopped making their version during the downsizing in 2005 and Arnold stopped producing theirs in 2006 with the bankruptcy.

The model was designed from early EMD drawings for the SW1500 prototype, that were quite similar to the SW1200 drawings. Eventually the final SW1500 prototype was released with significant changes to the early drawing. So though the model is sold as a SW1500, it is actually closer to a SW1200 than to a SW1500. Moreover, if a cow-calf version of the SW1200 (TR12) was offered in the catalog, it was actually never purchased. No cow-calf version of the SW1500 was ever envisaged.

Review Courtesy of Doug Gosha: The Rivarossi model is a plastic shell and separate walkway molding over a zamac frame. There is an additional weight that fits into the cab portion of the shell. The same basic Rivarossi motor is used as in their other A1G locomotives but in a quite different configuration. In this case, the motor has a double-ended shaft with a worm on each end. Due to considerable space limitations in this small chassis, the worm diameters are much smaller than on the other Rivarossi A1G locos. The motor is kind of suspended under the zamac frame in an opening in the center with a spring sheet metal retainer that passes through holes in the top of the frame and snaps over the bushing extensions on the motor can and cap. The worms on the shaft then extend into openings in the bottom of the frame. The trucks are retained by plates mounted on the frame at each end with slots in them to engage bosses which extend from each side of the truck gearboxes. The left side plate at each end is insulated from the frame with a plastic spacer between it and the frame. A single screw through both plates and the frame hold them in place with an insulating washer on the left side.Wheel wipers are mounted on the gearboxes in the boss area and make contact with both the inner surface of each wheel and the retainer plates which gets current that far. Wires soldered to lugs under the left plate mounting screws carry current to the motor brush holder on the left (hot) side and the right (ground) brush holder has a flat spring which contacts the motor can and the can is grounded through the motor retainer. Because the right side truck retainer plates are also grounded to the frame, this completes the circuit. Actually, the wiring from the left side of the frame could go to either the right or left side of the motor depending on how the motor cap was installed in the factory since this would determine on which side the ground contact would be. In a departure from the past Rivarossi engines, there are no plastic traction tires used on this locomotive, Thus all eight wheels contribute to current collection with some sacrifice in pulling capacity. This little loco will still pull about 20 cars on level track!

DCC Information: No provision for DCC, except on the Arnold version.

Prototype History: The EMD SW1500 was a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) Diesel-electric locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new EMD 645 engine. The SW1500 replaced the SW1200 in the EMD product line, and was in turn replaced by the MP15DC.

The SW1500 was a substantially bulkier locomotive than the SW1200, with a much bulkier frame, larger cab and bigger hood. In many respects it was approaching a road switcher in abilities. While the SW1500 came as standard with AAR switcher trucks, the majority of them were delivered with the optional Flexicoil trucks which permitted speeds up to 60 mph (100 km/h). The SW1500 was, in fact, often operated as a road-switcher for branchline service, and continues in this role today.

From Wikipedia

Road Name History: The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Class I railroad headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the 1968 merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads. The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad was added to the merger in 1969; by 1970, the company had filed for what was, at that time, the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

The Penn Central was created as a response to challenges faced by all three railroads in the late 1960s. The northeastern quarter of the United States, these railroads' service area, was the most densely populated region of the U.S. While railroads elsewhere in North America drew a high percentage of their revenues from the long-distance shipment of commodities such as coal, lumber, paper and iron ore, Northeastern railroads traditionally depended on a mix of services.

As it turned out, the merged Penn Central was little better off than its constituent roads were before. A merger implementation plan was drawn up, but not carried out. Attempts to integrate operations, personnel and equipment were not very successful, due to clashing corporate cultures, incompatible computer systems and union contracts. Track conditions deteriorated (some of these conditions were inherited from the three merged railroads) and trains had to be run at reduced speeds. This meant delayed shipments and personnel working a lot of overtime. As a result, operating costs soared. Derailments and wrecks became frequent, particularly in the midwest.

The American financial system was shocked when after only two years of operations, the Penn Central Transportation company was put into bankruptcy on June 21, 1970. It was the largest corporate bankruptcy in American history at that time. Although the Penn Central Transportation Company was put into bankruptcy, its parent Penn Central Company was able to survive.

The Penn Central continued to operate freight service under bankruptcy court protection. After private-sector reorganization efforts failed, Congress nationalized the Penn Central under the terms of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. The new law folded six northeastern railroads, the Penn Central and five smaller, failed lines, into the Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail. The act took effect on April 1, 1976.

Read more on Wikipedia.

Brand/Importer Information: Rivarossi was one of the world's most famous Italian manufacturers of model railways. Rivarossi was founded in 1945 by Alessandro Rossi with Antonio Riva. In the 1990s Rivarossi acquired Lima (1992), Arnold (1995) and Jouef (1996). In 2003, after several years of managerial and financial vicissitudes, Rivarossi ceased its activities.

In 2004 Hornby Railways plc acquired assets from Rivarossi, in particular the brands Arnold, Jouef, Rivarossi and Lima. Since 2006 products are sold again under these brand names, with product manufactured in China. For complete information, visit Rivarossi Memory (mostly in Italian with some sections available in English).