Rivarossi Big Boy Repair & Review 

Really helpful, good video. Not a lot of useless fluff.

These locos were not great pullers, however some CA glue & #9 lead bird shot & you can add hidden weight in this loco. It's doesn't run well if left to sit long. But the model itself was noted as being the most accurate model of the Big Boy at it's time. Trix made a beauty of an more modern model engine of the Big Boy.

Enjoyed the video very much. I have had mine since new over 45 years ago. Paid $ 33.00 but run very very little just lubing some just now. Thanks again for video. The Old Man in Texas

I picked up a Rivarossi Big Boy along with a Rivarossi Challenger and Allegheny in an estate sale also many other locomotives some brass ones in an estate sale a year ago they all worked great after some servicing for a very reasonable price very pleased with them.

Nice video! I also found you could use a flat head screw driver and kind of scrape it against the bell screw a ton to turn it and take it out

Awesome!!! I just bought one used online a couple of weeks ago for 80 bucks running. A Norfolk and Western #2197. Love the Riverassi's one of my favs! Has a minor jolt to it at low speed which I am taking apart right now since I want to get at the innards, now that the outside is all clean, incl. wheels and drive assembly with new lube added. Seen these things from a 100 to 500 used online. So I guess I got a deal too! Great video!

Great Video,

Thanks for the tear down. Id never have messed with the broke down one we have. I bought it for my son and was still $50 not running lol. Going to look into a new motor.

Thank you for posting

The deep European flanges won't run on Code 83 track and the three-pole motor and tall gearing doesn't allow slow running. They just sort of jerk from 0 to 20 as soon as you crack the throttle. I bought mine new for $39.93 in 1973 and still run it occasionally. It runs very well and the plastic traction tires allow it to pull most any train.

Great video I got a RivaRossi southern pacific lines cab forward

to secure the brass nut at the front, use a thick grease, that way it can still float to align with the screw

Good job in the vid, perhaps a second camera off to the side would put over the top in the video department, the train tech is already over the top. Ebay currently I'm outbid on the newer AHM/Rivarossi model. $300+ is too much for my blood. Maybe I'll eventually run into a good deal on a Big Boy. Fell in love with this one ever since 4014 came rolling into Brazos County here in Texas. Now I have to own one. Good luck everyone and keep on truck'in. - Doug

I LOVE BIG BOY!!!![especially rivarossi]

If you rewind the motor with less windings you get more power so take off 20 winds on each armchair and see how she pulls

I did not buy mine at a good price, however, with a new motor it pulls pretty well and i plan on putting a dcc chip in it.

I just picked up a Big boy weathered DCC and Sound for $75.00 but the trailing truck is damaged. Does anyone know where I can get parts?

Have you tried replacing the motor brushes with Athearn ones???

Nice video! I did a stupid decision on my big boy and I decided to take it completely apart. Now I am in a bit of a pickle.

Does your guy’s big boy have a leaning issue?? Mine wants to lean to its left and can only take right turns. If it takes left turns it derails.

Actually the Rivarossi Big Boy detail wise is very accurate. Not up to today's standards possibly but they will still won't look too out of place on a layout with Athearn and Broadway Limited versions (on the otherhand, even a fully detailed Bowser version with the correct Box Pox drivers will seem odd). The length of the flanges is a big disadvantage though. The motor is an original Rivarossi can motor. lmost all Rivarossi locomotives, both steam and diesel have similar motors (although this one seem longer than most). There are remotoring kits for Rivarossi steam locomotives out there.

Great video, I have a #4013 Rivarossi I bought from a friend in Germany about 40 years ago, and have never run it (been sitting on the mantle of our fireplace as showpiece). About a year ago I got back into model railroading with Marklin (had some train sets made in cooperation with Herpa), and after getting a couple of Marklin Big Boys (they run and sound phantastic: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1nAcRNjC5gU.html), I finally got some DC tracks and controller to see if it still runs...

Why notbreplacevthe creppy original motor a cheap 10 $ Sagami motor with flywheel will improvebthe engine a lot more.

As far as I’m concerned with these babies , I also have the cab forward version. If it works don’t fix it!