Time of Rivarossi motor change?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I found a list of Rivarossi Big Boy model numbers.

Does anyone know in which year they changed to using can motors and smaller wheel flanges?

Rivarossi Big Boys



code

year



2

I got a “digital” BB in about Dec 1999, rd nbr 4010 and of course it was updated. From what I can remember it was around 94 to 96 for the new motors/wheels,etc. BTW, that BB still runs today with a Soundtraxx decoder and several extra soldered on pickups.

I also have some Rivs from the late 70s/early 80s and they are the old motor/old wheels.

Richard

3

I believe it was 1996 when they changed to a central can motor, with the 5400 series.

4

I bought mine in 1994, which is the date on my parts sheet. I remember 1992 being the first year, which is confirmed in the list from RR Memory. Later runs (circa 2000?) eliminated electrical pickups as a desperate cost cutting move that left them almost crippled, so watch out for those.