Rivarossi Hiawatha – Second part

Rivarossi Hiawatha – Part Two

Written by P.G.

Despite having been in the catalogue for many years, specifically from 1948 to 1960, our locomotive has now become a rarity.

It was already rare in 1965, when I had the opportunity to visit the Rivarossi museum in Como. When asked about this, Alessandro Rossi replied that, despite the rather lackluster sales, he had wanted to keep this locomotive in the catalogue  …. “…because he was particularly fond of it …. and in any case the molds and equipment already existed, so they might as well be used”  , while he could not tell me how many pieces were actually produced.
And our locomotive has a strange “commercial  history”. Despite enjoying the appreciation of the owner of the Rivarossi company , the magazine “HO Rivarossi” has never dedicated an article to this locomotive, on the contrary,  it has almost always been ignored.
The issue No. 15 of the said journal dedicated its centre pages to the locomotive’s “cousin”, the aerodynamic English locomotive ,the “Coronation”,  masterpiece of the Trix / TTR company .
I remember that in the 50s the Hiawatha  had been strongly criticized by US magazines; they reproached the failure to respect the  scale, the lack of fidelity to the real prototype as well as many other details, for example the fact that on the front the initials “RR” took the place of the locomotive number …

… Not to mention the criticism

of the coaches ….

… in fact they are nothing more than the Italian Rivarossi coaches of the era in yellow/orange livery.
Already at that time an American enthusiast could not accept on a postage car the emblem of the cockerel of the manufacturer and the inscription “Rivarossi Poste” ….

In those years, although a few shops used the image of the Hiawatha for advertising purposes, ….

… very few shops held it in stock, most of them only procuring it on order, while almost all shops held in store various exanples of the LSP/R, which sold well despite the fact that this latter cost (prices of 1954) lire 10,500 against lire 9,500 for the Hiawatha.

I remember that at Christmas 1957, in the main shops of the Veneto,  it was necessary  to order the Hiawatha and wait at least two months to buy it.
Our locomotive was included for the last time in the 1960 catalogue ….

… .. Although, as from early 1959, the Hiawatha is no longer available and it is strange the fact that, unlike the LSP / R or 221 L / R, after being out of the catalogue, it has not been included in the ” Collectors catalogue “.
The Rivarossi Hiawatha therefore remained in the catalogue for twelve years and, during this period, underwent a continuous evolution while maintaining unchanged its image.
The most important change took place in 1954 with the aesthetic application of the nails on the aerodynamic boiler casing.

The two pictures below show the difference between the two versions of the body

Our locomotive was subsequently equipped with three different frames for the material, thickness and some details such as the sliding pin of the driving rods and the step on the front.

During a certain period the use of the frame in the lead alloy is superimposed on the zinc alloy.
It took until 1955 – 1956 engine type “1” with inductor lamellar, brush holder and screwed pack, from 1955 – 1956 to 1959 the classic engine type “2” with open holder.

The transmission was equipped with two types of worm screw (and relative ring gear) with different modules.

There are also two versions of the front bissel in two axes: the first one, used from 1948 to 1950 …

… Cast in one piece with the axes inserted in the holes (disassembly required the extraction of  the wheels)
… And the second one, used from 1950 to 1959 with lower housing in burnished steel.

There are three versions of the rear “bissel” :
The first, taken from 1948 to 1950, cast in one piece

with lateral insertion of the axis … ..

The second of 1950-1951

with carter in burnished steel ….

The third, used from 1952 to 1955 with coupling bracket with the double-slot loop

(used the same piece on L221 and on the LSP / R eliminating the part of the bracket after the first slot)

and with lateral sides screwed on….

Until 1953-1954 the socket was  placed exclusively by the wheels of the locomotive via flush contacts from the driving wheels, the supporting wheels are placed to ground on one side, usually the left one, by means of steel disks.
From 1953 -1954 the locomotive is placed in mass with respect to the frame with all the left wheels, while the outlet from the right rail is through the wheels of the tender ….

… And tender-locomotive connection cable with fixed female plug side tender housed in a special front hole.

Note that, in the tender with the socket, the coupling pin to the locomotive is isolated.

The tender frame can be nickel plated or burnished steel, some specimes used brass, but, starting from 1955, I know only burnished frames.

The color tone of the Hiawatha varies according to the year of production, the yellow color has a tendency to grow in a more orange pitch in the newer models, with a return to yellow, though semi-matt instead of glossy, on the latter specimens .
Another singular peculiarity consists of the carrier bars: some specimens produced from 1949 to 1952 are equipped with support for  typical rails of Rivarossi in turned steel and drilled …

… .others, produced in the same years, do not have this and the rails are fixed with small pieces of thin wired bent steel, introduced in the holes of the case apart and all inside.

Since 1953 all Hiawatha have a handrail on the media.
(Continued in Part Three)