Non-brass As and Ys, N-Scale

[NW Modeling List]

Frank and list-

Yes, the Rowa products were ahead of their time.

The Rowa Y6b was first imported into the United States (and along with the
NKP S2 Berkshire and C&O Streamlined Passenger Cars) was commissioned by MRC
to initiate their entry into N Scale.

Later, a version was imported from Europe, reportedly from a second,
duplicate set of tooling made in the same tool shop as the original, marked
as "BEMO" and marketed as "Charmertz" by Charles Mertzbach, the original
importer of Arnold Rapido in the USA.  Some of these units came with factory
installed Suethe smoke units and had somewhat modified mechanisms to
accommodate them.

Jim Conway of Con-Cor purchased the MRC tooling for the Y6b and S2 and had
Rivarossi rework the drives.   While the original plastic valve gear looked
very nice it did not hold up in service, especially the friction fit pin of
the eccentric commonly worked its way out of the driver allowing the main
road and other valve gear to fly and get lost.   The tooling for the
passenger cars was run for Conway for a while but never got transferred to
Rivarossi and was lost in the Rowa bankruptcy.  It is commonly thought that
the original toolmaker was owed monies on the projects and reclaimed the
tooling but it has never surfaced and is presumed lost.

Whatever tooling Rivarossi held for any of the N Scale items is
scrapped..the cost of bringing it up to today's standards is cost
prohibitive as compared to starting from scratch using modern design and
tooling methods.   I would not rule out the appearance of a Y6b in the
future from one of the established importers given its popularity in the
past.

Charlie Vlk

Railroad Model Resources

 



Yes, MRC distributed the later Y6b editions.  The original Roewa rods and
gear were beauties, as you say, while the Rivarossi product, though
retaining the original shell, downgraded the rods and gear to stamped-out
"flats".  No comparison.  The Roewas were marketed in the approx. 1.25" x
1.75" x 10" plastic boxes, themselves a work of art.



 

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