Non-brass As and Ys, N-Scale

[NW Modeling List]

Charlie,

Good info, below.

I have never raced my Roewas,  for decades running them at low, 
prototypical speeds.  Although they have stood up well, several pins 
have failed.  Do you know of anyone who has squirrelled away _Roewa 
gear_ and who might be willing to sell pieces?

Atlas' HL twin hopper, Broadway Limited's H2a triple hopper, and AMB's 
CF caboose--the latter two having appeared just in the last year--should 
offer a _real enticement for a manufacturer to produce a Y6, Y6a or Y6b._
Finally, on the market an N-Scale N&W mixed coal consist and cab, all 
quite accurate as to bodies and lettering.  Just awaiting a Y6 or A  run!

Frank Gibson


  On 02/10/2015 02:27 PM, NW Modeling List wrote:
>
> 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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