Hi, It's Jesse here, I am one of the Managers at Trains & Such in Calgary where you got this loco from. Thank you for the business, I test all of our used engines and due to time constraints on how much product we go through, sometimes I can't fix everything right away, so I price it with a good value so that others can get a great deal as well. So this engine is very cool, I had it in the back for quite some time awaiting to get to it, but no no avail on my time, I decided to put it out and literally you found it within a few days!. However I do mark quite a few engines that just need some easy TLC as projects etc.. because I hope that people like yourself will do exactly this with them. I am very happy on the outcome on this locomotive and the great work you did. I myself am also a collector of vintage Varney/atheran/lionel/bowser/penn line etc.. HO products. So if you ever need any parts, I do keep a special area in my collections area in the back for these. I see so much stuff, especially over the last 20 years of doing this that I know what's really hard to find. So I keep a special stash to keep some older units going and parts. When you are in town again in Calgary I would like to meet up with you and give you an extended tour. Thank you for keeping the model railroading spirit alive.

But will it pull 20 cars?

Now we just need a cab forward and big boy double header

I was given one as a thank you gift. It's a nice engine.

Didn’t you hear me yelling at the screen when you were searching for the screws? I’ve taken a few if these Rivarossi articulateds apart over the decades. This one looks like it was never run, or spent very little time running. I bet it’ll loosen up with more track time. Good excuse for a live stream!

Harrison my friend, you've done it again! Nicely done buddy!!!

a morning post is a great way to start my morning

When I buy pre-owned engines I totally strip them down and I use gun scrubber to remove all oil and grease then I let it all dry and reassemble the engine. Thank you Harrison for puting these videos out because of your videos that how I got started in to servicing all my engines I'm also keeping maintenance records on all my engines and rolling stock. Thank you And yes I do Relubricate the drive train and all necessary components. 😏

Great job lovely model

Nice repair job!

That's great looking and we'll done fixing it

I just bought one of these off of ebay a couple days ago, never worked on one. This is really good timing!

Nice to see a cabover

Nice design.

I admire your persistence and skill. Great job.

Awesome video 🚂😎👍👍👍👍👍

Those are fun. I need to pick one more of those up to make my Baldwin Quadraplex

Nice save by getting that engine running. Nice to see someone fix these things and it gives es me hope that I could as well

Well done!

Finally a steam locomotive to work on

SMT, you are brave. I don't have the courage to work on or even attempt to open the components of a complex steam engine. Southern Pacific and Alco would be proud of you!

These things sure are a mission to disassemble! I've had a couple over the past 5 or so years. Very well done for not immediately reaching for your phone and instead hunting down the screws yourself - I decided to find a copy of the parts diagram last time I worked on one of these!

If you can get a old tyco running you can get anything runnin!

Thanks for Sharing, very nice engine!

Would love one of these 😍

That will look plenty awesome double heading that with the big boy.🤠

GREAT fix! Fun to watch you puzzle your way in!

Thanks so much for this video. I had to repair mine and the only way I was shown now to take the darn thing apart was thanks to your video! I never would have thought that some domes on the top were removable!!!

Really cool engine…now I want one, lol!

This is such an interesting engine

It's so nice that someone like you can fix broken trains and put them to good use

When I last watch this video I've been looking for a Southern Pacific Cab Forward and two days ago I was at an antique store in my home town going through someone's old train stuff and found a Southern Pacific Cab Forward for $30 No:4272 just like yours smt. Your video was a big help so I could fix my new engine I hope your is doing just fine.

Awesome fix man love seeing your videos get to see some awesome trains thanks

You should make a articulated running session

Nice the sp cab forward is now a runner! Serenity!

I saw one of these at Sacramento Rail Museum. Coming from the UK, I'd never seen a loco this big before! I was awestruck and have looked for them since. Thanks for showing this. As always, a great repair. Cheers, Jim l

It‘s fun to see how you just don‘t give up, being it finding the screw to open it up or the shortcut. Well done!

Great video! Love watching these locomotives come back to life!

Great to see you got it running!

Wow, great job. Super challenging. I was watching you tackle this and I was brought back to my high school Calculus class. The teacher was showing us how to solve the problem and I zoned out. By the time I came to, it was solved. In conclusion, just like a hard Calc question, I will never attempt to do what you just accomplished. Bravo.

Definitely been looking for one of these as of late,nice work to get it running again

You did it ! I myself are restoring an AHM - Rivarossi HO , C&O Hudson, bought new in AHC (America Hobby Center in NYC ) in 1981 for $53.95 USD I appreciate the construction of this model, good detail for the price. The pilot was broke where it attaches to the frame, I mange to put a support for the pilot, it is holding better, and built a ladder that was missing on the engineer side. One of the two driver wheels picking up current, is not doing so. I have to do something. But so far, with a little patience it will work again. Used to be a good runner. It deserves to be taken care.

Thanks, I never took one of mine apart that far. A very good reference video 👍!

This was very interesting to watch. Congratulations on your success! I had a few Rivarossi locomotives when I was a very young modeler. It’s a good thing I never took one apart because I would have lost more than a handrail!

Of course you can. Rivarossi is good stuff👍😁

Wow, you have some patience. I would have given up quickly, put the loco on the display rack and called it day. Job well done as usual!

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.

The old "hidden screw under the body!" It looks like someone bought it new and dropped it and it never got fixed. Nice Cab Forward and good job on the repair!

Really great for the price! I'm glad you could fix it!

Those are very unique cool Locos for sure. I will get me one day too.

Thank you. This video help alot with mine. Taking it apart waa definitely an adventure.

Now this is a treat

Thank You for all the labor in fixing the Cab Forward Model. You have a lot of patience. In real life I thought the railroads should have stayed with the Cab Forward Locomotives instead of going to Diesel right away. It gives the Engineer an excellent view of the tracks forward. The country also has a huge abundance of coal ! Thank You again.

I enjoy watching your problem-solving process. You explain it very well. You might consider getting an ultra-sonic cleaner for your running gear and small part cleaning. Thats just my OCD talking. Great video as always.

Wow, well done. Hats off.. Believe me, I wouldn't have risked opening it in the first place let aside repairing the locomotive.

When in doubt do what I do watch KZfaq.lol👍🏻 great video I'd like to get one but painted in S.P daylight colors.

I have the same engine but stripped it for parts for another Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 Norfolk & Western which wobbles as well. I purchased mine back some 50 years ago for around $40. Now today they are way more expensive. Will have to oil mine up and see if it runs as well as yours. Thanks for sharing. Nice video with good information.

Great job. I remember seeing one in 1951. Th SP used them on the Imperial and the Argonaut ( locals that ran the same rout as the Sunset limited and Golden State) fascinating to watch all the maintenance performed during the stop, lots of lubricating, etc. in 1951 I was 13 living in Douglas Az. Tracks have since been removed and now the Sunset Limited runs from Benson to Wilcox and on to El Paso where I live now. Great video thank you.

Brilliant job sir! I wish I had just 10% of your confidence and knowledge to tackle these things!

I enjoy all your vids & have learned so much by watching them. Thanks for helping total neophytes like me get comfortable working on locos!

Thank you for this vid. The first (and last) time I saw this model was way back in the last century in the RIVAROSSI catalogue. I reckon, your model is the only survivor. Nice to see it running again.

This makes me wish I still had my Bachmann Santa Fe EMD GP-40 locomotive. I love watching you repair these locomotives. Makes me want to get back into model trains again.

What a great deal, Harrison! I'm jealous, actually. I'm a HUGE fan of the SP cab-forwards, and getting this one going again....made my mouth water!!! And again - great job on the repair!!!

Oh I sooooo always wanted one of those, saving out of my first pay-checks as an apprentice I bought a second hand Rivarossi "Big Boy" (I still have it) from a model shop in Blackpool, in the North of England. One of these was on the shelf but out of my price range...

You did a great job sorting this one out, she runs nice-!! I had a friend many years ago who was really good with model train repair, but in this one instance I watched him spend weeks trying to sort out a beautiful but non running big boy model but even though the motor ran out of the chassis he spend forever getting it going, even then it was always glitchy and a real pita - at one point I had to stop him from sending it at warp speed into the concrete basement wall - lol - which was odd because he was usually very paitient but he met his match on that big boy. There was no internet back then so he had little to go on, im sure it was repairable but not by him-lol Nice job on this really nice model.

Thats such an awesome locomotive, cool to see someone working on it. Love your content man keep it up!

this reminds me of the time when i passed up a 60$ yellowstone for some reason :) (i could afford it too but instead i went for a mogul, i have no idea what i was thinking)

I forgot to add that imho it is an un unusually beautiful locomotive! We really love your channel Harrison. It is a joy to watch in Yokohama.

Thank you helped me take apart mine and replace gear boxes

Thank you for the channel. Enjoy watching. Always great how to video. Got a cool layout.

@6:57 I have one of these that is not running but I have not had time to work on it, so thank you so much for doing this video!

What a unique engine, and I understand how patience is required when fixing a steam engine. Great to see it running again!

Enjoy your stuff. I actually crossed my fingers. Heads up for trains and such. Don and his crew are great

You're a braver person than I to pull that thing apart! Glad you got it running. :)

Truly amazing craftsman! Also great deal at the price.

Real Good Harrison nice piece to your collection!!!

These videos are very helpful, I had a Rivarossi big boy that didn't run and it is running again cause i watched your videos and troubleshoot the locomotive.

I love your fix it videos

Nice engine!

You’ve earned a subscriber. Well done!

I enjoy watching how you get them running again. This engine brought back memories as a 10 year old, lil older now. How back then a friend and I would go dumpster diving and a hobby shop distributor. We were after control line airplanes. While searching for planes, we would find tons of brass of that brand engine. How ugly we thought back then and discarded it. A few years later I started to get into model RR and HO scale. Oh how to this day I wish I had of grabbed some of those engines. This was around early ‘70’s

Kudos, Harrison! A super interesting loco and repair job. Suggestions: 1) Consider getting a “screw grabber” for those hard to reach/hard to replace and start small screws. A low-cost tool I think you’ll love. 2) Now that you’re an expert with taking the Cab Forward apart, how about a video on installing a DCC decoder (with sound) for this terrific loco? I think you’d really be pleased with the result - and the rest of us would learn a lot from you. Given the size of the boiler and tender, there’s plenty of room.

Do a CN freight with 2 of your decapods and your cab forward

I have this model and have been looking for answers on how to maintain it, being such a large engine it's kinda scary to take it apart. Thank you so much for this video, very insightful!!

ting conditionI got one of these for Christmas in 1972. I still have it. I have also taken it apart and cleaned it. It has maybe a total of one hour on it, so NEW. Thing is, my great grandfather used to engineer the REAL ones of these from Sacramento to Reno back in the day. There is one left in almost operating condition in the California Railroad Museum is Sacramento, completely restored for those who want to see what 1 million pounds of iron and steel steam engine actually looks like. It is a behemoth. TO think my grandmother used to hide under the bench seat until after they got out of the yard and then ride up front with her dad, and then when they stopped to water the tenders, one every 30 cars, she would get out with her 20 gauge shotgun and hunt grouse and then jump in the caboose and cook dinner on the pot bellied stove for the crew, who would then eat it in Reno when they arrived. She was 13. Born in 1903, so you can do the math and date that.... Anyway, thanks for the still down memory lane!

I believe you like to work on and solve problems with your engines just as much as watching them run on your layout..... Fine job sir

Very nice looking loco.

Great video, you must have a lot of patience, lots of parts with that engine, well done 👏 keep up with the videos. Richard

Payback a book with the blueprints or every river Rossi ahm locomotive ever made I actually have two books and it shows where all the screws are and how to pull the shell off of like the big boy or the cab forward I would recommend checking your used book and magazine pile for that for the owner's manual Bible as it's called but it has all the blueprints for all of the locomotives made by river Rossi and ahm comes in handy by the way excellent job on your videos

Dang son really confirming yourself as the model train whisperer. In future if you don't already with some of the more intricate Riverossi and other locomotives check the ol magic Google machine and see if someone hasn't scanned a PDF of the instruction sheet as I seem to recall an exploded view schematic on those that might save you some frustration in the future. 75 bucks isn't much more than what it sold for back in the day.

You are an incredible person with these train repairs. I enjoy watching you as you think things through outloud so others can learn from your expanding learning experiences. One of the things I like most is that you do not give up and you service as you go. Another is the excitement you openly show when it runs and gets better as it runs for awhile. You really should get a small dish to put all the small screws, pieces and parts in so that you do not lose...no, so you do not misplace them. 😉 Very satisfying to see it run. Have you ever thought of doing a teaching "live" where questions can be asked as you work on a locomotive/engine? Maybe state to try to keep the questions to pertaining to what you are working on so they do not get way out of hand. Anyway, just a thought. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, experience and thoughts. 💕😊💕🤗💕

Nice work!

Great job Harrison. I have a Red Box Rivarossi Cab Forward and it’s very smooth. Have always loved the looks of them👍

Great Job 👍 ⭐️⭐️

Awesome video I was having similar issues with mine and your video helped me, thank you!!

If I bought one of these things and it didn't work, it would have been an immediate shelf item. The Rivarossi steamers can be rascals at times, too. Great to see you got it running!

Well....seeing this convinced me to buy one in fairly rough condition. Gonna have to straighten out the rear truck frame and find a new cab roof for it. Def saving this video for when it arrives to aid in motor troubleshooting when it arrives.

@17:53 "It's alive, alive!"

Howdy Harrison, glad to see you are working on the cab fwd. Im up to 17 cab forwards. Ebay specials, 15 didnt run, 10 had broken monkey decks. Become quite efficient at working on these. There is a blogger named Mel that is an expert on Riv cab fwds, search remotoring a cab forward. Very good material! Love your channel SMT.

fantastic video thank you