IHC deals?

KentBy

GN, NP, SP&S
I just ran across IHC special deal on the passenger cars that I would like, IE road name. There web page said $70 for eight cars and you can also get a 4-6-4 at $60.

Very cheap. How sorry would I be if I spent $130 on this?

Kent
 

nkp174

Active Member
I have a bunch of them. They are from the same moulds as the old Rivarossi cars, although I'm certain they're not made by Rivarossi (because they were unaffected by Hornby's Rivarossi takeover...unless they had a warehouse full). They are not the best cars...but they're a great value.

I typically picked up my fleet for $7-$8 a piece...so I don't consider $70 a deal.

Unless you REALLY want the 4-6-4, I think $60 is okay. But, there 4-6-4 isn't a good model of any 4-6-4; While it may say NYC or NKP or C&O on the tender, it isn't anywhere close. 10yrs ago my brother picked up one of their USRA pacifics lettered for NKP...not only was the paint scheme off, but the number on it was for their famous 2-8-4s! Not their 4-6-2s. Not to mention, the NKP didn't have USRA 4-6-2s...and it was neither well detailed nor did it run very well.

On the other hand, I love their 2-6-0s. They're based off of a popular SP model. They are well detailed and run nicely (though the rods look bad).
 

KentBy

GN, NP, SP&S
Another question on the IHC passenger cars.

How long are they? What is my min. radus to run these cars?

Kent
 

eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
I have some of the IHC passenger cars that I bought at the Springfield show a couple of years ago. Paid $65.00 for the eight pack.They aren't bad. but there is no weights for them(I used pennies,super glued to the floor, tire weights, or the sticky backed ones from A-Line will work also).They are designed to run on 18" radius curves, they don't look protoypical, because they overhang. If you run KD's, you also have to convert the couplers. I picked up the interiors from Walthers for about $4.00 a piece.

I also have An IHC 2-8-0 Consolidation I picked up at another show for $60.00. Like mentioned above, the details are a little rough, but it runs pretty good. It has sat out on the enclosed porch, on my Christmas layout, over the summer, under a cover. When the Xmas season came along, I just started to run it again, without no problems. It too, I had to convert to KD's. Though maybe the newer ones have KD compatible, I'm not sure.
 

nkp174

Active Member
The IHC cars are full length cars. I always used them on 22"R curves.

Selective compression is a huge aspect of model railroading. We don't have large enough basements to build our entire pike to scale, so we compress certain details. Our yards and towns are always far smaller than the real thing. We also run shorter trains. Some people prefer to compress the length of their cars to eliminate the overhang on curves. I can't stand that on my railroad, as I prefer for my cars to be the correct length (no one compresses their locomotives length...why do it to your cars?)

They also perform much better with replacement couplers. I use McHenry's replacements.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
A few years ago I bought a bag of lead shot at a local sporting goods/gun shop. I add weight to my passenger cars by filling all of the voids in the under body details with the lead shot and then pouring in epoxy to seal the lead in place. I've found that virtually all of the plastic passenger cars I've seen have enough boxes and details cast into the floor of the car to take all of the lead needed to bring the car up to the correct weight for good operation.
 

msowsun

Member
They are from the same moulds as the old Rivarossi cars, although I'm certain they're not made by Rivarossi

I have heard rumors that a long time ago IHC may have imported some Rivarossi heavyweight cars and put them in boxes labeled IHC, but that is definitely not the case now.

All current IHC passenger cars are freelanced and have no prototypes. They are not the same molds as Rivarossi cars.

The heavyweight cars don't even match each other if you look closely. The fluted cars are more like Pulmman Standard than Budd cars. They also make smooth side cars but I don't much about them.
 

nkp174

Active Member
I have heard rumors that a long time ago IHC may have imported some Rivarossi heavyweight cars and put them in boxes labeled IHC, but that is definitely not the case now.

All current IHC passenger cars are freelanced and have no prototypes. They are not the same molds as Rivarossi cars.

The heavyweight cars don't even match each other if you look closely. The fluted cars are more like Pulmman Standard than Budd cars. They also make smooth side cars but I don't much about them.

I do not have any Rivarossi heavyweights...only lightweights. I have both heavy and light weights from IHC. I cannot compare the two.

As far as lightweights, I have a coach from each manufacturers sitting in front of me. The only difference in the underframes is that the Rivarossi car says made in Italy. Otherwise, the partial details are identical...with some of the exact same injection molding marks from. They are the same. Even if they weren't the same mold, the IHC mold is a direct copy.
 

msowsun

Member
Is it possible that you have some early IHC cars from the transition period? The photos of current IHC lightweights don't look like the Rivarossi lightweight coaches I have. The window arrangement and other details are VERY different.

current IHC coaches....
48271.jpg

48221.jpg





Rivarossi coaches....
340cbed1.jpg

789ed0f4.jpg

add48030.jpg
 

nkp174

Active Member
Well, it could be in the sides. It would be reasonable that they only received part of the molds...or it could have been damaged. I bought my IHC passenger cars around 4 years ago...I'm comparing them to 15+ year old rivarossi coaches. The skirting is a little different...but that varies on some of my newer Rivarossi cars.

I've examined my IHC 4-4-0 and my AHM 2-4-0...and they clearly have many identical parts...with the 2-4-0 has the terrible disadvantage of plastic tender wheels.

I've always wondered exactly what the connection was between the two companies...and whom actually makes IHC's passenger cars. The name sure echos AHM.
 

msowsun

Member
I found this post on a Trains.com forum. I think it solves the mystery. it looks like IHC imported Rivarossi passenger cars for a while, and then copied them exactly until there was a court case. Now they make totally different models.

Re: Passenger cars.
Rivarossi stopped selling cars to IHC because IHC continually chopped the price when their inventory backed up, ruining the market for RR at the normal price.

IHC then had Mehano copy the Rivarossi cars exactly. Rivarossi then went to court and won the suit so Mehano had to destroy the molds. Mehano then made the current cars, which are not prototypes of anything.

Several of the heavyweight cars don't look like anything in the US have a very European look. There are also glaring errors - one has a very high letterboard and short sidewalls. The fluted cars are not really fluted - just a bunch of ribs.

Hornby has the molds for the real Rivarossi, but they are evidently in poor shape so may be some time before (if ever) they are re released.
 
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