Excuse me if I don't explain myself very well as I'm fairly new to model railways but I received a 2nd hand HO scale Rivarossi Hudson Loco (5405) in the post and I heard some rattling around in the parcel. When I opened the 12 wheeled tender up (very carefully) there was 2 metal plates (about and inch and a half long, with 2 holes and they appear slightly magnetic) rattling around inside, plus a piece of (roughly) an inch long black plastic with the number 8857 on the underside (or it could be the top). The actual engine itself seems to be ok but I can't run it at the moment as I haven't got the track and controller yet believe it or not!

Anyone know if this train is too damaged to run and what those bits are?

Can you tell where they belong? The plates sound like they might be the pick-ups, and if they are, the train isn't going to run until you resecure them. I have an old Rivarossi loco, but it's packed away somewhere, so I can't really get a look at it. If I remember right, mine has the pick-up in the tender, so I'd start by looking under there.
Or...post some pics so we can see what you're talking about.

Can you tell where they belong? The plates sound like they might be the pick-ups, and if they are, the train isn't going to run until you resecure them. I have an old Rivarossi loco, but it's packed away somewhere, so I can't really get a look at it. If I remember right, mine has the pick-up in the tender, so I'd start by looking under there.
Or...post some pics so we can see what you're talking about.


Thanks scrambler! Unfortunately I can't post pics at the moment but these 2 bits were already loose inside the tender (which has New York Central written on the sides of it). The main engine/motor is in the actual locomotive (sticking out of the cab at the back) but when I look inside the tender there isn't much in there apart from what looks like 1 copper looking wire going along the bottom and the plastic part appears to be broken from the middle inside of the tender (it looks like it possibly held the 2 pieces of metal in place).

I'm sure I've seen another Rivarossi Hudson that looked like it might have had the motor in the tender instead.

Is there any chance these are just 2 weights to keep the tender on track seeing as the actual loco is much heavier?

Where is the wire going? Is it headed to the coupler at the front of the tender? The motor might be in the locomotive, but it might get it's current through the tender. Of course, they could also be weights, kinda hard to tell from here. ;)

Where is the wire going? Is it headed to the coupler at the front of the tender? The motor might be in the locomotive, but it might get it's current through the tender. Of course, they could also be weights, kinda hard to tell from here. ;)


Sorry I can't post any photo's! I can't open it up very far as I'm afraid of breaking it, so I've only unscrewed the rear set of wheels and screw which attaches the base to the main tender body. The wire looks like it's attached to a small piece of squarish metal at the bottom front of the tender.