Arnold - 0581-C - Passenger Car, Lightweight, Pullman Observation Sleeper - American Railroads

Prototype History: Pullman Standard, though initially famous as a manufacturer of luxury heavyweight cars, was also a prominent player in the post-war lightweight streamlined era. They produced many different models for most of the major players in the passenger space. Most of these cars were of the 'Smoothside' design. Being lightweight, they were equipped with 2-axle high-speed bogies. One example of this period is the 2-master room /1-double bedroom observation-buffet lounge. Two were built for the Pennsylvania RR in 1949 as the “View” series and used on the 1949 Broadway Limited.

Road Name History: In the springtime of 1969, the High Iron Company (a travel agency specialised in rail journeys for railway enthusiasts) offered a special rail journey from New York to Promontory Point in Utah, for commemorating the centenary of the joining of the two railroads., thus travelling across all the US territory, linking the west coast federation with the east coast, One hundred years previously at Promontory Point, the event has been celebrated, by hammering a golden nail, to symbolically link the two railroads. A hundred years on… a similar ceremony was to be organised, thus a special train , named the “Golden Spike”. The train leaving from NY for Kansas City hauled by a Steam train 2-8-4 n. 759 re painted for the occasion in black and blue, with the logo “American Railroads” in gold.

The return journey the steam locomotive handed over the task to the modern GG1 n. 4092 which the Penn Central repainted for the occasion , using the design of the artist Robert Lorenz of Fremont in Ohio.

After its initial debut with the « Centennial Special", this G.G.1 n.4902 continued normal duties on the New York-Washington line.

From Rivarossi Memory.

Brand/Importer Information: Founded in 1906 by Karl Arnold in Nuernberg, K. Arnold & Co. began its life producing tin toys and related items. They produced an extensive line of model ships, doll house items and other toys. In 1935, K. Arnold & Co. hired Max Ernst as their managing director. Ernst, not to be confused with the German realist artist of the same name, was a significant factor in the future of Arnold.

There are several distinct phases of Arnold's model train production. In the period of 1960 - 1962, Arnold marketed the Arnold Rapido 200 product line; this line was very crude yet it also was a sensation because of its much smaller size than TT.

The next phase was from 1963-1967, when the rapido product line begins to swing toward scale representations of the trains. It is during this period that the "Rapido Coupler" comes into production, beginning its widespread use by all model train manufacturers in N-Scale. It was in 1964 that the term "N-Scale" came into use. Between 1968 and 1970, rapido line of trains reached maturity, notably with its turntable and roundhouse. Arnold entered into a business relationship with the U.S. company Revell around 1968, beginning the marketing of Revell Rapido model trains. This relationship was marked by the beginning of production of more accurate North American prototype models by Arnold. This relationship continued for several years, ending in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Arnold continued their expanded production, with new models until the early 1990s.

On Max Ernst's 1976 retirement, Arnold employed perhaps 200 to 250 people, using three facilities in the Nurnberg area. The Company continued under family control until 1995, when Arnold went into bankruptcy and was sold to Rivarossi of Italy. Rivarossi, in turn, also went bankrupt, leading to the sale of all assets to Hornby of the United Kingdom. Production is carried out in China.