Bowser Locos

[Anonymous]

Hi all, new to the forum.
Please help, I would like to purchase a PRR T-1.
I have seen a Bowser T-1 at $162.99 less 10% at Train World. Living in Australia I have never seen a Bowser product. Are they any good? Most of my stuff is Rivarossi. Does Bowser compare?
Also is Train World any good buying over the internet?

Would appreciate your comments.

Thanks

Jim.

[nfmisso]

Hi Jim;

Trainworld is a great supplier, but they are not really internet enabled. The last time I checked, they did not have a secure online payment method. That said, I think that they are probably the best deal going, and it is worth you giving them a phone call.

The Bowser locomotives, properly built, run much better than any Rivarossi (I have both). They will also out pull any Rivarossi, including the new Allegheny.

If you use DCC, plan on a large scale decoder, figure 2 amps per motor, with two motors in the T-1.

Bowser is serious about the minimum radius, if you have less than 30" MINIMUM radius, the T-1 will not be happy.

The Bowser T-1 will easily pull 15-20 HO scale passenger cars - any HO scale passenger cars (wheels optionsl ). It is a very big and very heavy locomotive. It all metal, except the insulators.

You figure that it will take 40 to 100 hours to complete the model, including detailing (get the super detail kit).

The T-1 is not a good first locomotive kit. (Nor are Bowser's Challenger and BigBoy). You should have several metal locomotive kit under you belt first.

Have fun.

Nigel

[Anonymous]

Very informative, thanks heaps Nigel.

Jim.

[dknelson]

What you also need to understand is that the Bowser T-1 is from an old Penn Line model -- and when I say old I mean the dies are now about 50 years old. And they look it. The dies have aged. Some of the detail is quite blunt and the metal can show chill marks. You need to have skills at drilling and tapping not to mention painting and decaling. The work is tricky -- not really hard per se just tricky. A Bowser engine can be an interesting experience but the T-1 is probably their hardest kit, with the possible exception of their Challenger, and I would be reluctant to start with it if you have not built their Pennsy 4-4-2 or 2-8-0
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Dave and Nigel are oh so right....it's a real shame that beginner hobbyists no longer have the opportunity to 'learn' that we used to...that was by assembling the old Mantua and late 50's Varney metal engine kits, that used to be such a mainstay of the hobby.They got you ready for the more difficult stuff by simple experience.
regards / Mike

[dknelson]

We are the geezers Mike.
Some of those old metal engines can really pull. I had a Mantua 0-6-0T with astounding pulling power.
Dave Nelson

[nfmisso]

Dave;

Bowser re did the tooling for the T-1 in the past couple of years, the shell is completely new.

In the past 5+ years they have re-done most of thier PRR (L1, I1, H9,...) engines' tooling to more correctly match the prototype.

Give Lee a call for the specifics.

Nigel

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have ordered one. I'll see how I go and let you all know. It will be a while though. I won't receive it for a couple of months (surface mail to Australia)
However I didn't order the super detail kit, can anyone suggest the cheapest place to buy one.

Thanks guys

Jim.