- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
PASMITH wrote:Here is a Bowser Mountain kit that I modified when I was a teenager many many years ago:Peter Smith, Memphis
NO. Bowser are for people with little to do for a season. If you wish for a good starter, find a nice Accurail. As for engines, I haven't had any issues with Bluebox locos.
*Prepares to be assulted by a hundred 1:87 scale flaming arrows*
-Morgan
davidmbedard wrote: Starter as in never-built-a-kit before? No. I would start with a Roundhouse kit and move up from there. The Valve work and quartering work is something that a beginner would have lots of trouble with.David B
Starter as in never-built-a-kit before? No. I would start with a Roundhouse kit and move up from there. The Valve work and quartering work is something that a beginner would have lots of trouble with.
David B
What quartering work? The drivers are already mounted and quartered. As for assembling the valve gear, just take your time and be careful. Riveting valve gear isn't all that hard.
Andre
Dont listen to these guys. Only you know what a good starting point kit would consist of. The thought that you are considering it is a good starting point. I have been building one for years. Its not the kits fault its mine. I keep changing things that seem to bother me. Im not a rivet counter but every time I get a new picture or see some details that I hadnt seen before I change the model to it. Right now I could pickel and paint and have a great model that pulls like the prototype. Dont get me wrong its what you want to do not what you can do. I think once you get started you will see what I mean. To me there are basic, detailed, super detailed, or WOW are you nuts detailed. Mine is in between the last two.
Great modeling and keep the model in Model Railroad. Because Buy and Set on track Railroad is too much to type.
Just my
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
New Haven: Don't let these guys throw you. It just ain't that hard, but apparently some people think that you must be a master mechanic to assemble what used to be regarded as an entry level kit. My friends and I routinely put these together as teenage beginner Model Railroaders, and if we could do it, you can too!
There are differences in the Bowser kits. The ex-varney kits are about as close as you can come to a shake the box steam engine kit. The ex-Penn Line (Pennsy) and original Bowser kits (pacific, mountain, challanger, etc.) are a bit more complex, but not difficult. The folks at Bowser are aware that some folks have fear of valve gear, and offer these pre assembled if you want to go that route. If you decide to put your own valve gear together, order a few extrta rivets. Should you make an error, simply drill the bad rivet out and replace/ Having extras on hand will save waiting on spare parts. The rivet tool Bowser offers is also probably a good idea. In the unlikely event you seriously mess anything else up, Bowser offers replacement parts at reasonable prices for anything in the kits. The folks at Bowser are knowlegable, helpful, and stand behind their stuff. If you run into anything that gives you a problem, call them and they'll help you out. Afterall they want you to enjoy the kit so you'll be a repeat customer. Apparently they're doing something right as they are one of the few old line manufactuers still in business.
If there are some older modelers in your area, chances are that they'll be pretty skilled in assembling steam locomotive kits. They'd probably be happy to give you the benefit of their experience. Also if you can run down some basic model railroading books from the 60's on back such as Linn Westcott's HO Primer, you'll find that steam loco kit assembly is well covered.
There's nothing quite like putting together your own loco. With a little bit of paitence you'll have an engine you're really proud of.
JBB
andrechapelon wrote: davidmbedard wrote: Starter as in never-built-a-kit before? No. I would start with a Roundhouse kit and move up from there. The Valve work and quartering work is something that a beginner would have lots of trouble with.David BWhat quartering work? The drivers are already mounted and quartered. As for assembling the valve gear, just take your time and be careful. Riveting valve gear isn't all that hard.Andre
Your right. Doing the valve gear isn't that hard. But do yourself a favor and buy an extra pack of rivits before you even start!
Hi I-5
If it does its just a grain of wheat bulb with 2 wires. The head light housing will have to be drilled for the wires. Plus you may have to make a lens for it. I make mine with 5min epoxy dropped onto a plastic coffee can lid and trimmed to fit.
loathar wrote:Before you get too excited, note that all but 2 of their kits are on back order. I thought someone said they were discontinuing their loco kits.
They're discontinuing the standard kits. The deluxe kits are still available according to the Bowser website.
Here's a Mantua side-tank shifter kit I found on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mantua-HO-Scale-Model-Kit-Booster-Kit-213-0-4-0
I don't think a Bowser would kit should be any more difficult than this, aside from the detail kit, which you can wait to install if you're not comfortable doing it yet. I don't know where the quartering comment came from; since when do kits come with unquartered drivers?
The great thing about Zamac is it's strength, so you don't have to worry about damaging finicky little plastic parts. I say go for it if you want to give it a shot.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
Hello I would say go for it I have built 2 kits the 4-6-2 , 2-10-2 they are not that hard. One thing I will say is make the valvegear rivets a little tighter then they say it will free up as you work with it. And get some spare rivets they are really small and can get lost fast. Good luck Frank
The first kit you linked to, the Consolidation, doesn't have a headlight, just MV lenses for the headlight and marker lights.
That kit was a fine entry level kit, went together by carefully following the directions and checking everything as I went.
The 0-6-0 switcher looks really interesting, and it's not something available RTR
Try one, you'll like it
Eric
I wish I was a headlight
On a northbound train