GOOD EVENING, THINKING OF BUILDING A BOWSER MIKADO KIT. WANT TO INSTALL DCC AND SOUND. WANT TO INCLUDE AS MUCH DETAIL AS I CAN. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS IT WORTH THE EFFERT ( CAN IT BE BUILT TO RUN AS GOOD AS STORE BOUGHT ?? )
THANKS, ED
Ed,
You have to decide in the end if you want to do this or not. The bowser kits are decent and can be painted up and detailed easy. Yes it is work, some like the RTR models with all the bells and whistles. Other prefer to build and convert their own.
As I said, I think the Bowser kits are pretty decent kits, they run good, but not quite as good as the BLI and some of the other loco's that are RTR. You decide, if you like to tinker and do it yourself, then go for it!
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
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!
I know the Bowser USRA Pacific (4-6-2) is a great kit, which can be made to run very quietly and smoothly. The new open-frame motors they have are really nice, and run as quietly and easily as a can motor. The brushes are isolated from the frame, so a DCC insdtallation should be very easy. There's plenty of room inside the boiler casting for all the electronics you need, and the tender is very roomy, as well. The Mikado is available only as a Deluxe kit, which means they have all the holes drilled for all the detail parts they include. The only tools you need are some files, a screwdriver, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and maybe a light hobby hammer. It is definitely worth the effort!
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
Once you get a Bowser kit built, tuned and painted properly, they are more than worth the effort. They'll outlast any BLI/PCM, P2K, Bachmann, Rivarossi, etc., steam engine, and maybe even you. I've built four, and although most are still in need of some tuning, they're all very nice, and pretty smooth runners.
gmcrail, that's one nice looking Pacific! I'm getting more and more tempted to get another one of their kits, which will probably be either the L-1 or USRA 2-8-2s. I'm leaning more toward the L-1, but those medium sized USRAs look pretty good too.
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gmcrail wrote: I know the Bowser USRA Pacific (4-6-2) is a great kit, which can be made to run very quietly and smoothly. The new open-frame motors they have are really nice, and run as quietly and easily as a can motor. The brushes are isolated from the frame, so a DCC insdtallation should be very easy. There's plenty of room inside the boiler casting for all the electronics you need, and the tender is very roomy, as well. The Mikado is available only as a Deluxe kit, which means they have all the holes drilled for all the detail parts they include. The only tools you need are some files, a screwdriver, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and maybe a light hobby hammer. It is definitely worth the effort!
A rivit tool and extra bag of rivits wouldn't hurt either.
loathar wrote:A rivit tool and extra bag of rivits wouldn't hurt either.
A riveting tool is provided with every Bowser kit.
If you go with the Bowser PRR L-1, you can fit it with a Lines West tender and install any electronics you want with room to spare.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Good morning, thanks for the info I feel more at ease now. I did talk to Bowser, was informed the engines will be back ordered till this summer. Well I will put in my order, I guess Monday. Thanks again and I will bore you to death with my progress. Ed
davidmbedard wrote:Make sure you determine the stall current before you purchase a decoder.
The stall current of the stock DC-71 motors is around 2 amps, but they shouldn't draw anymore than 0.15-0.25 amps running free.