yeah, it's sad that they've had to close down that part of their business.
I've got a NYC K11, and the PRR B6 and E6 (no dice on the K4 ). I think i've got a K4 on backorder, so if enough people order it, one might show up in my mailbox :)
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
Here's a picture of the engine in all its primer.
I'll probably paint the graphite next, followed by the red, then the DGLE, and finally the black. Then the details will be assembled, it will get its decals, and it will get the final clear coat (I'm going to use semi-gloss on this one, since it looked so good on my brass 4-4-0). Then it will be reassembled and completed! It's always exciting to see a big project coming together.
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Darth,
I usually let the paint cure for a day and then put it in the oven. Although there are no fumes present in the oven, I do not use my wife´s oven, but a small, table-top one I bought only for this purpose. At about $ 20 it was a bargain.
Most of the painting and detail is now finished! It won't be long now!
After the primer is done, I like to do the lighter colors first. The smokebox and firebox were painted with about a 60/40 mix of Floquil "Graphite" and Scalecoat II "MOW Gray", which makes a very good graphite gray ("Graphite" has tiny glitter particles in it, so any areas not being painted this color should be masked). After that came the red on the cab roof and tender deck, which is Model Master "Rot". Next was Scalecoat II "Brunswick Green" over the boiler and tender. Last was Scalecoat II "Black", which was used on the frame, trucks, drivers, tender steps, and tender pilot.There actually is a noticable difference between the "Brunswick Green" and "Black"! After the colors are painted, the rest of the details can be added. After that's done, a high gloss clear coat is sprayed over the entire engine and tender, which will help the decals to work and look best.
The only things left now are the decals, semi-gloss clear coat, and final assembly!
After the gloss clear coat is dry, the decals can be put on.I used Microscale decals instead of the ones provided by Bowser. Bowser's decals are very good, but they only included the cab numbers and one size fits all lettering for the tender. Microscale provided all of the needed decals, more options for lettering, and their decals have better coloring. Once the decal glue has disappeared from soaking in warm water, they can be slid into place. Once they're right where they're supposed to be, they can be set with something like Walthers Solvaset. Once the decals are set and dry, the final clear coat can be applied.
After the final coat, it's time for reassembly!During the assembly, everything should be oiled and checked for proper and free movement in the same order as was done in the first assembly. It's always good to make sure everything works before it's completely assembled, so then it can be fixed more easily without the risk of damaging the paint.
And now, the kit is finished! And if all is done right and carefully, you can have a finished kit like this one too.!
Great stuff. You should PDF your threads into 1 document. It would be handy for future builders of the kits.
Springfield PA
And now, a huge photo gallery!
I've also taken a video for all of you to see. As of right now, YouTube is still processing it, but the quality should be better soon.
This thing really is a smooth runner. At 12 volts it gets up to about 42 scale MPH, and draws less than 0.1 amps. The thing is also so quiet that I can't hear much more than the wheels on the track. The motor is pretty small, but it's still strong enough to slip the drive wheels. It doesn't like backing through curves very much (I'll have to take a look at that), and it doesn't like an 18" radius either, but I'm overall very pleased with how it runs.
Well, this build has been both fun and challenging, and I think it turned out great. Hope you all enjoyed watching it come together!
Now if we could just turn you to the Dark Side young Braden. DCC that is!
I hate Rust
Darth:
Thanks for your excellent series on the progress of this kit build. I'm glad to see that you've shown that kit building can be a fun and rewarding experience. I enjoyed your video and was interested in the comparison of the Bowser drive with the NWSL unit. What's your next adventure going to be?
Joe
Maybe you can clarify for me. IS Bowser completely out of the steam kits? or is parts still available? I ask because at some point I'm in need of both a 4-8-2 (or 2-8-2) and a 2-8-0 drive set. I was considering Bowser, and bilding the drive from a parts list, otherwise I'll head to NWSL.
-Morgan
FlashwaveMaybe you can clarify for me. IS Bowser completely out of the steam kits? or is parts still available? I ask because at some point I'm in need of both a 4-8-2 (or 2-8-2) and a 2-8-0 drive set. I was considering Bowser, and bilding the drive from a parts list, otherwise I'll head to NWSL.
They've stopped regular production of their kits, but they still do small runs if they get enough backorders. Their retail website shows that they still have a large stock of parts, so you should still be able to find at least most of what you need. The cost of individual parts does add up quickly, though. http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/cat/HO%20Bowser%20Parts
JoeinPAWhat's your next adventure going to be?
I still have to finish my Tyco Chattanooga project, and I've got a couple brass diesels to paint. But as far as projects like this one, I'm not really sure what the next one will be.
you have build a mighty fine loco there
I wish I still could get a hand at a Bowser K-4 or L-1 kit. It is a shame they stopped making them!
You did a great job on the Bowser kit and thanks for the informative tutorial. There are still some Pennsy fans out there with Bowser kits still in the boxes.
I have completed the T1, E6, and half of the G5. The rest of my Bowser kits are still waiting.
It was unfortunate that Bowser stopped making the kits. I am still searching for the super-detail kit for the A5, just in case someone sees one.
Doc
Thanks everyone for your comments.
Sir Madog, if Bowser gets enough backorders, maybe they'll bring out another run of the K-4 and L-1 kits. The L-1 seems more likely to me, since so many others are already making the K-4. If you're good at looking around the internet, train shows and eBay, maybe you can find an unbuilt kit.
topcopdoc, sounds like you've still got some fun projects ahead. The super-detail kits were made up almost entirely from Cal Scale parts, and all of those are still available. Bowser also has the detail kit instructions and parts list on the A-5 page, so if you can't find a complete kit, you can still get all the individual parts.