Bowser Freight Car Kits?

[Anonymous]

Although I have built a Bowser steam loco, I haven't built any Bowser freight car kits. Please rate them. Staying with styrene kits, Athearn being easiest, MDC/C&BT being middle and LLP2K, Red Caboose and Branchline Blueprints being more difficult, where does Bowser's fit and how is the detailing?

Thanks for your opinions!!

[cacole]

I would rate Bowser kits in the medium difficulty range, between Athearn and P2K. I bought 12 of their covered hopper kits for assorted roads, and every one of them was exactly the same except for the road name, so I was able to assemble them in production line fashion.

[ndbprr]

OH boy! Here goes the lid off the can of worms. Construction - they are similar to Athearn and nothing that is difficult. Authenticity - generally there is a major mistake of some type if you are a purist. If you are an avearge modeler and not into counting rivets they are well worth the money.

[dknelson]

The PRR caboose kits are very nice and build up into a handsome car.
As far as the covered hoppers go -- some of the bracing is a bit more robust than prototype. Sometimes (and this is true of their boxcars as well) the paint needs to be scraped away so that ACC or glue can work properly. I have not tried their N scale cars but have seen some nice ones.
Bowser has some cars nobody else has.
At the risk of repeating myself, I urge you to get the Bowser catalog. There is a lot of stuff in there that you will NOT find in the Walthers catalog and you might be surprised to find they have something you wished "somebody" made.
Dave Nelson

[orsonroy]

Bowser car kits are simple to build. They're not as easy as Athearn; maybe Roundhouse (there's a few more things to screw in and glue on). As for detailing, it's generally fantastic. Cast on parts are pretty much exactly to scale, with great renderings. As for authenticity.....well, no model can be perfect. For most modelers, they're definitely good enough, and most proto modelers have the skills to upgrade them. Overall, I'd give them a 7 out of 10, 1 being Model Power/Tyco and 10 being Westerfield and Sunshine. I think I've got about 30 Bowser cars on my roster (mostly Pennsy, what else?) and am always looking for more flat cars and GLa twin hoppers.

[sparkingbolt]

I snagged 3 Bowser SP covered hopper kits on eBay a while back. I went to the Bowser website to see the MSRP before bidding. 12 bucks ea.

I was impressed with the fine detailing. They even have nicely done see through roof walks. The ladders are molded with the body, so the rungs are pretty broad as veiwed from the top, but quite nice from the side. I have a high layout so that's fine with me.

My over all impression was that these cars are well worth their MSRP. They are more involved than Athearn cars, with more separate parts, some rather delicate, but not so many as to be intimidating to an experienced model builder.

Keep in mind I'm basing this reply on only one product, and I havn't built them yet, but they do look good to me. Dan

[Anonymous]

Dave Nelson and all, Thanks for the information. I have Bowser's catalog. I got it for the cal Scale, Cary and Selley detail parts. It also came with the catalog of their freight cars.

Dave, sorry about your brother Ricky!

[dknelson]

"Thanks" Mark --- Ozzie, Harriet and I appreciate your sympathies
Not too many posters on this forum are old enough to even know what you are talking about!

By the way Mark, as an NP fan sometime you should look into the NP's operations in Northern Wisconsin, from the twin ports to Ashland with at one time a spur into the Bayfield peninsula. Pretty interesting, and very little known even to dedicated NP fans.

Dave Nelson ("the untalented Nelson")

[Anonymous]

I would agree that Bowser is more difficult than Athearn, but way easier than Branchline. The graphics are clear and crisp, and to me, very satisfying

[Budliner]

if you order from bowser make them read the order back I had to pay when the order was mixed up the kits I have done are brass undec and had some screws missing but not to bad I need to clean the parts good kinda sloppy moloding and I did get some more


B -

[orsonroy]

I've ordered from Bowser at least a dozen times (as well as shopped at their retail store in Montoursville) and I've never had a screwed up order from them. They've got to be one of the BEST RR manufacturers to order from, IMHO.

Sounds like the kits you ordered (brass freight car kits?) were part of their old stock of OOP products. It's no wonder the cars came without a part or two.

[Budliner]

so what are you saing it did not happen

well if you order one part ok but more than two make them read it or you will pay $$$$$ for shipping there screw up back to them[:D]

[orsonroy]

No, I'm saying that in 12 years and well over $2000 worth of orders I've placed with Bowser, I've never had an order screwed up. Most of my orders have been large orders of many small detail parts that can be tricky to pick. What happened to you was an unfortunate fluke, but understandable considering you were buying a kit produced over 30 years ago, and by another company.

[Budliner]

at 14.99 its a good deal but not made by bowser
hmm you just never know!