The Challenger is almost done!!!! :D :D :D

[Darth Santa Fe]

My Bowser Challenger that I started building almost 4 months ago is almost done!! All it needs is 1 more marker light (which I lost and need to find), a couple more pieces around the smoke box and some decals. Here are some before and after shots of it:

BEFORE:


AFTER:






I think it's turning out pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Looking good!!! [:D]

I can appreciate your patience and attention to detail!

[selector]

WOW! I'm impressed. Too bad you have to go an weather it now..[:D]...NOT!

Just a side note, and I know tha camera angle revealed the worm gear, but can you build a shroud around it to hide it? Just a box or something out of styrene? A thought.

[Anonymous]

Lookin' good!

[West Coast S]

May it have a long and happy life. Great job. My one and only Bowser Challenger took a six foot tumble to the floor on its maiden run.. Ouch....


Dave

[csmith9474]

I bet that thing could pull a house down! That thing is lookin sharp.

[tommyr]

A+X10 [bow][bow] You should be very proud.
Tom

[Darth Santa Fe]

Thanks everyone for their kind comments.[:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

WOW! I'm impressed. Too bad you have to go an weather it now..[:D]...NOT!

Just a side note, and I know tha camera angle revealed the worm gear, but can you build a shroud around it to hide it? Just a box or something out of styrene? A thought.

I've thought of doing that. I'll probably do it once I get around to adjusting the motor's gear mesh. I think I have the motor worm adjusted too high.

I don't think I'll weather it. I never was a big fan of weathering. (sorry Aggro[:)])

QUOTE: Originally posted by West Coast S

May it have a long and happy life. Great job. My one and only Bowser Challenger took a six foot tumble to the floor on its maiden run.. Ouch....

Yikes.[xx(] That's not good. If you want a new one, Bowser's having a sale on their website, and the Challengers are only $105 right now instead of the usual $189. (I got my Challenger at 20% off at my LHS [:D])

I still don't know how my Genesis SD75M survived it's 4 ft. drop to an unpadded carpet over concrete. That carpet's as hard as a rock, and my SD75 doesn't have a scratch on it!![:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csmith9474

I bet that thing could pull a house down! That thing is lookin sharp.

It could pull a house down...that is, an HO house.[:D] I bet it could outpull someone's P2K SD60!![:-,][^][:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tommyr

You should be very proud.

I am proud. I am very proud. I am Very, VERY PROUD!![:D][:D]

[claycts]

Very well done! Have you tried running the unit yet?

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by claycts

Very well done! Have you tried running the unit yet?

Yes, and it runs very well. It's smooth, powerful and doesn't draw the current you'd expect from a monster like this![:D] It's really noisy right now, and I'm going to try and quiet it down soon. I have a couple ideas of what it might be.

[ARTHILL]

Nice work. Why quiet it? Those were loud critters. Any noise is better than quiet with that. When people need ear protection, provide them some.

[TrainFreak409]

That is one good lookin' locomotive.

Does the Bowser kit come with smoke deflectors? Or no?

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TrainFreak409

Does the Bowser kit come with smoke deflectors? Or no?

Sorry, but they don't. You'd have to make your own out of plastic or brass. Or if you're like me, copper.[:)]

[selector]

Once you have the gears set to your satisfaction, you might try using Pearl Drops, or even that cream for cleaning the spots on ceramic stove tops as a 'running-in" compound for an hour or so. Apparently, many of the old-timers do that to run in metal-geared locos. Of course, you must thoroughly clean it afterward, and lube it, but it might be a small price to pay to get quiet running.

[AggroJones]

It ought to be quite the bruiser.

Soon you'll be able to begin the weathering.

[West Coast S]

Anyone interested in one in 1:32 scale? Over our feet in length, impressive doesn't begin to describe it , the wife forbids me from buying one, wah, wah...


Dave

[Darth Santa Fe]

Well, I tried making it quieter, and it turns out that it's not the gears making the noise because they are silent, but it's the drive shaft making the noise because it's mounted at a 20 degree angle, and it can't be fixed without buying an older Bowser Challenger mechanism, because the old mechanisms don't have the motor mounted at an angle which makes them much quieter. I also tried covering the worms but then the boiler wouldn't fit on, so I think I'm done attempting to improve the drive.

I still don't think I'll be weathering it. If you look at pictures of the Challengers and Big Boys you'll notice that they were kept fairly clean and shiny.

[cjcrescent]

Darth:
About that 20` angle on the motor shaft. If this is like some of the steamers I had over the years it will run a lot quieter with a NWSL universal in that drive between the motor and the gears.

[Anonymous]

How many hours do you think you put into it?

I think each and every oneof us has at least toyed with the idea of building a Bowser, and liking heavy steamers (cast boilers), and liking large articulateds I must admit the thought has crossed my mind of building one. I'd probably want to build one with two motors, but I don't know what would be needed to make that work....

Mark in Utah

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cjcrescent

Darth:
About that 20` angle on the motor shaft. If this is like some of the steamers I had over the years it will run a lot quieter with a NWSL universal in that drive between the motor and the gears.

Well, it doesn't look like I'll need that, because I found a way to make it quieter! I put some flexible tubing in to replace one of the couplings and now it's real quiet.[:D][:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mark_in_utah

How many hours do you think you put into it?

I think each and every oneof us has at least toyed with the idea of building a Bowser, and liking heavy steamers (cast boilers), and liking large articulateds I must admit the thought has crossed my mind of building one. I'd probably want to build one with two motors, but I don't know what would be needed to make that work....

I think I put around 40 hours into it.

Bowser's T-1 4-4-4-4 comes with two motors. Just make sure you use a 4-amp decoder if you install DCC. Each motor's stall current is two amps![:0]

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Darth Santa Fe

QUOTE: Originally posted by claycts

Very well done! Have you tried running the unit yet?

Yes, and it runs very well. It's smooth, powerful and doesn't draw the current you'd expect from a monster like this![:D] It's really noisy right now, and I'm going to try and quiet it down soon. I have a couple ideas of what it might be.

Thank you, I will now order one, was worried about how they ran.
Want to build another? Only kidding
George P.

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by claycts

Thank you, I will now order one, was worried about how they ran.
Want to build another? Only kidding
George P.

Only if you add the detail, paint the engine and pay me $100. I'd build the valve gears in my special modified way, which makes it much more realistic.


My way


Bowser's way

See any difference besides the black paint on their's?

[claycts]

Looks like you redid the crank pin area, Where did you get the parts? Make them?

[Darth Santa Fe]

I cut some plastic valve gear parts from a Monogram Big Boy. I got the Big Boy so I could use the tender, then I decided to use a couple parts from the valve gears and use the interior.

I also backed all 4 of the 0 shaped parts back to their proper positions, instead of having them forward and hanging out in front of the valve gear hanger where Bowser designed them to be.[:D]

[selector]

You've altered the expansion link, added what appears to be a heavy valve-stem guide, or is it meant to be the admission link...?

[loathar]

That is so,so,so sweet!!!! I've always envied people that can do work like that. I'm half way through my Mantua Mikado and lovin every minute of it.(no where near as detailed and complex as what your doing). I've been to the Bowser site to get tips on building my Mantua.(plan on getting their super detail kit). Does your kit use these little rivetts for the running gear???The main rods on mine connect to the drive wheels with brass screws, but the rest of the running gear is hooked together with teent,tiny rivets.Anyone got any hints on how to do the rivets???(my plans are "lacking detail" to put it kindly)

[Pruitt]

It appears you've also left the gear in "neutral," or very close to it. Your valve piston won't move much, if at all (or did I miss something obvious?). Will you be adding the reversing linkage?

[Anonymous]

Not to steal the topic.... However the Big Boy I orderd last week arrived a couple days ago. Just could not pass up that discount they are having. Also seriously thinking about ordering the T1, just have to see how $$$$$ works out in the next few days.

Anyway, like mentioned above, any tips on riveting, or any other words of wisdom...? I spent some time yesterday, searching the web for any info. But found very little....

[icmr]

Very good, very good. [bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][wow][wow]



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[Leon Silverman]

Does this Challenger have true articulation (with the rear drivers rigidly mounted to the boiler instead of rotating like diesel engines)?