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The Challenger is FINALLY finished!

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  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • 2,742 posts
Posted by Dave Vollmer on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:53 AM

That is an exellent job!

With all of the Challengers available ready-to-run, I think you did the hobby proud by building a challenging kit.  The results stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any high-end RTR or brass Challenger.

Good work!Thumbs Up [tup]

Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Ohio
  • 1,615 posts
Posted by Virginian on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:50 AM

Very nice looking work indeed.  Congratulations.

Spike, why did you have trouble with quartering ?  All the Bowsers I have seen had the drivers and axles already assembled and properly quartered.  (stupid button)  I would contact Bowser and I am almost sure they could help you out.

What could have happened.... did.
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: CANADA
  • 2,292 posts
Posted by ereimer on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 8:53 AM

Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]

 

an amazing accomplishment . if i wore a hat it would be off to you ! 

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Michigan City, In.
  • 781 posts
Posted by spikejones52002 on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 7:34 AM

Very Nice work.

I have a Boser Challange sitting in my basement in it box.

I started it many, Many years ago. I could not get the Quartering of the drivers correct. That is as far as I got.

Happy to hear of your success.

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 11:30 PM

Thanks for sharing your challenger with the forum.  It looks great. Congratulations! Take a bow! Bow [bow]

My Bowsers are a 4-8-4 (lettered NP), a 4-8-2 (lettered ATSF), and a 4-4-4-4 (PRR T1). The T1 with its two motors and 5 lbs of weight will pull anything I put behind it.  

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • 211 posts
Posted by cheese4432 on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 11:28 PM

That's about 1/2 pounds of tractive effort Cool [8D]. Now to find the drawbar push/pull stick a scale in front of it and crank up the throttle! I suggest removing the couplers first. Then push around a properly weighted car and do some math to find out how many cars it can pull.

And it looks GREAT!

Remember the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked! Quote from Bill54
  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,366 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:55 PM

It runs very well.Big Smile [:D] Mostly smooth except for a slight wobble (big wobble around an 18" radius), and fairly quiet...for a big metal steam engine, anyway.Big Smile [:D] I bet it could easily pull over 100 cars, since it weighs in at over 2 lbs.Big Smile [:D] The boiler's hollow, so another pound of lead could be easily added.

Yup, it's a Monogram tender. Once you replace the molded on railings like I did, they look very nice.Big Smile [:D]

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Joizey
  • 1,983 posts
Posted by SteamFreak on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:27 PM

Nice work, Darth! How does she run? I'm sure it could tow a trailer home, with all of that diecast weight.

So the tender is from one of those Monogram kits? Looks good. Thumbs Up [tup]

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,366 posts
The Challenger is FINALLY finished!
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:15 PM

As some of you may know, I've been working on building a Bowser 4-6-6-4 Challenger for nearly two years now. Today, I finally finished it!Big Smile







The accomplishment today that finished it was adding all the decals, which took about two hours. I think they turned out very nice.Big SmileBig Smile

The other things I've done since the last time I took pictures are:
I made some simple shock absorber details which are visible above the drive wheels,
I added the left marker light on the front of the engine, which took a while to do because I lost the original,
and I added a real coal load to the tender to help it look more realistic.

Building this Challenger has been a lot of fun for me, and now that it's done, it's something I can really be proud of.Big Smile I don't know if this is what UP 3948 actually looked like, but I'm happy with how it looks, and that's good enough for me.Big Smile

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