Here is a pic of my Bowser PRR M1 Mountain type in the errection shop. Waiting on the replacment motor to arrive as it was missing from the kit. I should have another pic later tonight as I have lots more done on the boiler casting. The chassis will smoothly roll across a piece of glass. She is gonna be a smooth runner and strong puller. Mine kit is an older one with the extra boiler weights. Cheers Mike
More pics. Enjoy. Mike
needs one of my custom paint jobs on it…LOL! hay theres a trainshow in dayton ohio in jan… interested in going? we could me up some were…maybe meet us in celina… and ride with us?
Nice work! I look forward to seeing the finished kit![:D]
I still need to see if Bowser has a couple detail parts for my PRR 2-8-2. They were missing from the kit, so I hope I can get them free.
good luck …has some super detial part missing…I’d improvized/made my own…
She is not done yet, all the brass parts will remain off the model till she is painted, as will the handrails. I have all the part numbers for the class lights, new turbo generator, trailing truck bearing plates ect. I ordered the scale coat II PRR green paint in a spray bomb today. Need to pickup some etching primer paint to lay down as a base coat. I also need to make sure to order a can of graphite paint for the smoke box, unless someone has a good match that I can get at the local home store. I dont plan on any painting till the model has some miles on it to bed in the running gear. Mike
you have any metal prep wash?.. that what I’d used on my T-1 first before I’d etched primed it…get the dupi-color etch primer… thats what I use all the time even with plastic too…help make the paint bite the metal or plastic good…
Where can I get the prep wash Joe? I will be using Scalecoat II in a rattle can to get the proper Brunswick green, along with the graphite smoke box. I usualy give my metal engines a simple green or purple power bath in the kitchen sink to degrease them, alone with the chassis. I will probably use a chemical metal blackener on the chassis, usulay holds up better behind the drivers. Gotta restock the train fund again right now so I can order all the extra detail parts I want to add prior to painting. Mike
If you don’t mind my asking, how much does a project like this usually cost you?
Depend on how much the kit ends up costing you. Bowser ceased production several months ago, so ebay, hoyardsale group or train shows are you only option for now. I gave $75 for the kit missing the motor, another $5 for a motor from a fellow modeler that repowered with a can motor. The paint will cost around $15 for all the colors and a new can of glosscote. The details is where it will go up, they average $4-7 each for them as they are mostly brass from Cal Scale and Cary. The Superdetail kit once offered by Bowser is no longer avaiable. The last runs of the kits came with the detail kit already in them, but lacked the extra boiler weights. Mine is an earlier run kit with the booster weights, but no superdetail kit. I will have well under what a BLI Mountain sold for when new, even if I put sound in it. And it will pull way better. The engine alone with the factory booster weight is over 2 pounds. Mike
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking and why I asked-- was just curious how expensive it could get, you know, just kinda on-average. I understand there’s some variability in the pricing of the basic kit, and how much detail you decide you want.
Exactly, even if I had the superdetail kit, I wouldnt put every single one on. I plan to do just enough to make her look good, but not so much as to make it fragle to pick up and handle all the time. I have a nice wood carrying case that holds 4-8 locomotives depending on thier length. This one with the long haul tender I am building right now, will take one whole shelf to itself! I cant wait to get this one running on the test stand. Still waiting on the motor thats in the mail right now. Mike
Well you definitely have a good start on it, that’s for certain!
Mike,
Where did you get your nice looking keystone? I would love to find a place that has these things pre-painted. Painting mine on my brass engines is a royal pain and I am never quite satisfied with the results. [banghead]
I like what ya got done so far there!
Chris
That is the factory Bowser brass one, comes unpainted. I have a bottle of red paint for the Jeep Grand Cherokee we used to have. I brush a coat across the whole front of it and let it dry for 5 min (very quick drying touch up paint), then I take my hobby knife and remove the paint from the brass trim. I will add the road number decal when I paint the engine. The keystone isnt glued on yet, have to remove it when I paint the smokebox. Mike
OK, Thanks. I’ve done that and it works well. I’m trying to replicate the keystone paint job by using yellow as the trim and red in the center (like the prototype). Hard to do by hand and masking can be difficult as well. I guess I need to just keep trying different techniiques.
Chris
Any idea as to how much it weighs?
proubley like a MACK TRUCK!LOL!!! bet a 1-1 1/2 pounder…my T-1 I bet is around 3-3 1/2 pounder…I’d used my paint that on my 68 charger… 89 mexican red…to do my tender and PRR center ket stone plate
Without the big DC71 motor (it isnt here yet, caught in the holiday mail rush) she weights almost exactly 2 pounds for just the locomotive. I have an area just ahead of the factory boiler weight that I plan to fill with lead once I have the power wire and connector run to power the headlight. I got the LED all soldered up today and the wire from it to the inside of the boiler run. She is gonna be a beast, thats for sure!
Here is a pic of how she stands right now, waiting for the motor to show up. Cant really install any other details till she is painted or I get some more $$ in the train account. I have about 20 bucks worth of brass details I want to order from Bowser. Looks good with the long haul tender. Mike
