Building a Bowser H9

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Folks:
The other day, I obtained a Bowser H9 kit. I have to admit it: every time I open a plain box and see lots of little parts it is a little daunting, no matter how many kits I put together, but that soon gives way to a real sense of satisfaction as the thing goes together.

I think a lot of modelers are missing out on that satisfaction because they think this stuff is harder than it is, or because they tried once and had problems. The difficulty is certainly talked up, but really this stuff isn’t a hard job, it’s a series of small, simple jobs.

So while I put this thing together, I’m going to post a running commentary in this thread.

The most important thing, when doing a kit like this, is to take your time. If you start getting frustrated, you’re either going too fast, or trying to do too much in one day. Take a break and run the trains, or shoot up some Germans in Castle Wolfenstein, or just wait until the next evening. Now to start -

-General remarks-

The PRR had a unique aesthetic. It sometimes looks odd. The E6, for instance, has a strangely squashed appearance. It’s like a “chibi” steam locomotive. So kawaii! :slight_smile:

Ahem. Anyway, the family look works GREAT for the H9. It’s a real pocket battleship of a Consolidation; looks like it could pull the Great Pyramid off its foundations. So I like it, and this kit is a very cheap way to get one. In fact, Bowser kits have gone up less than other steam, and are now among the cheapest quality steam you can buy! I’m not counting build time, because I find it to be relaxing and fun.

The castings in this kit have some flash, of course, but are generally clean and straight. Bowser supplies a rivet tool and a siderod hex-wrench (actually a socket head set screw), which is nice, and probably saves them returns.

-Preparation-
Work in a well-lit space. I. E. something better than the basement workshop I am now using. :slight_smile: Place the kit box and the parts you are

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Edit: Except to leave you with a conundrum…since Bowser kits ARE currently in production (the discontinuation thing was, happily, just a rumor) and currently in stock at a number of places online, why do they keep selling for over the list price on Ebay? I had an auction going on an H9 kit at the same time as I was buying this one…the auction ended at $30 over the retail price. Needless to say, I stopped bidding long before that!

Actually, if you check the Bowser site carefully, they’re discontinuing some of the basic kits (i.e. the ones not including the superdetail parts) like the K-4.

#100500 Locomotive & Tender Kit - DISCONTINUED See #525 Deluxe kit above

And the I-1s

#100700 Locomotive & Tender Kit - DISCONTINUED See #527 deluxe kit above

And the L-1

#100800 Locomotive & Tender Kit - Discontinued see #526 deluxe kit above

Andre

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AC:

And here they say only the Big Boy is discontinued:
http://bowser-trains.com/holocos/holocos.htm

I’m pretty sure that went up after the discontinuation rumors started kicking around. I’m going to have to send an Email and ask which one is right. :smiley:

(Still doesn’t explain why people bid almost $120 on Ebay for a kit that is currently available for under $80 from Standard Hobby Supply, where I bought mine. No accounting for auctionitis!)

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Autobus,

Great thread about great locomotive kits. I built a USRA Mike a couple of years back (which is now finally in the paint shop!). Runs well, a tad noisy but that’s not unexpected with the open frame motor. My 2 cents on Bowser kit assembly:

  1. Take your time, then slow down some more. It can be easy to mis-assemble valve gear or rods as you pointed out, or other components. When bending the wire for piping it’s easy to get the configuration wrong the first time. Fortunately there is extra wire!

  2. Wear an apron(!) - the kind that covers you up almost to the neck. Pin or tape the lower edge to your workbench. When (not if!) the small parts go wandering, they will land in the apron.

One other comment - Bowser has great customer support. If anything is missing or damaged they will replace it promptly. You can also buy replacement parts if you truly hash something up.

George V.

Edit: Added a picture from prior to painting. Locomotive got primed last weekend.

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Folks: I hope the length of these posts isn’t making this process look harder than it is. It really isn’t; I’m just that wordy, and I’m trying to point out pitfalls - most of them ones that I have encountered in the past. Usually by falling into them.

G5:

Good tips. Nice work on your loco. Did not follow your apron plan, but it’s a good one. The alternative I use is to resist the temptation to pick up assemblies and roam around the shop, working on them. :slight_smile:

Evening 2 - Valve Gear. About 45 minutes.

Having left off with one crosshead, I started the other, but after cleaning it up, ran into a problem. The small end of the main rod was, seemingly, not tapped, or perhaps not tapped right. It’s 00-90, and it’s hard to see in - the usual tapping burr is there, but the screw wouldn’t start without stripping; the other crosshead (and other similar screws in the various rods) started very easily. I’ll E-mail Bowser and get a new one, or pick up a small micro tap set (which I’ve wanted for a long time anyway. [:D])

I did want to get something done, so I tackled the valve gear. This assembly is favored with more trepidation than anything else in the kit-steam world, but it’s completely undeserved. In fact, the riveting process itself is made as nearly foolproof as possible with the Bowser rivet tool, which is included with a kit. It centers itself in the rivet, and as long as you use very light blows, and don’t overtighten, forming a perfect head is very simple. Give a few very light taps, to hold the parts together, pick up and check for tightness, and tap a little more if needed.

The strength you use when drumming your fingers idly on the desk is about right, I think. Not to your favorite song, but maybe to that song you kind’a’like but wouldn’t if the radio played it more.
Right? I think you want about .003-.005 clearance between the riveted head and the stacked parts. This sounds technical bit in fact it ain’t. One sheet of typ

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Great thread, you guys! In my opinion, too many of today’s “modelers” miss out on the joys of the old Do It Yourself movement. All too often I see letters and messages like: “I’d like to have a good Consolidation for my model RR, but nobody makes one lettered for the XYZ. (Boo-hoo: me)” This ain’t rocket science, people. I had a couple of teenage friends (now in their 40s; gee, I’m gettin’ old) who mastered handlaying of track, painting, decaling, kit-building, a little scratchbuilding, etc. Try things! Even if things don’t come out the way you’d like, go on–and come back to rebuild, repaint, re-decal, or whatever. Steam locomotives are a particular treat when you finish them and put them on the track for the first time–and they run “smooth as an oiled earlobe,” as the venerable Tom McCahill, the Automotive Editor of the old Mechanix Illustrated used to say.

Model Railroading is FUN! Really.

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I think a lot of modelers are missing out on that satisfaction because they think this stuff is harder than it is, or because they tried once and had problems. The difficulty is certainly talked up, but really this stuff isn’t a hard job, it’s a series of small, simple jobs.

Couldn’t agree more! My first kit was a Mantua heavy Mike. I opened the box and looked at all the little parts and thought-“What have I got myself into???[D)]”
I never thought I’d be able to build it, let alone have it run good. Just took my time and followed the directions and it was a snap! Really gives me a sense of pride when I run it!
Now if I can just super detail it like Georgev’s I’d be REAL happy![:D]

(good thread!)

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The PRR Pro Group is going to do a super detail modification on various H8/H9/H10 Consolidations as its next project. You might want to join and get a lot of information on building a PRR Consolidation.

Regards

Rick

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I bought an H-9 back when it was done by Penn Line. At that time, the metal they used was much softer than zamac. Has Bowser changed to the harder (and more brittle) zamac?

Ed

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I just explored the wonders of the internet and found that zamac is an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper. It’s my impression that the old Penn Line alloy had some lead in it. I recall it acting as if it did.

Ed

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dti:
Just joined. Thanks for the info. I have a few detailing plans for mine, but won’t be doing that until the basic kit is assembled and working…made that mistake before, ended up with 32,767 half-finished projects…

[Edit] Read some posts there. Good grief. I’m all for accuracy, but when it comes to picking the microscopic lice off the nits…golly, I love this nice, relaxed forum of ours… [:)]

wj:

The frame has always, I think, been zamac alloy*. Zamac may contain traces of lead, up to .005%, but it is considered an impurity…and too much of it causes the zinc pest that rotted some older zinc models, such as Varney, and the imported New One line. Improvements in manufacture and the end of postwar shortages ended this problem years ago.

Older Penn Line and Bowser PRR boilers were cast from some sort of lead alloy; correct. Zamac isn’t actually that brittle, for a cast metal. Without boring everybody with percent elongation and such, it’s much less brittle than cast iron, for instance.

Hot Wheels cars are die-cast zamac, and as we all remember they do bend when beaten with hammers. [:D]

All Bowser metal boilers are zamac today.

*Except for the ones that were fabricated brass, right…forgot.

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Loathar,

All that bling on the USRA Mike comes in the kit and the boiler is pre-drilled. Like you said, its a lot of small jobs. Some of the detail parts required some thought and study - most significantly the air pipes that have to zig zag through the small hangers. I did need to drill out a couple of holes in the running boards that hold the air tanks. Everything else was properly drilled and all I did was put it together. I would work only about 30 or 40 minutes at a time to keep from getting stressed.

George V.

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L:

This is great. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped would come out. “I was worried, but it went great” !

As for your heavy Mike, there was an amazing article in the Aug 06 - Sep 06 RMC by Tom Bailey about detailing one for the Ann Arbor. It was pretty amazing, considering Mr. Bailey actually worked the boiler to a taper with a /hand file/. You could also look to the NYC for inspiration - the odd Mantua Mike is somewhat like an H10 2-8-2. There was a discussion about that on RMR once.

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Good article, Autobus Prime. Always nice to see people building kits, and enjoying it![:D]