I have just received an e-mail from Bowser indicating that they have discontinued the manufacture of their steam locomotive line. According to the mailing, diesel locomotive, rolling stock, trolley and other HO items production will continue. They also indicate that replacement parts for their steamers is limited to present stock on hand and no further production of these items will be forthcoming.
Talk about a shock…
CNJ831
Wow, that really is bad news. Bowser was the only company I know of that was still making steam locomotive kits. The lack of customers must have had something to do with their decision. Practically everyone today wants to buy everything in fully assembled form and then call themselves “modelers.”
can we blame it on the chinese? maybe walthers?
grizlump
Are the molds–at least I THINK they’d have them–going to be sold off? If so then better be getting them. I don’t like the sounds of this[:O][|(]
How about people who want cheap trains and ready to run at that?
There’s over 300 million people in this country and we’re now losing the last locomotive kit manufacturer. At the same time, New Zealand, which has less than half the population of Los Angeles COUNTY in California, is the home of some rather nice kits that ran in places other than New Zealand.
http://www.railmaster.co.nz/railway/loco.htm
Not only that, but you can also get kits for New Zealand prototype steam locomotives.
Incidentally, the prices shown are in US dollars. The price in New Zealand dollars is double. We have a good exchange rate.
Oh yeah. New Zealand’s steam locomotives were built to a maximum height of 11 1/2 feet running on 42" gauge. An Sn3 1/2 NZGR steam locomotive will actually be about the same physical size as its North American standard gauge counterpart.
Andre
I built a fair number of Mantua and Boswer kits over the years, many served well. Today I buy ready to run, not because I don’t want to build kits, but because the performance is the same or better, the price is a the same or lower AND (this is the big reason) the detail is better.
By the time you buy a bowser kit (with or without the super details), add some Cal Scale, you have a lot invested and still don’t reach the appearance of a Spectrum, Proto or BLI loco.
So it is about value. They are great locos, just not the total value they once where. And while many of us still build a lot of stuff, much growth in the hobby is among those who are more RTR minded.
I still do a fair amount of extra detailing, customizing, kit basing etc. But instead of starting with a kit, I start with a spectrum this or a BLI that. Few if any of my fleet 40+ steam locos are stock, the way they came, but all of the current fleet started as ready to run. And only two are brass.
One more thought about Bowser, most of the line is PRR prototypes, and many that are not are very old outdated models with even less detail than their best pieces. I know a lot of people model PRR, but more don’t than do.
Sheldon
I am of the opinion that, as lamentable as this announcement is, the fact is that we, the consumer, are what drives such news. If Bowser can’t sell because we won’t buy, what does the reactive and proactive business do? They adapt or go under.
Also, my opinion, blaming the Chinese is like blaming the drug pusher for our habits. Pooh widdo meee, I can’t hewp but buy dos nasty Chinees engines…oh, hewp meee, hewp meeee!!! Let’s get real, boys and men (and any ladies reading), we in N. America thump our chests about freedoms, self-determination and rights. And by golly, we sure as heck exercise 'em…all the way to (name the toy train manufacturer of choice) for our latest “fix”.
Point the finger at thyself for a change.
-Crandell
It’s those darn modern modelers with their modern powered boxcars!!! [swg]
Seriously, sad news, sorry to hear.
I think someone in the other topic mentioned that they made a 0-4-0 Dockside. If so what exactly was it called? I would be very interested in building one. I am sure they could be found on Ebay. Does anyone have a pic?
Thanks
Mike
I think that’s the key - Bowser loco kits were state of the art 30-40 years ago. I spent some time modeling in British 4mm finescale, and the kits available are simply beautiful - the good ones build up accurately, with a lot of detail, and look better than RTR (and the best ones are absolute gems - when well built they exceed the quality of even the best brass). I’d LOVE to be able to buy an accurate, modern kit for some of the same prototypes as Bowser. See: http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/4F.htm for an example of what I see as “state of the art”. It’s a combination of photo etched components combined with a urethane resin firebox/boiler assembly with lost wax brass and whitemetal detail components.
I know there are a lot of people who still build models - see the plethora of resin kit manufacturers out there - however, I think a high percentage of these folks are prototype modelers, and locos with big fat screws sticking out, hamburger sized rivets and compromises throughout aren’t worth it for these modelers - especially when a detailed Bowser that won’t look as good as the BLI loco sat next to it which cost the same amount!
I am of the opinion that, as lamentable as this announcement is, the fact is that we, the consumer, are what drives such news. If Bowser can’t sell because we won’t buy, what does the reactive and proactive business do? They adapt or go under.
Up to a point, I agree with you, Crandell. However, the manufacturers of steam locomotive kits (Mantua and Varney come to mind) never made any real attempt to update their tooling and their designs when faced with real competition. When Mantua went out of business around 2001, they were selling stuff that was using 50 year old tooling to make 50’s era models they were trying to sell in a 21st Century market. As for Bowser, even with the improvementsmade to the old Penn Line and early Bowser models by the latter day owners, Bowser is still making 50’s era kits. Worse yet, most of their models are of Pennsy prototype. The Pennsy is a popular road, but not everyone’s an SPF.
In order to sell a product, you have to entice people to buy it. Not long ago, I went through and made a list of every Southern Pacific non-articulated class that could be made using a Bowser chassis. The list surprised even me. A-3 and A-6 4-4-2’s (E-6 chassis), P-1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (K4 chassis). P-7, 8, 9, 10, 12(ex EP&SW) could have been done with the USRA 4-6-2 chassis. The P-11 (also ex EP&SW) could have been done with the NYC K-11 chassis. Classes F-1, 3, 4, 5 2-10-2’s could have been done using the “USRA” 2-10-2 chassis. The 4-8-4 chassis could have been used to do the Cotton Belt L-1’s that eventually became SP classes GS-7/8. The Pennsy M-1 chassis could be used to do SP’s 4-8-2’s, including the ex EP&SW MT-2’s. SP 4-6-0 classes T-23, 28, 31, 32 could have been done with the Pennsy G-5 or “Casey Jones” chassis. Every class of SP Mikado could have been done including the 57" driver MK-2 and MK-4 (Bowser got around to making 56" drivers for the Pennsy B-6)
The Bowser “USRA’s” all had some
I’ve never built a Bowser kit, but I’ve seen some of their kits finished into steam locomotives that look as good, if sometimes not better than the current highly detailed plastic RTR steamers. Sure, it took a lot of careful detail work to get them that way, but the result was something that the builder could be very proud of. And more importantly, those well-crafted kits, with careful work, were VERY strong pullers–something that current plastic cannot attain without traction tires.
I’m very sorry to see their steam locomotive line go under. Frankly, I hope someone buys the molds and parts so that those modelers who STILL like to build their own, can have something to work with. As an inveterate kit-basher (yes, even my imported brass locos), I find this news pretty disheartening. Bowser gave you the well-built basics, and it was up to the talent of the individual modeler to make the locomotive what they wanted it to be.
Seems that time and patience in building a steamer is becoming a lost art. Okay, I suppose that I’ve helped contribute to that by doing my ‘bashing’ on steamers that have already had the major work (mechanisms) done for me, but I still feel badly for those who prefer to assemble their steamers from the ground up.
It would sure be nice if this thread turned out to be an “April Fool’s” message a month early.
Tom
sounds like we need to buy them when we see them and stock up… Sad news
The issue with Bowser dropping out is driven by precisely a market that is at base RTR dominated. I did a not so very good datamining operation just a few minutes ago on a whole raft of sites and found that there has been a steady drop in locomotive kits. Especially of steam based lokes.
Dang it — I bought a pile of brass pieces from a metals dealer–I might as well get using them–stockpile pieces/bits—
People might pay attention to Yardbird Trains. Dan, the owner deals with a lot of older metal engines including the Bowser. He also has the Yahoo Yardbird trains group. Put the link in your favorites folder.
http://yardbirdtrains.com/index.htm
Rich
This news sucks.
I left HO so I haven’t been in the market for Bowser steam, but I’ve always liked it and really wish they could have offered a similar PRR steam selection in N. I would love to assemble a pewter locomotive in N; I think the pulling power alone would be worth the effort. The GHQ PRR L1s conversion for the Kato Mike is a challenge and has similar boiler construction to a Bowser kit.
Wow.
The most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in this hobby besides completing a layout is building steam locomotives from the chassis up. I did it in HO and I do it in N. I guess I can’t blame anyone but myself here because I left HO and therefore the market for Bowser PRR steam. I just wish enough other folks would have found it equally rewarding.
Oh, by the way, Bowser steam locomotives are made, from what I understand, right there in Pennsylvania. The Chinese aren’t involved.
I’ll have to check the Pennsy boards and see if someone else is interested in buying the Bowser tooling. After all, the Pennsy steam kits were started by Penn Line over 50 years ago.
Sad news but on the other hand I was not buying anything from their steam line, so i guess I am partly to blame. The original Bowser (4-8-2 and 4-6-6-4), Penn Line (PRR), and Varney (4-6-0 and 2-8-0 and perhaps Dockside) engines are, as pointed out above, 1950s (maybe late 1940s!) technology. Bowser did a yeoman’s job of keeping the detail quality on ancient tooling within plausible modern limits. But obviously there comes a time when folks aren’t buying anymore, and the last I looked some of the molds had lost sharpness …
The saddest news is that they evidently do not intend to keep parts in the line. Armed with their frame, drivers, side rods, valve gear and motor, the basis for a lot of scratch/kitbashing was always right there even if the increasingly crude boiler or tender detail was not being used
Dave Nelson
WAHT!??!1? NONONONONONONONONON0N0!! THIS CAN"T BE HAPPINNING!!
What am I supposed to build if the Bowser kits are gone!?[:O][:O][:O]
We’re going to start the great mold hunt-----[:P]
This is horrible news, but Andre’s right: Bowser hasn’t upgraded in decades (their B-6 being the only exception) and frankly, their stuff sucks. Sure it’ll PULL, but overall it all looks horrible. I stopped buying Bowser engine kits almost a decade ago not because I couldn’t BUILD their stuff (I can), but because I could get more accurate core models from other manufacturers.
Want a high-quality USRA light 2-8-2? Bowser’s is on the BOTTOM of the list of the six models available. In terms of prototype accuracy (even with all of the bells & whistles added) the IHC POS is more accurate. How about Bowser’s “USRA” 2-10-2? Ugh; who designed that abomination? In ALL cases where there’s competition for a Bowser steam engine model the competition wins.
I wonder if Bowser would be shutting down today if 15 years ago they remade their steam kit line in line with the likes of DJH. I drool over those engine models, even if they ARE foreign road prototypes, and will definitely build a couple in the near future. Bowser engines haven’t gotten me as excited in 20 years…
I highly doubt they’ll be selling their tooling, until old man English finally dies. At that point the entire company will likely be liquidated. Buy your Cal-Scale and Cary parts while you can!