Who is still making Steam loco detail parts.
Who is selling them. Who do you buy from.
Are there plastic/styrene detail parts availlable for steam locomotives.
I’m in Canada but buying from the U.S.A. is not an issue.
Marc, Canada
You can get steam loco detail parts from Bowser, who make both Cal-Scale and Cary parts, and also from Precision Scale. Both companies offer paper catalogues, a worthwhile investment in my opinion.
I used lots of parts from all three of those manufacturers, in addition to many scratch-built parts, to modify this old Akane loco for a friend.
Wayne
Dan at Yard Bird Trains sells some too. http://www.yardbirdtrains.com/YBDetailParts.htm
Where do you live in Canada? There is a guy that goes to most of the Toronto area train shows that sells only detail parts for steam locomotives. I don’t know his Company’s name but if you contact the Soper Valley Model Train Club they can tell you who he is. He was at their show a few weeks ago. He will probably be at the Whitby or the Toronto show in November.
Greenway offers a nice selection of brass parts that can be used to detail brass, cast metal, and plastic steam locomotives. http://greenwaybrass.com/index.shtml
With Milwaukee’s Trainfest just weeks away I am already looking forward to shopping at the Greenway booth. They offer stuff nobody else seems to carry.
The Walthers catalog has an extensive section on CalScale parts. At one time many imported brass locomotives used CalScale parts. Unless I have been failing to pay attention, Bowser is still offering CalScale even though they discontinued their own steam kits.
The wonderful Kemtron line of parts is at least in part now available from Precision Scale – these were top of the line in their day and still look good today: http://www.precisionscaleco.com/
When I was younger, a “low cost” option for steam locomotive detail parts was the Selley catalog of cast white metal parts. Bowser seems to still offer these parts – things like stacks, domes, boiler fronts, headlights, pilots, injectors, and the like. http://www.bowser-trains.com/hoother/selley/Selley%20Drawings%20HO.pdf
They are no longer as low cost as they were back when I’d order a sack full of parts from the old America’s Hobby Center (when I could resist the lure of the 99 cent freight cars and the “spur deal” that is). Am I showing my age? [
]
Lastly, don’t ignore cheap junker engines at swap meets as parts sources. I have a collection of steam locomotive cabs salvaged from sm