Can someone explain the Stewart/Bowser connection?
The short story is Stewart was an upstart company who made a new F unit line, made them and a few other models for a number of years and then sold out to Bowser who continued to use the Stewart name to identify those products.
Like any product it evolved a little both before and after the Bowser ownership. Great running units, but they are sold with dummy B units and you have to buy a separate power chassis to power the B units leaving you left with the dummy chassis. I don’t run any dummy units. No hand rails or such come with the basic original versions, Bowser does of course sell a detail kit.
As F units go, I prefer Intermountian or Athearn Genesis. If you want an undecorated unit to paint and detail, the Highliner body kits fit both Genesis and Intermountain drives and one kit will built ANY phase of F unit you want and is by far the best detailed in view. The Intermountain shells are also right up there with the Highliner kit, but you must select which grill and pilot type you want in advance. Also the Intermountain body kit only builds an F7, the Highliner will build F3’s and “F5’s”.
Favorite loco - that’s tough to say, but my Intermoutain and Athearn F units would be near the top of the list.
I too have an ABA set of Athearn Blue Box F units that I did full detail thing to years ago - GSB interiors, American Limited close coupling and diaphragms, all the grab irons, re-motored with can motors - they run good too.
Other locos high on my “favorites” list would be:
My nine Spectrum USRA Heavy Mountains - look good, pull good, run good. Eight of them are ATLANTIC CENTRAL, three different sub classes with different tenders and other details. One is C&O.
My two ABBA lash ups of Proto2000 ALCO FA1/FB1’s.
My four Spectrum 2-6-6-2’s - two in ATLANTIC CENTRAL, now with Del
