10-09-2013, 02:12 PM
Thanks once again for the kind words, folks. :oops:
Bear, the Bowser H-30, about 5" long, tips my el cheapo scale at 4oz., about 1/2oz. over the NMRA recommend weight for a car of that length. The trucks are extremely free-rolling (and also nicely detailed with a fully-represented spring package) so the car should perform well in a train.
While I, too, would have preferred a kit, the in-store price was about six bucks lower than the announced price, and since this is a car which I have long wanted, seemed reasonable enough. I am generally not a fan of r-t-r, as most of what I've seen needs further work, but this one had pretty-well everything, including nicely-piped brake gear and at least some of the brake rigging not normally visible on a hopper car. All of the grab irons are metal and to-scale. Unfortunately, the car is made in China, so I doubt that we'll see kit versions of it. Still, kudos to Bowser for ensuring that it was done so well. If I were modelling Pennsy, I'd have bought several.
Wayne
Bear, the Bowser H-30, about 5" long, tips my el cheapo scale at 4oz., about 1/2oz. over the NMRA recommend weight for a car of that length. The trucks are extremely free-rolling (and also nicely detailed with a fully-represented spring package) so the car should perform well in a train.
While I, too, would have preferred a kit, the in-store price was about six bucks lower than the announced price, and since this is a car which I have long wanted, seemed reasonable enough. I am generally not a fan of r-t-r, as most of what I've seen needs further work, but this one had pretty-well everything, including nicely-piped brake gear and at least some of the brake rigging not normally visible on a hopper car. All of the grab irons are metal and to-scale. Unfortunately, the car is made in China, so I doubt that we'll see kit versions of it. Still, kudos to Bowser for ensuring that it was done so well. If I were modelling Pennsy, I'd have bought several.
Wayne