Bowser Spine Cars


D&J RailRoad

D&J RailRoad

Professor of HO
The anticipation builds. These all metal sets are as scarce as hens teeth anywhere and the pre-orders with Bowser are naturally delayed. For how long, who knows. They are great running cars though. They hold the track very well when running in long trains of empties compared to the competitors extremely light weight, all plastics sets.
 
Rico said:
Oh we all knew it would be you Toot, it really was just a matter of time!
I expect once these are released Feebay will be flooded with the older versions.
I have a surplus Walthers set that may end up there.
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I had a 5 car set at one time too, and the weight, even loaded with trailers, was always an issue. Being solid, I would think, would make a lot of difference. (I'll avoid any reference to the structural component, probably start me off again)
 
Wasn't there a way to add weight to these cars? I think I have a set that someone did this to,...but still in my storage trailer waiting for a layout to run on.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
I prefer the metal cars because the light plastic ones don't work out to well in mile long trains.
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With the much higher propensity to run longer trains on bigger layouts, then the risk of stringlining cars around curves has increased. Extra weight over and above the NMRA standard does help, but is a difficult balance between helping and hindering, because it will also increase the drag load where there are grades to pull them up before the curves. There's a long section of track on the club layout that I've nicknamed "the slingshot", because it drops down from the highest point, to a 180deg curve that's as low or even a bit lower than the main fiddle yard and then climbs back up again at the same grade, till about half way up and then lessens to point between that low and the high (about 1/2 way) before once again rounding a 90deg back the other way and crossing over to the other side of the layout.

I've run trains that have covered that entire length and more by using helpers in the middle. There's a speed that has to be reached and maintained so that the rear section's weight can push down grade while the front is going upgrade, without derailing the cars in that 180deg turn. Hence the nickname. Could almost do with some of the sophisticated load to speed/power control I'm sure the prototype uses. I found a tail end helper upset things. The mid train ones though were essential to control that down ward push as they were to pull the weight behind them. There would always be 1 less loco in the middle than up front. All 6 axle Genesis locos with similar drives and decoders.
 
Athearn made some nice Trinity 57' spine cars but never ran them again. Looks like I'll be getting some Bowser cars.
 
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