Bowser Triple Crown Roadrailers quality??


C

CP6027

Member
Has anybody had any experience in running these Bowser Triple Crown Roadrailers. Are they worth the money? Do they stay on track or are they light and derail all the time. I used to see these trains running very fast in real life. I always wanted to model these.

Jerry
 
I have a fifteen car set of the Schnieder's by Bowser. I put one ounce of stick on weight on the floor of each one during assembly. Mine run for hours at shows without problems. Because of the extra weight they can be run back and forth through complex track work without incident. I would recomend them highly.
 
Hi Jerry
I have 34 Swift & 5 Amtrak Roadrailers. The Bowser Raodrailers are the best engineered HO intermodal equipment produced. They will run better if you tighten up the truck as tight as possible as the trailers all ready have 3 point suspension. I have added weight to all & then took out all the weight except in the first 2 Swifts & no weight in the Amtrak as they run at the back anyway. I would also buy extra touges (Bowser (long) # 74223 or (short) 74221) & the part that fits in to the back (Bowser #74220) as you will break both as they are run!!!! I have had the RRs from when they came out. If you talk to Bowser they might give you a break if you order enough. Here is a link that might help

http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/c/o/cole1800/pwp-roadrailer/

Tim
 
I have about 40 of the Triple Crown's. I too, added weight. I wish I had 100 more to make a realistic consist.

Bob
 
They are very good quality and run well. Even with out adding any weight. I'd definitely recommend getting some.

The only problem I've witnessed, is a 50 trailer train tipping over on its side! Every car tipped, not a full mess to clean up, especially at a show!
 
CP9302 said:
They are very good quality and run well. Even with out adding any weight. I'd definitely recommend getting some.

The only problem I've witnessed, is a 50 trailer train tipping over on its side! Every car tipped, not a full mess to clean up, especially at a show!
Click to expand...

Adding weight all but eliminates that problem. Lowers the center of gravity.

bob
 
I have about 15 of them (with another 5 waiting to be built) all in Triple Crown and with a little weight the run perfectly. In my book as the old movie rating goes, Big Thumbs Up!!!!
 
SP7201 said:
I have about 15 of them (with another 5 waiting to be built) all in Triple Crown and with a little weight the run perfectly. In my book as the old movie rating goes, Big Thumbs Up!!!!
Click to expand...

Wasn't that Siskel and Ebert with "two thumbs up"?

Bob
 
If you are speaking of the problems that occur during a reverse move, I've tried weighting some of the trailers without much luck. If I add any more weight, I'm afraid the rails will buckle, as much as 5 1/2oz. I think the problem is inherent in the cars. I've given up doing reverse moves with long consists.

When my layout is set up to accommodate modern day rail service, I have over 120 Triple Crown trailers. I have changed my wheels to Atlas metal wheels. Filing down the frogs also helped. And of course, using premium switches like Peco, Walthers/Shinohara, and Shinohara lessened the problem substantially.

Changing wheels helped some. But I've relegated my self to no reverse moves with long consists. About 10-15 cars is about all my switchers move at one time.

For weight I added the red modeling clay and florists' clay. I think I got it at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I've tried Pla-Doh, but it isn't quite dense enough to add sufficient weight. Florist putty, or clay, seems to work the best.

My Dad used modeling clay and BB's for many years. He would press the BB's into the clay. This procedure worked very well in cars like covered hoppers. BB's are MUCH less expensive than filling a car with clay. It's a method that has stayed with me for many, many years.

Bob
 
I have a train of 44 and have no issues running it on a club layout. I used the stock weight and didnt change anything.
 
Mark, my problems ALL occur during reverse moves. You don't have any problems backing the roadrailers down into a siding?

Bob
 
Don't do it much but I haven't had any problems. I did change all the wheels to Intermountain 33" Semi Scale wheels though.
 
Should these have the Intermountain 33' semi scale wheels or are the Atlas wheels the correct prototype wheels for these trailers? I thought the wheels are smaller on these like 30" or so.
Dave
 
I am not sure if the real ones ride on 30" wheels but 33" works out good and runs reliably so I am not complaining.
 
stationmaster said:
If you are speaking of the problems that occur during a reverse move, I've tried weighting some of the trailers without much luck. If I add any more weight, I'm afraid the rails will buckle, as much as 5 1/2oz. I think the problem is inherent in the cars. I've given up doing reverse moves with long consists.

When my layout is set up to accommodate modern day rail service, I have over 120 Triple Crown trailers. I have changed my wheels to Atlas metal wheels. Filing down the frogs also helped. And of course, using premium switches like Peco, Walthers/Shinohara, and Shinohara lessened the problem substantially.

Changing wheels helped some. But I've relegated my self to no reverse moves with long consists. About 10-15 cars is about all my switchers move at one time.

For weight I added the red modeling clay and florists' clay. I think I got it at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I've tried Pla-Doh, but it isn't quite dense enough to add sufficient weight. Florist putty, or clay, seems to work the best.

My Dad used modeling clay and BB's for many years. He would press the BB's into the clay. This procedure worked very well in cars like covered hoppers. BB's are MUCH less expensive than filling a car with clay. It's a method that has stayed with me for many, many years.

Bob
Click to expand...

There souldn't be a problem with added weight. Some engines weigh 2 pounds...
 
diburning, the statement was meant to be facetious, tongue in cheek. When was the last time you added 5 1/2oz to a car? I'd be willing to bet never.

I've got brass engines that weigh closer to 5# than 2#...........

Bob
 
When I had an Athearn Blue box car that never came with the weight.

And... Walthers tank cars. 5 1/2 ozs seems like a reasonable amount to add to them. They are severely underweight and they derail all over the place.
 
No included weight is cheating. Had the weight been with the kit, you wouldn't have added any. I have added 4oz to the tank cars on very rare occasions, placing the weight over the wheels as much as possible. Any more weight and my consists get too short because the engines can't pull them. I like my trains tugging LONG strings of cars.......50+ cars, or longer, is normal.

If I had a car having problems, the first thing I do is check the wheels, changing to premium metal wheels such as Atlas' or P2K's. That usually solves the problem without adding weight.

Bob
 
I have proto 2000 wheels and I'm trying to get rid of them ASAP.

Proto 2000 wheels aren't the best. They have plastic axles which either come out of the factory warped or they warp over time. Atlas wheels are nice. Intermountain wheels are nicer.

Weight is not an issue. It depends on how well your cars roll.
 
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