Please note that we carry Bowser products.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowser Manufacturing Company Inc.
50th Anniversary Celebration!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowser is proud to announce its 50th Year Anniversary!
On May 1, 1961 Bowser was purchased by Lewis and Shirlee English and moved from Redlands, CA. to their basement in Muncy, PA. Over the years the company grew and they acquired parts of the Penn Line brand as well as Cal Scale, Cary Locomotives Works, Selley Finishing Touches & Pennsylvania Scale Models. The company also acquired tooling for various Pittman motors & select Varney items. Finally, as recently as 2004 Stewart Hobbies was added.
In 1965 having out grown their basement location the business was moved to Montoursville, PA. where it continues to thrive today under the careful hands of its current president Lee English, son of Lewis and Shirlee English.
Bowser continues the great American tradition of multigenerational small business ownership and operation.
Bowser continues to make a varied array of products to include HO Rolling Stock in both Kits and Ready to Roll, HO Diesel Locomotives in both Basic ( Stewart Brand) and now in a Super Detailed version ( Bowser) known as the Executive Series. We also continue to produce detail castings for locomotives under both the Cal Scale & Cary Brands as well as details and scenic castings under the Selley brand.
Some of our more recent additions include the introduction of an all new PCC Trolley in several variations to include the famous San Francisco 'F' Line Trolleys and versions of the 'Post War' PCC Trolley.
We have many more new projects in the works for the future and are looking forward to the next fifty years of serving the model railroading hobby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bowser Locomotives Help Establish
New World Record for Model Railroading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LONGEST MODEL TRAIN
On the afternoon of April 23rd, 2011 the Model Railroaders of the Wilmington Railroad Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, set a new record for the longest model train.
After numerous tries they were successful in having their 925.55 foot long HO scale model train move the required distance, 15 scale kilometers, under its own power. Official witness statements, the official surveyors report, and photographic and video evidence must be submitted to Guinness World Records(tm) before they will certify this as an official world record.
The 32 modelers from the Museum started on this quest in June of 2010 when they submitted their request to Guinness World Records(tm). They were issued a claim number and given the "Guinness Guidelines" in July and the planning began.
This group put out a call to all local model railroaders for HO train cars to help make up the necessary length of the train. Seventeen modelers responded with cars to be added to the 400 custom boxcars that were built just for this event. In all over 1900 cars were available to make up the train. As most of the cars were scale 50 foot cars or longer only 1563 cars were required in addition to the 31 Bowser C-628 diesel engines to make up the 925 foot long train.
Starting two days prior to the event the modeler team assembled a double oval of track 1002 feet long in the exhibit hall of the new Wilmington Convention Center.
Once completed and wired the testing began. It took over seven hours to place the engines and cars on the track. Then another fourteen hours of testing for problems to get the train ready for the official 1 PM kick-off on April 23rd. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo rang an old Atlantic Coast Line engine bell to start the first official run. A number of runs followed as the train continued to have problems, primarily with the cars separating. Each time the official surveyors from McKim & Creed would re-measure the start point. Finally at approximately 3:50 PM the train exceeded the required distance and continued on for a total travel of 750.09 feet.
The preliminary measurements and numbers are as follows:
· Total length of the train = 925.55 feet (282.1 meters or 15.27 scale miles long)
· Total distance traveled under its own power = 750.09 feet (228.63 meters or 19.91 scale kilometers)
· Length of track oval = 1001.8 feet
· Number of engines = 31 Bowser Alco C-628 diesels
· Number of train cars = 1563 various
· People in attendance = 1059
Here are some links to news stories talking about this record:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110423/ARTICLES/110429855/1005/sports?Title=Wilmington-model-railroaders-set-Guinness-World-Record&tc=ar http://www.jonesanthony.com
/ (click on purple box)
http://www.wwaytv3.com/2011/04/23/first-3-wilmington-train-breaks-guinness-world-record
http://www.wect.com/story/14502855/wilmington-now-home-to-worlds-longest-model-train