steam engine

[Bill Barnwell]

Any one have any input on WUHU steam engines, like are they any good?

 

[spoz]

I’m no expert, not being into steamers, but from what I’ve picked up as a mod on this board for some years they seem to be reasonably well regarded by those that are. You might want to go into the “Live Steam Locos” section of the Board and do a search there, I just did that and turned up quite a lot of discussion.

 

[G-force1]

I'm not sure I understand by what you mean by 'any good'? The G-scale steamers that I run are all commercially made and as a product are first class. To be 'any good' they need to do what you want them to, and for me that is pull a decent sized train. There are many differences between electric/battery and steam. The first you can set off on a roundy-roundy track and pretty much forget it. With steam you cant do that as you need to add gas/coal and water at relatively short intervals (usually 20 -30 mins). It is certainly a different way to run your railroad.

 

[maxi-model]

Are you looking at specific models from WUHU ? Seeing as you appear to be going the 1:20.3 route do you mean this or their funky looking Falk ? Max

 

[Fred2179G]

In general, the WuHu/Bowande models work well. We were running the latest Decapod at my friend's track just last month. All live steamers have quirks, nice features, and some things that make you say "why did they do that"? Among the nice features, WuHu uses a ceramic burner and has a window in the firebox door area so you can see the flame. In the 'why' category is the lack of cylinder drains, so if you overfill the boiler you get hydraulic locking which is a pain to clear.

The Falk, I believe, needs some sorting. If you search the US Mylargescale.com forums you'll find many threads on the subjects. [Google "site:mylargescale.com Falk wuhu".

 

[Perry]

Here is a link to 22 episodes by Keith Appleton, about a Chinese manufactured, 5" gauge, coal fired, GWR 14XX. As it isn't either a Kingscale nor a Silvercrest loco, I think it's WuHu/Bowande & his observations could be useful to members at this site.

 

[markrussell1966]

I’m into 5” gauge live steam and have seen these. It might not be a silvercrest or kingscale but it’s exactly the same so guess they are all made in the same factory in China!

 

[Fred2179G]

http://www.bowandeusa.com/
I knew about the 14xx in Gauge 1, but they apparently are making a 5" gauge version too. Plus 5" and 7.25" track, and a G3 2-6-4T 4MT tank. And after that G3 Britannia they made for Kingscale they are doing a Gauge 1 version.

We get the impression they will make anything you ask for. This beast seems to have been done for a US customer, and the US Distributor wasn't involved.

 

[PhilP]

I think it it a case of:
"If you've got the money, we've got the men."

 

[Fred2179G]

I think it it a case of:
"If you've got the money, we've got the men."

Possibly. I did enquire some years ago about having a model of the EBT M1 [petrol-electric railcar, like the NE one being restored in the UK, but 3' gauge.] The price was very reasonable for 10 copies, not so much for just one.

 

[Perry]

markrussell1966

As he says in the videos, Keith Appleton is of the opinion that after the fettling he undertook, the loco was very good.