HO Scale Virginia & Truckee JW Bowker 2-4-0 Steam Locomotive

Description: HO Scale Virginia & Truckee JW Bowker 2-4-0 Steam Locomotive - Refurbished #6 Two years ago, my father passed and I received the remnants of his HO Scale train collection, consisting of a diesel locomotive, several switchers, a beat-up steam locomotive and a collection of track and some freight cars. From that collection I found one locomotive, a Virginia & Truckee Railroad Genoa 4-4-0 which required repairs and restoration, and it showed me that these trains can be repaired, refurbished, and restored to operational condition for many more years of enjoyment by model railroad enthusiasts...without having to pay hundreds of dollars for the newer models. Since then, I have searched for damaged, non-functional steam locomotives of the 2-4-0 and 4-4-0 configurations to repair and restore. In this way, I honor my father and attempt to pass on his love for model railroading to others who search for these vintage locomotives. Most of the time, I offer up completed, fully restored locomotives, but sometimes there comes a point where I just run out of parts. Most of the ones I acquire are salvageable, but those that aren't become parts to restore the others, combined with parts I acquire from places like Precision Scale Company (PSC). However, due to these vintage locomotives being from the 1970's and 1980's, sometimes it's hard to find enough of them, so I'm offering up some of these locomotives as either parts pieces for others who restore locomotives OR for someone who has the parts needed to get this train back on the tracks again! So what are you getting? The Virginia & Truckee Railroad JW Bowker is a 2-4-0 design released by Rivarossi. This version is a popular design for its simplicity. Normally, I try to mate each locomotive with a working tender car, but unfortunately, I didn't have any so...this auction is for the JW Bowker locomotive portion only. However, rather than putting it up 'As-Is', I made every effort to repair and refurbish the locomotive as best as possible. When I received this piece, it was in rough shape. Luckily, the front pilot (cow-catcher) was not part of the damage and was largely intact. The left side end piece is cracked and the next one is slightly bent in but not cracked. The rest of the pilot is intact and straight, so it makes this one of the better versions I've dealt with. In addition, this one was the higher-end version, which meant that the features like the domes, air-brake canisters and railings were all brass / metal rather than the plastic versions. They were dull and needed buffing to return them to their original shine. The front rim around the front of the lantern was present and covered with a plastic lens. The smokestack was present and the front boiler plate was attached. Sadly, the compressor between the two domes atop the boiler was smashed so I had to remove it, making it the only part that really needs to be replaced to make this locomotive ready to use. The right-side step beneath the Engineering cabin was snapped, so I filed it down. The left one is present. All of the metal parts have been buffed to return the shine to them, the axles have been cleaned to improve contact with the tracks and ensure good electrical current when in use. I lubricated the gear and cleaned off all dirt and grime. All screws and bolts were checked and tightened and I took it apart to clean the interior gear and buff out any dirt, dust and grim from use. Once it was reassembled, I tested it and it did respond when mated with a functioning tender car (sorry, not included). All you need (besides the compressor piece) is a functioning motorized tender car...and a drive shaft. Whether you want to use this locomotive as a rebuild for your own collection, use it as a source of parts OR use it as a display piece in your railyard while functional trains pass it by, the choice is up to you. I've done everything I can to restore it as far as I can with the parts I have. What you decide to do with it now, is up to you. Shipping will be via US Ground Advantage to keep costs down. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I have other similar locomotives which I will release, so if you have a 2-4-0 or 4-4-0 design you're looking for, stay tuned...you might see it listed soon!

Price: 24.99 USD

Location: Toledo, Ohio

End Time: 2025-01-17T19:06:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD