Bowser Manufacturing

Lore & Background

Bill Sheldon Bowser was born in Hancock, Ohio, in 1914. While working as a machinist at the Naval Ordinance Plant in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1944, a friend asked him to produce HO scale hobby parts, sparking his interest. Bowser acquired the inventory of spare parts from a company called Knapp that produced a popular steam locomotive kit, paying off a debt to obtain the parts. After discovering many key parts were not made to scale and had manufacturing defects, Bowser relocated his family to California in 1946 to launch his own model railroad manufacturing business. He acquired additional machinery and the molds for the Knapp steam locomotive before leaving Indiana. Unable to find a suitable facility, he purchased land and began constructing a small factory in Redlands. While developing finely detailed brass castings for his model, a contractor used the wrong type of plaster for the masters, creating poor quality parts. Donald Acheson became Bowser's silent partner, providing working capital to put the kit into production. The first ads for Bowser's 4-8-2 Mountain HO scale steam locomotive kit appeared in Model Railroader in 1948. Design flaws in the electric motor led Bowser to redesign it from scratch, calling it the 'Supermotor.' A new 4-6-2 Pacific based on New York Central Railroad class K-11 locomotives was put into production in 1951, using zamac castings instead of brass to lower cost. Bowser's most ambitious project was a HO scale model of the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger, created from actual blueprints using an early mechanical calculator. Manufacturing issues depleted finances, and Bowser accepted contract work to pay for production. In 1955, Acheson forced Bowser out of the company via a buyout clause. Bowser then established Bowser Precision Products, leasing back his old factory from Acheson. After a successful engineering career, he retired to Arizona and was inducted into the Model Railroad Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2003. He died on December 11, 2009.

Reader's Guide

Bowser Manufacturing's significance for the model railroad community lies in both its own original products and those originally produced by other companies that it later acquired. The company originated one of the first lines of accurately scaled steam locomotive kits in HO scale, beginning with the 4-8-2 Mountain and later the K-11 Pacific and the Challenger. These models set Bowser apart from other manufacturers of the day. After the English family took ownership in 1961 and moved the company to Montoursville, Pennsylvania, Bowser expanded through a series of acquisitions that added significant product lines and tooling. These included Penn Line Manufacturing's steam locomotive models based on Pennsylvania Railroad designs, Pennsylvania Scale Models' electric trolleys, Cal Scale's lost-wax brass detail parts, Cary Locomotive Works' diesel and steam locomotive bodies, the Menzies line of freight car kits, Arbor Models, Delaware Valley Car Company (which brought N scale production), and Stewart Hobbies. The company also acquired products originally made by Varney and Pittman motors. Bowser continues to produce model railroad locomotives, cars, kits, and a wide selection of parts directed at the serious model railroad enthusiast.

Did You Know?

• The first Bowser steam locomotive kit, a 4-8-2 Mountain, was advertised in Model Railroader in 1948.
• Bowser's 4-6-6-4 Challenger model was created from actual Union Pacific Railroad blueprints using an early mechanical calculator.
• The company has acquired the product lines of Penn Line Manufacturing, Varney, Cary, and Pittman motors.