Victoria B.C.: The BOWMAN ROCKET!! - my circa 1928 live steam Bowman 265 runs fast and well!

Not bad for an engineering the late 1920s!
Bowman engines were simple things that were much less expensive than Bassett-Lowke live steam locomotives. They were made for boys (and their dads) and so what they lacked in details and finesse they made up for in being tough and reliable.
While my Bassett-Lowke is not fine scale it is at least built to proper O scale proportions. Bowman’s two biggest engines, including the 265, were dimensionally closer to 1 gauge but run on 0 gauge track. This makes them too heavy to run at too much speed on tight curves.
They sort of look like narrow gauge engines with their 1 gauge-like bodies riding on 0 gauge track. The large bodies do provide for bigger boilers so run times are good. However, the fuel tank is also proportionally large so they go through quite a bit of methylated spirits (methyl hydrate, otherwise known as wood alcohol). Happily I get large containers of methyl hydrate cheap. It is primarily used as a gas line antifreeze.
The train is running on 32 mm gauge track. Many people call this SM32.
Cheers!

[@johnlazar7582]

You have some great steamers Terry!

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Cobi]

Thanks John. This Bowman is tricky to operate. Lol.

[@johnlazar7582]

@Terry’s Live Steam, Trains & Cobi! It was going so fast, I was afraid it was going to leave the rails;)

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Cobi]

@@johnlazar7582 the only way to slow it is to cap wicks and/or add more weight behind it. It has zero controls. Lol

[@munkeyWITHbeard]

Super nice, I love those old Bowman's just satisfying simplicity and the 180 degree cranks give that iconic manic exhaust beat

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Cobi]

Very manic. You have to work hard to kill the things too!

[@warrior3456_]

neat

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Cobi]

Thanks!