Early last month, Bowser received the first trolley poles from its new supplier, DongGuan Manufactory. This supplier replaces the supplier, AFFA, lost in 2018. Because of the restrictions on travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bowser trolley team could not visit China but had to use trusted personnel already in China to help with the transfer of molds and drawings. The team last visited China in early 2019 and made arrangements to keep the transfer to the new supplier moving swiftly. These trolley poles will be used on the new Kansas City all-electric PCC that should be seen in 2022.
The new supplier is very improvement oriented and when given the older poles fabricated in the former AFFA facility. he made some very good upgrades, the most noticeable in the pole pivot, part #12508. The next photo shows the older #12508 next to the new #12508. Both have the same 1mm diameter hole for the trolley pole but the thickness of the pivot has been lessened to permit a smaller hole in the roof.
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The 2009 version of the trolley pole pivot, part #12508 at left with the new 2021 version at right.
The major effect is a smaller hole required in the roof of the trolley model. |
The 2021 newer, thinner #12508 was compared to the older, 2009 version with the following results:
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2009 version
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2021 version
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| Total length (mm) |
9.65 mm |
9.55mm |
| Barrel thickness (mm) |
1.96 mm
|
1.52mm
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| Collar Diameter |
3.1 mm
|
3.2 mm
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| Interior Shaft Opening |
1.0 mm |
1.0 mm |
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In the left photo:
1. Left: 2021 version of the Bowser 12600 trolley pole with 2009 #12508 pivot.
2. Center: 2009 version of the Bowser 12600 trolley pole with the 2021 #12508 pivot.
3. Right: Miniatures by Eric HT-P2 trolley pole
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When Bowser Manufacturing realized in 2008 that they had to upgrade the old Pennsylvania Scale Models trolley pole that they had been using with their original four metal-bodied trolley cars, they approached Eric Courtney (Miniatures by Eric) of Alberta, Canada, about his HT-P2 trolley pole which also used a 1.0mm pin base. Eric was fabricating and marketing four different versions of HO scale trolley poles all of which were using the 1.0 mm pin base. Eric sent Bowser examples of his HT-P2 poles and allowed Bowser to use his design.
Custom Traxx makes the Bowser 12508 pivots available with all four of the Miniatures by Eric HO scale trolley poles.
Note: We just learned from Bowser Manufacturing that we can expect their new HO scale ex-Kansas City PCC car in the summer of 2022.
