Old 4mm Loco Kits - Pro-scale

[30368]

I am now in the process of packing up my "workshop" ready for the move to Buxton which looks like being 2nd December.

 

Having said that I could not resist buying two very secondhand Pro-scale kits from Hattons. They were very reasonably priced and whilst a previous owner(s) had started building the kit with, perhaps, a lack of experience or guidance, they are pretty good. I know nothing about this manufacturer, they are for a V2 2-6-2 and an A4 4-6-2 (LNER again!). They do not have any instructions so if anyone can scan and post I would be very grateful. They do come with wheels and the A4 also has a motor and gearbox too although that will have to be replaced.

 

I don't intend to build these for a while but they will be interesting projects.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[Bucoops]

The V2 has a bit of a reputation as being very hard to build - reference a BRM article by Tony Wright a while back. I have no personal experience of either however.

 

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by Bucoops

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Bucoops said:

The V2 has a bit of a reputation as being very hard to build - reference a BRM article by Tony Wright a while back. I have no personal experience of either however.

 

 

 

Ah yes - I believe Mr Proscale threw his toys right out of his cot after reading the review and jacked the whole game in.  Other pro kitbuilders (including Mr. PDK?) also had similar issues.

[micklner]

There are some more  on ebay at the moment. Price is low with little interest at the moment !!

[Pebbles]

The problem with the V2 firebox is very much an old chestnut. From memory, the problem was first pointed up by the late Ron Goult - he of "Little Engines"- in the September/October issue of "Practical Model Railways". I remember buying the magazine whilst on holiday in Aldeburgh. From conversations I had Mr Proscale had already decided to quit before the Steve Barnfield/Tony Wright articles appeared.

[30368]

 

Thanks all for the information guys. I will seek further advice from all you guru's when I start the build!

 

I have had a brief look at the V2 firebox and I can see where there are possible problems. The profile of the firebox does not fit the the running plate curvature. That is correct to prototype in that the firebox etch is of the firebox cladding sheets. I think I can see a way around it though. Will order the appropriate Isinglass drawing. Looking forward to the challenge!

 

23 hours ago, micklner said:

There are some more  on ebay at the moment. Price is low with little interest at the moment !!

 

Oh no Mick have a bought a "pup"!!! It was a very cheap purchase!

 

Re - Little Engines - Some years ago I built a Q1 kit and the result is very good - can't speak for all their kits but the Q1 is very good and true to prototype.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

 

[Barclay]

My experience of their Robinson '04' 2-8-0 was that it is an eminently buildable kit with 'issues' - I would recommend getting the appropriate Isinglass drawing before you start.

[great central]

I picked up a V2 kit at last year's Manchester show (is it really less than a year ago?) for the princely sum of £20 including wheels.

It's joined the great pile of projects or, more likely, my son's inheritance as I currently have absolutely no interest in building or working on anything model railway related.

[dibateg]

The V2 will build up quite nicely, as long as you are prepared to tinker with it. The main issue was the firebox development, which was not symmetrical. The other thing to check is the the length of the boiler, as the two V2's I had looked slightly nose heavy. I've not built one myself, but I remember Allen Hammett building three at in one go... A good drawing is essential....

 

Best Regards

Tony

[Blandford1969]

Jumping on this thread, what were experiences of the B1 - ok or one to shift as there is one in my pile

[hayfield]

On 14/11/2020 at 15:55, 30368 said:

I am now in the process of packing up my "workshop" ready for the move to Buxton which looks like being 2nd December.

 

Having said that I could not resist buying two very secondhand Pro-scale kits from Hattons. They were very reasonably priced and whilst a previous owner(s) had started building the kit with, perhaps, a lack of experience or guidance, they are pretty good. I know nothing about this manufacturer, they are for a V2 2-6-2 and an A4 4-6-2 (LNER again!). They do not have any instructions so if anyone can scan and post I would be very grateful. They do come with wheels and the A4 also has a motor and gearbox too although that will have to be replaced.

 

I don't intend to build these for a while but they will be interesting projects.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

Richard

 

I have never built any Pro-Scale models and only a couple of etched kits (I am a whitemetal fan) but part of the fun is overcoming issues during the build. I assume this make is one of the better ones and the issue with the V2 is much the same as similar kits from other companies. Sometimes our expectations are a bit higher than they should be, or we expect all parts to fall together.

 

Good luck 

[Blandford1969]

You could ask Tony if he has a pattern for the firebox. Alternatively if not you could download the instructions for the Finney V2 now sold by Brassmasters and that would help you to make a pattern. 

[Pebbles]

9 minutes ago, Blandford1969 said:

You could ask Tony if he has a pattern for the firebox. Alternatively if not you could download the instructions for the Finney V2 now sold by Brassmasters and that would help you to make a pattern. 

It's quite simple, unfold the firebox etch and trace the outline, then invert the etch and after locating over the initial tracing trace the inverted outline using a different colour. It will then become clear where the discrepancy lies. Take the larger of the combined outlines as your pattern.  

[30368]

4 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

 

Richard

 

I have never built any Pro-Scale models and only a couple of etched kits (I am a whitemetal fan) but part of the fun is overcoming issues during the build. I assume this make is one of the better ones and the issue with the V2 is much the same as similar kits from other companies. Sometimes our expectations are a bit higher than they should be, or we expect all parts to fall together.

 

Good luck 

 

John,

 

Thanks for your comments and encouragement. I build whitemetal and brass kits and both approaches have their pluses and minuses. I really enjoy the challenge of building any kit. Both these are a bit knocked about and tarnished but they were very cheap and I am certain they will build into great representations of the prototypes.

Surely part of the pleasure of our hobby is overcoming problems and finishing up with something that we are proud to say "I built that"?

It will be a month or two before I start!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[30368]

Thanks all - the suggestions are all appreciated and welcomed.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[hayfield]

Richard

 

Thanks and I totally agree, its a model making hobby, and for many if there were no challenges involved it would be very boring, looking forward to an interesting read

 

By the way, I bought a Southeastern Finecast A4 recently, part built with drivers for £40. I don't model the LNER but I love the look of the loco. Getting the chassis working properly is my fear/goal

[dibateg]

Blandford - the B1: - I'm trying to remember back a few years here, I think the early B1 kit had a brass boiler, which appeared to be the correct size. Later kits had a whitemetal boiler If I recall correctly and that was over scale. Best to ditch that and make up a new brass boiler.

 

Going back to the V2, at the time the only alternative was the Nu Cast kit ( discounting the Eames basic cut  out brass parts  )  . So the Proscale was regarded as superior as the etched brass created a crisper model than the whitemetal one. 

 

Regards

Tony

[Michael Edge]

19 hours ago, Blandford1969 said:

Jumping on this thread, what were experiences of the B1 - ok or one to shift as there is one in my pile

The boiler in the B1 kit was too big in diameter. I've built many of the other Proscale kits with no great problems - the V2 errors are well known but correctable , the A4 is OK, the P2 was probably the best of them.

[Blandford1969]

2 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

The boiler in the B1 kit was too big in diameter. I've built many of the other Proscale kits with no great problems - the V2 errors are well known but correctable , the A4 is OK, the P2 was probably the best of them.

Thanks, that then makes it easily fixable at least. 

[Pebbles]

I'm a bit hazy on this, but didn't Proscale produce both cast and etched boiler versions of their B1?

[30368]

As I was packing up the loco's I could not resist giving my very old "Little Engines" Q1 built many years ago but still a good runner and it don't look too bad, in a coffee pot way, either.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B