Early loco model kits?

[Preston Pilot 47472]

Does any forum member know of any 00 models - ready to run or kits - of early style locomotives with inside cylinders and large bell-shaped fireboxes, eg Lion, Coppernob, FR no. 20, etc. similar to pic attached.

[bramleyman]

I can remember Airfix producing loco kits, and somewhere in my garage, I have an almost built City of Truro. I just never got to finish it, as I have moved so many times.

[62440]

I remember messrs Keyser's, better known as "K's Kits" did a metal kit for Lion back in the '70's.

Going off on a slight tangent this may be of interest to some members. http://www.kitmaster.org.uk/Locomotives.htm

Regards, 62440.

[Tony]

Scrolling through the Kitmaster models brought back quite a few memories, I built all the British locos at one time or another. My favourite was the Schools although I was a dyed in the wool Midland enthusiast. I tried to motorise a couple but they never worked well.

[Preston Pilot 47472]

Thanks for the replies lads. Looks like I'm on to a bit of a no-hoper. Surely, there must be a niche here in the model market for an early type loco. The only other one I can think of is Hornby's Rocket, which I understand, is quite a collector's item these days.
Re the Kitmaster and Airfix kits, I think many of us of a certain age must have had a go at these models. Before a production model came into existence I motorised the Airfix L&Y Pug and it just about had enough power to pull a single mineral wagon! The kits were that cheap that I even stuck two Pugs together and attempted to make a Fairlie type loco out of them, now that would have been a prototype to have seen.
I remember a series of articles in the Railway Modeller during the 1960s of converting the City of Truro into a DukeDog.
There were some nice Kitmaster models which never got into the Airfix range, eg the Princess Coronation and the Beyer Garrett; I would have loved to have modelled those two kits. Although, I did have a model of a Royal Scot in TT gauge, anyone remember that one?
Thanks for the nostalgia.

[62440]

A few from my Kitmaster collection, with a couple of Airfix that have sneaked in.

[Preston Pilot 47472]

The Kitmaster Stirling Single model looks neat, I'd like to see one of those in production. I don't recall it ever appearing in the Airfix range, maybe the mould was "cream crackered" and Airfix didn't feel it was worth having it retooled.
I think the design of locomotives by the early pioneers were brilliant, they're all so individualistic, just a shame that this period has been overlooked by the model manufacturers.

[Madcaravanner]

Originally Posted by Preston Pilot 47472

I did have a model of a Royal Scot in TT gauge, anyone remember that one?
Thanks for the nostalgia.

TT or 3mm is actually on the comeback trail by some companies as it offers a better scale track width and is much more compact but biggerthan 2mm (N gauge)

[2E0BLL]

Dapol are still doing the old Airfix and Kitmaster kits- http://dapol.co.uk/index.php?route=p..._62_155&page=1

[Tony]

I never realised that so many of the old Kitmaster models were still being produced by Dapol. I think there is a distinct possibility that I shall build a few for display purposes in the near future. Back 60 years to the days of my youth !