Plastic kits?

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi all,

Has anyone made a list of all the plastic paddlesteamer kits that are (or were) available? It would be interesting to see which ones would be suitable for conversion to radio control....

Regards
Eddy

[Talisman]

Hi Eddy,
I remember as a kid I was given a plastic model of Medway Queen.
I'm not sue if it was a kit or ready made... must only have been about 10cm long but I spent many happy hours in the bath trying to sink the thing … remember I was only about 6 or so years old …. 30 odd years later the challenge is trying to keep them above water…

I'd be interested to hear what kits have been produced .. but probably sadend by why they don't remain popular...

Regards,
Kim

[TailUK]

The "Medway Queen" kit was from Scalecraft and was a snap together toy.  There's one for sale on Fleabay at the moment.
The classic construction kits would be Lindberg's "Robert E Lee" and Aurora's "Harriett Lane"

[Brian Gates]

I suspect that Revell's 1:160 Goethe, at only 1/2 metre long, would be a bit topheavy to make a working model?

If I ever get my n gauge Rhine valley layout finished though, this model will have to feature.

Regards

Brian

[scotfriend]

Do not forget the AIRFIX kit of the paddle engine, it will not float but it is part of the paddle steamer history.

Regards Hans.

[tonyh]

The new owners of Lindberg (Round2) have re-released quite a few of the old kits this year. Paddler ones are Fultons Claremont, Civil War Blockade Runner and the sternwheeler Southern Belle.
I can only find them in the US yet and quite expensive p&p.

http://www.round2models.com/models/lindberg

[Brian Gates]

Cornwall Model Boats list the Lindberg Robert E Lee: http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/lindberg.html

Regards
Brian

[Walter Snowdon]

Heres a few more off the top of my head.

REVELL. Great eastern. A fairly large kit capable of motorising if you use small gear. (paddles pretty useless- need to make simpler wheels OR let them freewheel and use the screw propeller. (Keep the weight of the rigging down)
REVELL. GOETHE (already mentioned) the hull is miniscule - wouldn't float the upper works never mind carry batteries etc!
AIRFIX. Great Western. Quite a large hull easily capable of working. (Ive seen it done very successfully). Again, simplify paddles and add an external keel.
A Japanese company Name escapes me produced a super large kit Of the USS Susquehanna side wheel paddle frigate (Flag ship of the first US official visit to Japan. This is a large plastic kit - dwarfs all the others and makes a super motorised model . Again, I have seen this built and working in fairly rough conditions. Kit not available for some years.
LINDBURG. The afore mentioned kits PLUS a two masted side wheel civil war revenue cutter the HARRIET LANE. A nice, though rather crude kit from the fifties which Lindburg keep releasing under the names of totally different ships!. Currently on release as a BLOCKADE RUNNER (unnamed). THis kit has been released by several other companies under licence including KLEEWARE in the UK (about 60 years ago - shows the age of these lindberg moulds!
 ZVEVDA. A large kit of the cunard sidewheeler (first to cross atlantic under steam power all the way). there are several differences between the ship and the kit and the wheels are quite large. Good big hull capable of taking standard size radio gear. Detail is crude but has a lot of character. (I think the moulds was made by HELLER in france for a Russian company as it has been around for quite a few years). If I think of any more I will post them Regards, Walter

[Walter Snowdon]

Its coming back to me! There is some doubt as to who originated the SUSQUEHANNA kit! I am certain it was IMAE in Japan, but the same model has also been released under the banners of AOSHIMA (Japan) and MONOGRAM (USA). So take your pick! I know the kit is bringing silly money on Ebay. Regards, Walter.

[tonyh]

Walter, you mentioned the possibility of making a sucessful conversion to the Airfix Great Western in your earlier post. In the Model Boats magazine January 2010, Dr Marcus Rooks, details a conversion of this kit. Looks worth giving a try, the only problem is every time a decent one appears on ebay, they go for more than I would like to pay for a plastic kit.

No reason why Airfix shouldn't re-release this one again at some time in the future, research shows the mould isn't on the lost moulds list.

Airfix have recently re-released their kit of the 1827 Maudslay's Paddle Engine - kit number is A08870.

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks guys, I thought this thread had died long ago! Good to see some of you trying to add to the list....

If anyone happens to spot a plastic kit that would be suitable for R/c, please PM or email me with details - I'd like to get a couple if possible!

Regards
Eddy

[Walter Snowdon]

Second attempt at this message.( first disappeared when Eddys message came in!). TheZvevda kit is of the PS Sirius moulds definitely produced by Heller in France many years ago. (Released under a couple of names there before moulds went to Russia). Hence mouldings a bit crude in places. Incidental, Paramount films produced a good film about the Sirius crossing called RULERS OF THE SEA starring Douglas Fairbanks jnr and Margaret Lockwood. They used a superb full hull working model about 30 to 40 foot long and I think the Zvevda kit is based on that. ( plenty of stills on the net and if you search the film under DVD on ebay there is a super photo of the two models used in the film on very large low loaders. Eddy, if you can find one, the Imai kit of the Susguehanna is your best bet. From memory about 28-30 inches long. Saw one at South Shields three years ago - very impressive. Regards, Walter

[Walter Snowdon]

Sorry to hog thise theme but a Full size replica of sirius WAS built and used for this film some super stills can be found on www.maritimequest.com search forPS Sirius and you will find some super actionshots of her (plus  there are a lot of other paddlers on this site.Wonder what happened to the replica and model?.Regards, Walter.

[Walter Snowdon]

further to the plastic kits - the Blockade Runner kit is now available in the UK at about £39. There are one or two articles on the internet with some good photographs and google has one photograph of a model afloat. The Cleremont will be available in the states later this month. As originaly released it had a working steam engine driving the paddles via a hidden Mabuchi motor and worm gear. whilst a very primitive kit it will detail quite nicely and there is room under the deck for small radio gear. The blockade runner kit was originaly marketed as the US revenue cutter HARRIET LANE. A search under both names with the prefix lindberg should bring up a number of pictures including unmade kit. Regards, Walter.

[tonyh]

Came across another plastic kit converted to r/c in the July 2011 Model Boats magazine. Dr Marcus Rooks converts a Revell USS Kearsarge kit into the US Revenue Cutter, Harriet Lane. Quite detailed as the Kearsarge is prop driven and for the conversion paddle wheels are made from scratch. A very interesting item to read.

The Kearsarge is a larger kit than the Lindberg Harriet Lane kit mentioned above by Walter.