Arbour Models 2-8-4

[Morpar]

I was just at my local hobby shop and saw an Arbour Models 2-8-4 on the consignment shelf. The loco is painted as Southern 2716, but it doesn't run. It has a short somewhere in the drivers, the ownwer thinks maybe the geared one. He has a spare to go with it, so repair may not be too hard. The price on it is $50.00. I don't know much about the Arbour stuff, other than they don't seem to be made any more. Is this worth $50.00, or should I look away? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Morpar

[dknelson]

Arbour had a very ambitious catalog of steam engine kits in metal -- some of them large articulated, some very small old fashioned steam. Maybe mid 1970s to late 1970s? Some were announced but perhaps not produced. I bought some parts to detail an AHM Berkshire and thought the parts were good but not great quality. As I recall there were some problems with how the kit parts would fit together and a lot of people had trouble making their Arbour models actually run. I think Bowser bought the dies but has never put any of them into production would should tell you something
Unless you are an inveterate tinkerer I think I'd let this collectors item sit on the shelf
Dave Nelson

[nfmisso]

I second Dave's comments. They actually offered all of the kits that appeared in Walthers in the late '70's/early '80's.

Arbour's biggest problem is poor metalurgy, they will crumble. The detailing varied from excellent to awful. The running characteristics were - lets say they are best left on the display shelf.

If you want a static Berkshire model, find one of the old Hobbyline kits, they have been going for $10-20 on ebay.

If you want an operating Berk, wait for the P2K model.

Nigel

[dknelson]

Nigel -- some of us (maybe you too?) are old enough to remember when those unpowered Hobbyline Berkshires sold for about $2. And an outfit in Canada made a power unit for it that was also reasonably priced. The Hobbyline PRR 0-4-0 was another inexpensive (unpowered) kit that was often modified to fit over a Mantua chassis. The Hobbyline freight cars were ultra cheap as well -- a friend of mine still runs a nicely painted and lettered one on his layout.
Dave Nelson

[nfmisso]

Hi Dave;

I first ran accross Hobbyline stuff at a hobby store in CT in the mid '80s. I purchased a Berk, and a couple more off ebay, then sold them when my interested focused tighter.

They are exceptionally well detailed models.

I just purchased all the 1959 MR mags, and have seen several ads by Sims Engineering for a drive for the Hobbyline Berk.

I was born in 1960.

Nigel

[dknelson]

Sims Engineering was the name I was thinking of for the power unit. At the time it was said to be exceptionally quiet and smooth. Sometime in the late 1960s there was an ad in MR by an outfit that had located a large unsold supply of the Sims powering units in a warehouse -- by that time the Hobbyline shell was of course no longer available at retail.
Dave Nelson