4-vep Opinions?

[Dog Star]

Peter Clark Models offers a 7mm kit for the 4-VEP, see here. As the kit originated with MMP then one might expect that the contents can be constructed into an accurate and detailed representation of the prototype. OK - who has built one? What do you think of the accuracy? of the ease of construction (or otherwise)? of the quality of parts?

I am interested in comments relating to the updated kit from Peter Clark rather than the original kit as supplied by MMP.

Thank you, Graham Beare

 

[Pennine MC]

Can't help Graham, but I can't resist observing that it's not every forum where a 4VEP thread can go for 24 hours without a post being made

 

[Dog Star]

And being in Blue does not seem to matter.

BTW - where would you post the question?

 

[28ten]

It looks quite a nice kit, but other than that I cant be much help and as we all know looking quite nice and being buildable are two different things...... I believe Mike Cole build the PLV, AFAIK it was ok
Im really not sure but, I think one of the 4mm rtr lot has done one (Dapol?) and it is either good or bad but im not sure which

 

[Dog Star]

I think one of the 4mm rtr lot has done one....

Look here, Guv'nor.... us S7 types are having enough of a problem in getting them P4 / S4 boys to move to S7 when they feel the need to embrace 7mm modelling without having to explain how to get two RTR "00" models to run side by side on 33mm track.

 

[Pugsley]

If it's a DJP creation, I should think it was quite buildable. Peter Clark is going to be at Bristol and normally has one on display on the stand, I'm sure he'll let you have a good old look at it.

 

[Dog Star]

Thank you Martin, we looked at the stand model at Reading last December. As the Guv'nor points out, good looks does not mean either accuracy or easy to build. Puzzled as to why there is no "build experience" coming through the forum - surely someone has built one?
regards, Graham

 

[28ten]

It is a fairly niche product, I don't know any 7mm 3rd rail modellers ... I wonder how many actually get built?

 

[djparkins]

Thank you Martin, we looked at the stand model at Reading last December. As the Guv'nor points out, good looks does not mean either accuracy or easy to build. Puzzled as to why there is no "build experience" coming through the forum - surely someone has built one?
regards, Graham

Of course its an absoloutely fantastic kit!!! Sorry - couldn't resist that.

Well I sold 1 VEP & 3 CIG kits before I sold them on!!!! I made my money from from selling them to another mfr. I don't know if any more have ever been sold or built. I did an incomplete test build - which means a test assembly of every different item to check the fit and no more & then trashed it as I do all my 'as far as I need to go' test builds.

As for detail - unless the kit has been dumbed down there are well over 1000 parts for the four coaches. Does that make it an easy build probably not but then why everything has to be easy to build these days is mystery to an old dinosaur like me. Certainly not a kit for beginners.

As to current quality - a lot would depend on who is currently doing the castings - there are lots of them and very fine in many cases - such as heating elements x 48 as I recall - and how well the bodies & roofs are formed.

If you dont like our current Mk.1 kits - you probably won't like these. Hope that fills in some gaps for you.

There was a completed CIG kit running on the West Sussex GOG layout I saw - maybe 19 years ago!!!

Regards,

David Parkins,
Modern Motive Power

 

[28ten]

Maybe I could have chosen a better phrase an easy build to me is one where no matter how many parts, each part fits properly with the next without requiring either replacement or a tube of filler. In my experience being the only faithful replica doesnt nescessarily make for an easy build........

 

[Old Buffer]

Graham,
If you look on the guild forum (my workbench) a bloke called Ian (Lancastrian) has built a Peter Clark 4EPB, may be worth getting in touch with him.
Alan

 

[Dog Star]

Graham,
If you look on the guild forum (my workbench) a bloke called Ian (Lancastrian) has built a Peter Clark 4EPB, may be worth getting in touch with him.
Alan

Thank you for the thought. I asked about the VEP because that is the model which interested my son.... whilst I shall look at the EPB article to see what is said about castings there may be very little crossover between the two kits as the VEP was designed / produced intially by MMP and I think that the EPB was not one of the MMP products.

regards, Graham

 

[Dog Star]

I did an incomplete test build - which means a test assembly of every different item to check the fit and no more & then trashed it as I do all my 'as far as I need to go' test builds.

As to current quality - a lot would depend on who is currently doing the castings - there are lots of them and very fine in many cases - such as heating elements x 48 as I recall - and how well the bodies & roofs are formed.

Thank you for responding and I am pleased to read that you did a test assembly of the kit as was produced by MMP. If the kit was a current production by MMP then I would not pose the questions as in my initial post to this topic. Unless someone has an un-opened 4-VEP kit in a MMP box for sale - and your post suggests that idea to be remote - then the current offering is a Peter Clark kit and as Peter Clark Models refers to an updated kit then the questions are fair game.

I acknowledge your point about castings and that is a good reason to ask for opinions on the current kit.

As for detail - unless the kit has been dumbed down there are well over 1000 parts for the four coaches. Does that make it an easy build probably not but then why everything has to be easy to build these days is mystery to an old dinosaur like me. Certainly not a kit for beginners.
Regards, David Parkins

Maybe I could have phrased my query differently. The number of parts is not a concern per se; however if those parts are difficult to assemble then that difficulty may be a significant concern to me.

thank you for contributing to this topic, Graham

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Graham,

as the Guv. said earlier, I have built two of Peter Clark's MLVs and they went together quite well - after all of the bits became available - they are his own kits. As far as VEPs are concerned, have a look on the Easybuild website - there is a video of a set which were converted from Mk 1s - they were at Telford last year and quite look the part, although a lot of work is involved. It might be a good idea to have a chat with Peter Clark at Bristol, to see how he is getting on with the kit.

cheers

Mike

 

[Dog Star]

Maybe 'cos it's called WESTERN Thunder...??!!??

That is SOO unkind - I just hope that the other inhabitants of Area 51 treate you fairly when you get demoted to a cushion in the corner.

regards, Graham

 

[Dog Star]

Thank you to all respondents - the summary is clearly "Caveat Emptor".

 

[iploffy]

Better than the dunces cap and board rubber Eh mate, can't see what was wrong with the 3rd rail mesself as long as it's down south and not around here, cable thefts would soon diminish