Unboxing the Victory

 

My job presents endless temptations. When interviewing the guys from Planet Industrials a few years ago, they told us about their first RTR locomotive, and I was so tempted, I jumped on the pre-orders as soon as they opened. 

One of my favourite locos in the fleet is my ex-LMS Dock Tank. A big 0-6-0 with a short wheelbase, there's something very purposeful about it. In the industrial world, Kerr Stuart's "Victory" class has a very similar aesthetic. 

Anyway, the model arrived last week. I had thought about an unboxing video, but th workbench/studio area is a mess as I'm still fiddling with the Garden Rail Peckett. So it's photos, and no squealing comentary. 

Inside the very nice cardboard box, the loco lives in the usual plastic clamshell pack, although this one has added foam, presumably for improved survival in transit. There's also a sheet of prototype information, side plan and explanation of the contents of the details pack. 

The loco is wrapped in polythene. Seperate etched builders plates are includes plus a selection of sandboxes, toolboes and steps for customisation of your model. Basically, those bits we used to buy as spares to add to our RTR years ago. 

Given a dose of 9V battery power, the loco moves very smoothly - I'll give it a proper run one day, but at least I know it works. Mind you, the NP team have checked every model before shipping, so there are no worries on that front. 

When faced with the list of liveries on offer, I plumped for the lined grey. It's different to anything else I own, and since I don't have a layout lined up for it, picking the most attractive, makes sense. The model looks and feels quality, and I'm very happy with my choice.

One day, there will be some weathering, and a crew, but for the moment I'll just enjoy looking. 

You can see the full range on the Narrow Planet website.