Acme/college models rebuilt patriot (or is it?)

I've just received an Acme loco kit via ebay from Rails. It claims to be of a rebuilt patriot but I'm not sure you could actually make one from it as it has the deeper jubilee cab. I suspect its actually designed to build one of the two jubilees built with 2a boilers similar to the rebuilt Scots and patriots. Interestingly it contains casting for both rebuilt engines and original jubilees. All very confusing. The kit itself actually looks pretty reasonable. Wharever it is I didn't pay a lot for it.

 

Here are the etches

 

I think I may invest in a copy. The instructions are quite thorough in explaining a lot of the differences there are 3 different diagrams. One for a rebuilt patriot, rebuilt jubilee and one for an original jubilee. A lot of the etches are marked for all 3 plus royal scot lol. There are both wheelbase boggies but only the deeper cab sides. There's a full.set of castings for both a jubilee and another for the rebuilt locos. The boiler supplied is a 2a for the rebuilt locos despite the fact the kit includes castings for a smaller 3a boilered single chimney jubilee as well as those for the rebuilt locos. Interestingly the tender is actually a jim harris design while the loco is a college models kit. I'd actually.prefer a model of an original jubilee but I'd have to trim the boiler etches so they roll smaller. I'm insure of the exact side. The safest and simplest thing would be to build either comet or phoenix as the parts supplied cover everything I'd need formthe two rebuilt jubilees

 

This kit actually looks reasonably good. The main problem is that the acme rebuilt patriot kit isn't what it says it is. The rebuilt Patriots had shallow cabs where the footplate didn't quite line up with the tender. This kit has a deeper cab and footplate which means its actually a rebuilt jubilee. There where only ever 2 jubilees rebuilt. The tender is a jim harris design. I guess it comes from the acme 8f which is one of Jim's kits. The loco is a college models etching and actually looks good.

 

Ive just picked up another one of these from Ebay minus the tender etches but with a full set of wheels and a motor/gearbox. i paid less than the price of a set of slaters wheels so the loco etches & castings are a bonus. i planned on building one as intended and then converting the other to an original jubilee by scratchbuilding the boiler or 3d printing one. the 1st kit i bought contained two complete sets of castings for a jubilee and a rebuilt patriot which was a bonus and would make this much simpler. There is one problem though. ..... The tender and bogie wheels are Stanier pattern and suitable for both locos but unfortunately the drivers are original fowler royal scot design and not suitable for a jubilee or patriot. its one of those things that if you didn't know you would not notice as they are the same diameter. when you do know it becomes glaringly obvious. oh well you win some and you loose some. i now need two sets of stanier drivers and a royal scot to use the drivers i have on i guess.

 

absolutley. got some wheels, a motor and basically a free loco kit.

 

That would be great info to know. I'm unsure which locos I will model although they will share the same tender till I can get another.

 

things get even more curious. I havent had chance to post photos but will in due course.

The second kit ive bought is identical to the 1st except that the chassis frames are different. the cutouts for the cab footplate are slightly shallower than the 1st kit. the front frames protrude slighlty more too. wheelbase is identical. looking at photos i have of the preserved royal scot i have come to the conclusion that they are royal scot frames and not patriot as the box indicates. very odd.

Im now 99% certain that the 1t kit i bought is actually a rebuilt Jubilee and not a patriot due to the cab floor and sides being deeper like a jubilee. the second kit is the same kit but with royal scot frames instead of the jubilee ones. the 1st kit looks to be perfectly buildable as one of the two rebuilt jubilees. the second will need some thought as it has the deeper cab sides and footplate of a jubilee which wont fit on the royal scot/patriot chassis supplied.

maybe this is where the critism of acme/college models comes from. A bit like a few ace kits ive seen that are made of a mishmash of parts that are tricky to identify. seems to be pot luck weather you get whats on the box or a mishmash of nearly correct bits. if your lucky you get the 1st kit whuch looks good, if you are unlucky you get the second one ive purchased. two supposedly identical kits which contain different parts. obviously being second hand they may not be 100% as supplied and could have been mixed later

 

Thats always the danger as you say. Having said that. I paid £180 for the 1st kit. This kit is complete and looks perfectly build able. I just think that acme where maybe a bit cheeky in that the kit is actually a rebuilt jubilee and not a patriot. I guess they thought no one would notice the difference and a patriot may be more salable as there was more of them built. The second kit I in effect bought. A full set of wheels and a motor gearbox for £150 which had the bonus of a set of etches and castings included which other than the chassis frames are identical to the first kit. I can use the frames in the first kit as templates to make new ones without too much trouble or cut the ones supplied down. Nothing lost at all and it's all part of the fun for me.