Reviewed by Timothy Dike
| The SS Californian was a liner built
by the Leyland Lines. She was typical of cargo steamships of the turn of
the century with an overall length of 464'. Her claim to fame was that
she was one of the ships in the area when the Titanic sank.
Loose Cannon has produced yet another off the beaten path subject. This
one can be used for a Californian or even a typical steamer from the early
1900's.
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| HULL PARTS | |||||||||||||
| The hull is well cast with nice deck planking and hollowed out portholes. There is a large deck winch on the bow and locating holes for the various deck fittings. | Click images
to enlarge |
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| SUPERSTRUCTURE | |||||||||||||
| The superstructure parts are cast on thin resin wafers. Detail is pretty good overall with skylights cast on the 02 deck and a nice hollowed out funnel. Also included are deck pallets to help clutter up the deck. |  |
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| MASTS | |||||||||||||
| The main masts are cast with brass rods inside for strength. It will take a little extra time to trim the extra resin from the ends but they will have a more realistic appearance and they will be strong enough to hold any rigging without bending. |  |
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| SMALL PARTS, AND DETAIL ITEMS | |||||||||||||
| There are many air uptakes cast on resin runners as well as davits and anchors The uptakes come in a variety of sizes and are nicely shaped. |  |
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| PHOTO ETCH | |||||||||||||
| A brass photo etch fret is included with railing, rigging, ladders and other details. Block are formed by folding and doubling the pulley parts. A length of brass rod is included to fabricate the booms. |  |
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| INSTRUCTIONS | |||||||||||||
The instructions are seven pages with history, bill of
materials, sub assembly views and a nice color painting guide.
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| Conclusions: | |||||||||||||
Whether your just into old liners or are a Titanic buff, this old steamer will look great in your collection. This is kit #93 listed for $50.00 US, a great price for a detailed kit like this. Pacific Front Hobbies & Free Time hobbies have this kit in stock, or it can be purchased direct from LCP East. Check the Loose Cannon page for details on this and other kits. |
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