Clearly one of the most adaptable of subjects, this resin cast duo from Battlefleet Models will add realism and accuracy to your next 1/700 scale dockside diorama.

intro. . .

Lately here at MSW, we have had the pleasure of experiencing the wonderful builds from some of the UK's most talented modeler/artists, using base subject kits from Battlefleet Models. This inbox style review is of one of the company's most popular kits, the "Yard Lighter and Small Tug Set", from the 1/700 scale Waterline series, in full resin.

The kit. . .

Harry Abbott, owner/operator of Battlefleet Models, takes a lot of pride in his work. You can tell by the quality of his castings, and the way that they are presented to the modeler, all at a very reasonable price, considering today’s resin market.

His kits are well thought out, from start to finish, designed, built, and packaged by a modeler. . .so you get what you expect, a good quality product, at what, in my opinion, is a fantastic price. This model arrived at my doorstep packaged in a sturdy, cardboard box, no frills outside, but inside is what really counts. Upon opening the package, I found a series of individual clear plastic bags, 7 total, all hermetically sealed together in a chain, and each one containing the individual castings of this kit. The bundle was again wrapped in plenty of bubble wrap for shipping protection, in which the parts arrived 100% intact. Also contained inside is the kits instruction sheet.

Closer examination reveals good, clear resin casting, with fine details prevalent. All resin castings are well done, with no apparent trouble spots at this time. This kit contains all parts necessary to construct two separate 1/700 scale vessels, which can be used together, alone, or with other like vessels to construct a very convincing dockside style build.

the yard lighter. . .

Beginning with this vessel, the one piece hull is casted with many deck details, bits, winch, and lower superstructure included in the assembly. All details are clear, clean, and very good looking. There is a minimal amount of flash around the waterline which should take moments to clean up. No signs of warp age, air bubbles, or imperfections on this piece.

The one piece casted bridge/lower superstructure roof assembly looks equally as well, with square windows, ports, and doors casted clear upon the bulkheads. There is also a tiny cast raft on the very top of the bridge roof! Again, all details are clean and clear.

The stack casting looks very good, nice, clean detailing, and prominence of design, quite accurate. There are two further casting lugs for this vessel, each holding deck details of the ships boat, and an assortment of vents in multiple shapes and sizes. . .details are good on these tiny parts, and as expected, a bit of flash is present on some of these smaller castings, but the removal is a breeze. (Note~due to my clumsy hand, I dislodged one of the larger vents on the vent/boat casting, which can be seen clearly in the close-ups! )

The photo-etch brass railing (made by Toms Modelworks) and the fine brass rod (used for various masts) are nice additions for super-detailing, and will add to the accuracy, as well as realistic look of the finished vessel.

the tug. . .

BFM's tug castings are wondrous things, and this little workhorse falls right in line! The one piece lower casting is very well detailed, with fine deck details including side bumpers, rope fenders, bits, and detailed rear platform. Again, minimal flash at the waterline, removed in seconds with just a finger-nail scrape! No pesky bubbles or imperfections here at all, a great looking lower tug assembly.

The one piece superstructure/deck house also is a fine casting, with good window, door and port details, as well as the ships stack, well done, and the tiny life raft, waiting at muster. An overall good casting, with minute flash.

Wrapping up the kit is the enclosed instructions, which show black and white reference photos (and some fine action shots, indeed), with line drawings of each vessel kit, denoting parts placement, and paint scheme recommendations. There is also a one page "general instruction" sheet listing basic resin cast modeling tips.