Balboa Scale Models by Keith Wills B
alboa Scale Models was a San Diego, California based compa- ny that imported Japanese HO brass locomotives and cars in three tiers: Precision Engineered, Master Se- ries and Slim Princess. The Precision Engineered models were from regular production and came from a variety of sources which it carried for several years. The Master Series was a more expensive line of limited run, hand- crafted models not intended for higher production numbers.
The Slim
Princess was HOn3 craftsman wood and metal kits. The majority of ready- to-run locomotives were standard gauge with an interesting range of HOn3 narrow gauge models. The only named fabricator was Katsumi and its logo was printed along with Balboa’s to identify their particular models. Western roads, such as Southern Pa-
cific, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Texas & New Orleans and Wabash (announced in 1968), dominated the models. Nar- row gauge roads were D&RGW, Col- orado & Southern, Denver South Park & Pacific and Rio Grande Southern. In three Balboa catalogs, the Second Edition 1966, the Third Edition 1967 and the Fourth Edition 1968, the de- velopment of imports can be seen. The models range from a small standard 4- 4-2 steam locomotive to a large 2-8-8-4 articulated. Narrow gauge locomotives ran the gamut of expected D&RGW C- 19 and C-21 2-8-0’s, K-36 2-8-2 and others, plus an interesting DSP&P Ma- son-Bogie 2-6-6T and Denver South Park 2-8-6T. By way of contrast, there were three RGS Galloping Geese. Sev- eral locomotives were also available in On3: a D&RGW C-19 and an un-priced outside frame K-36. In standard gauge, naming only a few of the many, were SP 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 switchers, the popular Santa Fe Class 1480 4-4-2 Atlantic, an SP P-10 un- shrouded Pacific, painted and unpaint- ed Daylight GS-4 4-8-4’s, UP 5000 se- ries 2-10-2, 3600 Class 2-8-8-0 and, by way of contrast, a diminutive two-truck, Class A Shay.
In the Slim Princess kits, there were four standard gauge cabooses and two in HOn3, one a wee Colorado & South- ern four-wheel bobber. Freight
cars
were all narrow gauge, two tank cars, a boxcar, two reefers, an open top stock car and a general service gondola. In 1967, there was a vintage, wood San
90 MARCH 2014
Juan four-car passenger consist, plus two additional cars, RGS business and D&RGW closed vestibule types. Not only could an HOn3 modeler have a va- riety of classic locomotives to choose from, but freight and handsome pas- senger consists as well.
SANTA FE 1480 CLASS 4-4-2
In 1968, Balboa showed diesels with- out mentioning their origin of manu- facture. They were a Union Pacific
DSP&P MASON-BOGIE 2-6-6-T HON3
KATSUMI HON3 RIO GRANDE C-19 CLASS 2-8-0
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