Calling all Merchant ship fans!

[LeeAnneWard]

I forgot to mention, it's 28-1/2 inches long. I stopped counting the cost after the styrene bill hit $30. There's easily $50 in there, counting the Evergreen. Base and internals are .060".

Lee Anne

[LeeAnneWard]

Update to Lenin... As of Feb 6th (Saturday night)...

[bootneck42]

Hello,

I understand that this is a site/thread for modelling but I have just returned from a cruise, via the Panama Canal, where I was able to get a few photos of ships and would like to post some here if that is acceptable.

HS Schubert 2006/18,334 ex Viking Osprey


Formosa Eleven 1998/19,257


Queen Victoria 2007/90,049


I have more photos but they need to be catalogued and the details checked with the Miramar Ship Index, Lloyds and others.

Mike

[pnolan48]

I'm trying out a modular concept for N-scale (1:160) freighters and container ships. I've popped the first bows and sterns out of resin, and they look good and fit well. Here are some progress shots.

First is a 503' break bulk freighter built in the late 1940s. You can see the 140' cast bow and 103' stern (blue) and the styrene box mid-section of 250' length (grey). The large midship superstructure accommodates 20 passengers and is from the 1947 Beavercove. I've cast all six hatches, the 24 cargo winches, and other deck details, but didn't have time to place them, as I was racing off to Alabama for a few weeks. I've drawn the photoetch railings but haven't sent them out yet. The superstructure is easy to build, once I (or you) have gotten the square windows cut out.



Next is a 435' container ship from the late 1960s. It uses the same bow (which is pretty typical in ship construction, although container ships did go to a bulbous bow early on), a level stern and, for illustration purposes, a 200' center section. It could use a 150'. 250', 300' or even 350' center section and be within modern shipbuilding practices--for mid-sized ships. The shorter versions would be a bit stubby; the longer versions a bit slim. The rear, high superstructure is modeled after a similarly sized ship of the 1970s, still in service. I've drawn and cut the full deck-width folding hatches, but haven't molded them yet. I've also got the photoetch brass railings ready.



Finally, here's the two of them together, showing just two possibilities. The early container ships were converted break bulk freighters, so a container ships with a midship island is perfectly reasonable. So is a container ship with a poop deck and a tall, shallow superstructure near the break between poop and main decks.



I've built a third superstructure--an early Sea Witch style--which I will photograph later. With modular construction, I've had to make a few minor compromises, such as settling on a standard hatch width or cabin height. I'd like to know how folks feel about this approach.

[jeager]

Those look pretty good. The one with the midship deckhouse is reminiscent of US Line's Lancer and Leader class rebuilds, while the other one reminds me of some of Sea-Land's conversions.

[pnolan48]

I forgot to mention, it's 28-1/2 inches long. I stopped counting the cost after the styrene bill hit $30. There's easily $50 in there, counting the Evergreen. Base and internals are .060".

Lee Anne

I realize this is nearly three years late, but I buy 4' x 8' sheets of styrene for about $10 from a plastics dealer. My digital cutter accepts sheets 9" wide, so I cut the sheets by hand into 9" x 48" pieces, and then again into 9" x 24" or 9" x 16" pieces. Thus a 9" x 24" piece costs about $0.50.

I was also tired of paying $4 for a small bottle of liquid glue. So I bought a quart of MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and a pint of toluol (toluene) at my local hardware store for about $7 total. I mix it 80% MEK to 20% toluol, although the proportions are not critical. A 3 oz bottle costs me about $0.40. My digital cutter works best with 0.020 styrene with a score and snap technique, so I'm often laminating large sheets together once they are cut. The mixture works as well as any commercial formula.

[pnolan48]

Those look pretty good. The one with the midship deckhouse is reminiscent of US Line's Lancer and Leader class rebuilds, while the other one reminds me of some of Sea-Land's conversions.

While I made the container deckhouse generic in terms of measurements to fit a 60' beam ship, the layout is based on a photo of a Sea-Land ship. I draw these structures on my computer, then use a digital cutter to score the 0.020" styrene, then snap the edges and cut out or drill out the interior openings, which are also scored. With this technique I can develop new structures quickly. On this trip to Alabama, I brought along the cutter (it's about the size of a long loaf of bread) and have drawn, cut and assembled a third superstructure and a few different stacks, and drawn a fourth deckhouse during a side trip to Florida for a wedding.

[DavMe]

Hi Neptune,
Would you mind sending me high resolution versions of your Excalibur reference pictures?

I'm trying to find some details and none of the pictures I can find online have the "bow from the bridge" view or the nice lighting you have captured.

I love your Chaconia!!

Thanks,
Dav

[DavMe]

Which details of Excel/Excalibur are you looking for? If you don't know the name of the device, just tell me its approximate location, might have some close-ups and/or dimensions of them.

Your PM settings don't let me reply directly so I'll post here.

OMG! I just saw your 1/700 LNG carrier Excel thread! I had no idea you had long-since finished your model. It looks fantastic! I am incredibly impressed that you can do 1/700 scale.
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=11414

I have many photos from the ground and distant air shots, but no details at all. The only on-ship photos I have found have been in your posts above and from looking at the model in your build thread. Is it correct that the two ships are identical except for the green decks and Turkey's gangway platform?

Shoot me an email at disposableforumemail AT modularchaos.com or enable your PM forwarded mail and I'll reply from a real address and send you FTP info. You can drag in anything you don't mind sharing. I promise not to be annoying or needy.

Thanks,
Dav

[Neptune]

There's a lot of onboard differences between the ships. Excalibur was the first LNG carrier ever built in South Korea. She's a prototype in a way (although of course not when it comes to LNG carrier as a type). Excel started her life as Pearl River and was ordered by a different company, that also created some differences from the Excalibur. The platform is called a Bonny platform as it's made for the Nigerian loading port in Bonny. I haven't checked on Excel vs Excalibur regarding differences but on the ships after that (basically same ships, but with a regassification plant onboard, like Excelsior, Excellence, etc.) the main differences are in the funnel casing and fans for the engine room. So perhaps Excel and Excalibur are different in that area as well. Haven't really paid any attention to that.
As for the cargo part, they're the same.

I have no limiting settings on my PM, any other members do send PM without any problem...

Excel was a prototype for me, the first scratchbuild of any scale. I've been toying with the idea of building a second one or one of the regas ships, the hull would definately be better, so would the details, but it takes along time to get most of these details correct, therefore I haven't done that. Not sure what the future will bring though. Building large scale nowadays.

[Timmy C]

PM issues are due to DavMe being a new member - he needs 3 posts on the forum before his PM function is activated.

[Neptune]

Too bad for him in that case since I'm not sending a mail to such strange disposable adresses nor share stuff on FTPs.

[Caravellarella]

M.V. Nils Amelon; a REDFERN SHIPPING CO LTD motorship in Nakamura Kisen Kaisha service......

M.V. Nils Amelon; provenance & � unknown......

M.V. Nils Amelon; a Mitsubishi MM14 standard (Liberty Ship replacement type) motorship.

Builder � Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki. Yard N�. 668.
IMO 7021194
Laid Down � unknown.
Launched � 8th May 1970.
Service (Redfern) July 1970 to 1975.

Length 11.2 metres, breadth 21.3 metres. 10,708grt.


Terry (Caravellarella)