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Boats/Ships for era 1945-1948


GWR175

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(Sorry if this topic doesn’t quite fit into the forum category, I think transport is close enough.)

 

I’m currently redeveloping my area of docks on the OO gauge layout, I have a sizeable space to fill with ships but can’t find a lot to fit with my era. The era I’m depicting is GWR Post WWII just before nationalisation (1945-1948).

It’s a ‘dry’ area and I’m planning on using Water Effects or similar. I’d like some advice on kits and ready made models. I’ve seen the Airfix etc 1:72 models, but what are they like alongside 1:76 scale?

 

Any ideas or past experience much appreciated.

Bradley

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The Revell (ex Matchbox) Flower Class Corvette (1:72 scale but really it wont matter) is due to be released again before Christmas, should be ideal with the Oxford RN OWB at the dockside with a few of the cracking Gunthwaite navy figures!

 

WW

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The Revell (ex Matchbox) Flower Class Corvette (1:72 scale but really it wont matter) is due to be released again before Christmas, should be ideal with the Oxford RN OWB at the dockside with a few of the cracking Gunthwaite navy figures!

 

WW

 

Thanks for the idea. A bit more than I was hoping to spend but I think I’ll ‘push the boat out’ as its Christmas.

Have you any idea on what these kits are like to construction, I've only tried my hand at the Revell aircraft before

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Agreed its not cheap but hey its Christmas and this year its my present to myself, just wish I had got one in the 70s when it was first out!! I havent built one (yet) but theres a couple of articles in an old mag somewhere if I can find it! I should imagine it is no more difficult than a large aircraft (like the recent Revell Halifax) though! I believe it does have some photo etched parts this time!

 

WW

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In that time period there was a vast amount of ex-war shipping hanging around in odd harbours and creeks waiting to be scrapped or occasionally converted to civilian use.

 

 

By about 1948 this was starting to die out as the ships had been properly categorised and scrapping was really underway and ships going into reserve were being properly moored.

 

BUT for the immediate post-war years harbours were heavily congested with small vessels, e.g. anything from Corvettes down through MTBs and down to Landing Craft - all of which are available as injection moulded kits.

 

Generally they would be in a dire state with lots of rust and "missing bits and pieces".

 

They would NOT be moored in the commercially useful areas, but jam up available space elsewhere.

 

Fishing boats would be around except in heavy duty ports (ferry, coal and general purpose freight).

 

Scrapping (especially of landing craft and coastal forces craft) would be "popular".

 

.

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Thanks for the idea. A bit more than I was hoping to spend but I think I’ll ‘push the boat out’ as its Christmas.

Have you any idea on what these kits are like to construction, I've only tried my hand at the Revell aircraft before

 

The Revell (ex-Matchbox) kit is relatively simple - BUT the version which is coming out at Christmas has a self-adhesive wooden deck, metal guns and photo-etched parts which make it a rather specialist build.

 

The "old" version might be better, but you will be quite amazed at the size of the finished model whichever version you choose.

 

I might suggest an Airfix MTB or RAF Rescue Craft, or a LCA or LCVP or LCM from the Chinese manufacturers there is even a ready-made LCM

 

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/PH7650

 

http://www.ehattons.com/58702/Trumpeter_07213TM_LCM_3_D_Day_Landing_Craft_/StockDetail.aspx

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Thanks for that info Phil, knew it had the metal guns and PE parts didnt know about the wooden decking though!

 

Yep 205ft (62.5m) in length will make it 2.84ft or 868mm in 1:72 scale! Think thats the biggest model I will ever have built (when I build it!!)

 

There is also the Scalescenes 'coaster' which could make a nice smaller boat!!

 

http://scalescenes.com/products/T030-Cargo-Ship

 

WW

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Thanks for that info Phil, knew it had the metal guns and PE parts didnt know about the wooden decking though!

 

Yep 205ft (62.5m) in length will make it 2.84ft or 868mm in 1:72 scale! Think thats the biggest model I will ever have built (when I build it!!)

 

There is also the Scalescenes 'coaster' which could make a nice smaller boat!!

 

http://scalescenes.c...T030-Cargo-Ship

 

WW

 

That Scalescenes coaster is a bit too modern for the 1940s, it might require some backdating.

For your typical "dirty British coaster" of that era, the funnel should be less streamlined (more upright, sort of a stovepipe look) and the rake of the bow should be further towards the vertical. Also the accommodation side cutouts (parallelogram shaped) was a very 1950/60s feature. These would have to be opened out with vertical supports.

Carley float (photos on google) style rafts would also be a feature of most vessels immediately post war.

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Clyde Puffers aren't really appropriate for the GWR area! They spent most of their working lives in Scotland. There are probaboy instances of them getting that far down south, but I would think it was highly unusual.

 

Stu

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Waines Research Publications did various books including old time steam coasters a book on colliers and a two volume set on tramp steamers including lots of plans, might be worth a try getting them through your local library. Have not had much to do with marine modelling for a while but you could have a browse through the specialist titles in W H Smiths. Some firms did moulded fibreglass hulls with a set of plans. As previous posters have pointed out, however, a ship of any size works out as a pretty big model in OO. The Flower class corvettes where based on a pre war whalecatcher design.

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.

 

The Revell "Premium Edition" Flower class Corvette has now been released for a RRP of £99.

 

Most of the discount model shops are selling it around the £90 mark with 3 or 4 pounds postage.

 

There is an e-bay seller selling at near enough £85 with free postage.

 

To do that kit justice would take months of work.

 

--------------------------------------

 

Please see The D J Parkins for additional detailing parts FOR THE ORIGINAL KIT - these may or may not be appropriate for the "Premium Edition" kit.

 

http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/Flower_Class_Corvette_-_Detail_Sets___Replacement_Fittings.html

 

.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One Clyde puffer certainly made it to GWR waters. The 'Black Dwarf', owned by William Jones of Lydney for many years carried tinplate and Forest of Dean coal from Lydney Dock to Bristol and other small ports and wharves on the Bristol Channel. She was scrapped in 1942, but reasonable modeller's licence could extend her life and ports of call! The excellent 'Archive' journal, issue 50, published by the eponymous Black Dwarf Lightmoor Publications (www.lightmoor.co.uk)is invaluable for more information on this vessel, as is their 'A Glance back at Lydney Docks' by Neil Parkhouse, which gives a fascinating insight into the Bristol Channel coasting trade.

 

Model Slipway (www.modelslipway.com) produce a very nice 1/72 kit of a 1920's Clyde Puffer. Although this is meant as a working model boat, it should be easy to cut the hull to a waterline level, and finish to an appropriate standard for a model railway. The Black Dwarf was of a slightly different design to this model, and I am looking forward to a bit of 'kit bashing' when I start my dream layout of Lydney Dock.

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Although Clyde Puffers were typically local to western Scotland the VICs built for the Admiralty during WW2 were based on their designs and used in many ports outside Scotland. Although most of them seem to have found their way to Scottish owners after the war others fetched up as far afield as Singapore and several were used in Devonport. However these were not typical of the coasters found in British ports and are now a bit of cliche. If you've got more space available it might be good to have other types of "dirty British coaster" (steam recip.) or not so dirty Dutch motor coasters. There is a very good book Steam Coasters and Short Sea Traders by C.V. Waine and R.S. Fenton (ISBN 0 905184 15 7) that includes detailed plans not only of several small coasters that were only a little larger than puffers (there are also several plans for Puffers) but also of their construction and fittings. Beware though. If you buy it you may turn into a ship modeller !!

 

By the period you're interested in I think motor coasters probably outnumbered steam. Frog did a 1:130 plastic kit for a 1955 coastal motor tanker called the Shell Welder later issued by Novo. This has a good basic hull shape and can be relatively easily converted into a small motor coaster of around 400 tons though the funnel design might be a bit too modern for 1945-48. Artitec do a very nice (but not cheap) 1:87 (H0) resin kit for a small Dutch motor coaster of a type that would have found its way to many British ports (some were bought by British owners) but I'm not sure if it's currently available.

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One Clyde puffer certainly made it to GWR waters. The 'Black Dwarf', owned by William Jones of Lydney for many years carried tinplate and Forest of Dean coal from Lydney Dock to Bristol and other small ports and wharves on the Bristol Channel. She was scrapped in 1942, but reasonable modeller's licence could extend her life and ports of call! The excellent 'Archive' journal, issue 50, published by the eponymous Black Dwarf Lightmoor Publications (www.lightmoor.co.uk)is invaluable for more information on this vessel, as is their 'A Glance back at Lydney Docks' by Neil Parkhouse, which gives a fascinating insight into the Bristol Channel coasting trade.

 

Model Slipway (www.modelslipway.com) produce a very nice 1/72 kit of a 1920's Clyde Puffer. Although this is meant as a working model boat, it should be easy to cut the hull to a waterline level, and finish to an appropriate standard for a model railway. The Black Dwarf was of a slightly different design to this model, and I am looking forward to a bit of 'kit bashing' when I start my dream layout of Lydney Dock.

 

I figured that might be the case, but it was the exception. Anybody wanting a puffer could also consider this one - HO scale so would take up slightly less space?

http://frenchmanrive...eighter/111.jpg

 

Stu

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I've just remembered that I've got somewhere the MRN article by John Ahern on the steam coaster he built for Madderport. It's a bit generic with a few anomalies such as a far too small lifeboat but it was built as a waterline model using normal modelling rather than specifically ship modelling techniques. Let me know if you want it?

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I know these are scottish, though there are some others listed, but it might give you somewher to start - he also apparently does models to order

http://www.scottishfishingboats.co.uk/models/models.htm

 

This guy was in business making model boats about 10 years ago - whether he still is I know not

Anchor Precision Models

An Arcarsaid

Viewfuield Road

Portree, Isle of Skye

IV51 9ES

 

I have a phone number but I won't post it on here to save him getting rubbish phone calls = if you want it PM or email me. The info comes from the Model Rail Scotland Show guide 2003 so how up to date it is I can't tell you

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Hi,

the December Model Boats has an article on a wartime coastal tanker (completed 1945 length 201ft 5ins) complete with plans at a scale of 1:75.

 

Looks like it spent some time with Everard's post war iirc they ran coal boats to Kingswear. The Brixham branch featured a wartime bulk POL depot. Not too big a stretch to imagine Anonity delivering to a quayside and being offload to tanks?

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Noch did a barge whioch might be usable? No longer in production but can still be bought in some places. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10001913

 

Additionally, the following website (full of useful info!) may be of interest: http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/shiptype.htm

 

Stu

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I had forgotten that I had this site link saved , but it might be of interest - as far as my rather limited German goes, these seem to be card model ships - I have never got around to trying to order from them - they may need to be rescaled for OO but might be close enough for your requirements. The container ship, for those who need one, is 1:87 scale and is 54cm/21" long

http://www.mdk-verlag.de/schiffe2.htm

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