You caught some glimpses of the next ship when I was building the Osborn Models Lobster boat. This is a small interisland freighter of a 125 feet. I build or buy ships to fit my harbor. A lot of ships are just to big for a model railroad unless you have a huge empire thus my small ships fit the bill perfectly. Most of the hull is designed out of cedar wood. Plastruct styrene is added were need either sheet goods or structural ships like I beams. Recently my extremely large Tiger Tabby female wrecked havoc on a model ship so bad that it was scrapped. I saved some parts and they are getting reused here. Working on the cabins and the aft mounted pilot house. 100_0002-1 by John Moore posted Jul 20, 2022 at 11:10 AM Once the pilot house gets mouinted permanently to the cabins and crews quarters I will add more structural supports. 100_0003-2 by John Moore posted Jul 20, 2022 at 11:10 AM
Those portholes and the structure rounding reminds me of the world famous art-deco ferryboat "Kalakala".
Well got the 2nd level which has the pilot house, captains quarters and the wireless room or otherwise known as the radio room mounted and installed some support columns. Still have a set of support columns to go. And installed the braces for the flying bridge on both sides of the pilot house. Constructed a set of stacks for the exhaust 12-14 pieces in all and that is setting on the deck. Will get painted before installing. Also did some putty work up at the bow on both sides. I also just ordered some ship parts. 100_0004-2 by John Moore posted Jul 21, 2022 at 3:38 PM
And the new ship now with the flying bridges installed. It is slated to replace the two intercoastal vessels beside it and to the far left is my old deep sea crabber that is also headed for the scrap yard. I will strip usable parts off the three vessel and some will go on the new vessel. There is a new wood pilot house in the back that will probably go on the next deep sea crabber. 100_0006-3 by John Moore posted Jul 21, 2022 at 7:09 PM
Well I installed the last two support columns under the flying bridge. A flying bridge is a section of bridge uncovered that projects from the pilot house for you non nautical types.. And I totally stripped to hulls, trashing one and keeping the better to see what I can do with it. It has a section of pilot house sitting on it that came from a Tomytec tug modification kit. That hull is 65 feet long. Have some more putty work and sanding on the bow of the Interisland freighter. 100_0007-5 by John Moore posted Jul 21, 2022 at 9:13 PM
Bow sanding done and now working on the tapering it down and test fitting railings then more sanding. 100_0008-1 by John Moore posted Jul 22, 2022 at 7:23 AM
The superstructure is now primed and the hull is partially painted. Now working on hatch covers. The smaller raised hatches are refrigerated or freezer hatches, the large general cargo hatches are being made from laminated layers of styrene. Laying on top of the exacto box are the parts for the Mast and boom and a winch assembly that is going on the forecastle, that up at the bow for you landlubbers. Also I have finished the ships stacks. Ship was built in 1920 and underwent a year in the drydock getting upgrades like a pair of 1200 HP Alco turbo diesels. The stripped down hull in the front used to be a intercoastal freighter. Two were stripped down and one was scrapped completely after the parts were removed. Eventually this is going to become the 2nd deep sea crabber. A new superstructure has been ordered from Japan. 100_0009-1 by John Moore posted Jul 23, 2022 at 12:06 PM
The hatches are installed. Dark blue is a freezer hold and the two light blue are refrigeration holds. The two big holds are general cargo. The foremast is mounted and glued while the mainmast is just just setting loose. On the bow is a winch. Some of my Shapeways parts have shipped and will be here next week. 100_0010-2 by John Moore posted Jul 23, 2022 at 8:22 PM
Well today I am fabricating parts all related to the cargo booms. I also installed the main mast and installed ladders up both masts and additional platforms on the masts. The two white round things in the photo are winch drums that I turned myself with a styrene rod chucked in a low speed Dremel and a file. Took me about 8 tries to get two of them. The other objects are the cargo booms and the boom rests for when the boom is stored. I have two winches coming from Shapeways, one already on the ship, and two that I am fabricating. I hope tonight to be painting the superstructure decks. 100_0012-2 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2022 at 3:29 PM
What I enjoy most in this hobby is the creation of things and the challenges that the creation sometimes brings. My parts collection is growing from radar antennas to Loran antennas. One of the Loran antennas is just above the lifeboats. With the lifeboats I could fashion outboard motors but decided to go with inboard motors instead so shortly I will be creating those inboard motors. Digging through my parts boxes I cam across crane hooks and pulleys so that is just a put together and I have cargo hooks for both cargo booms. The boat davits are from Shapeways and are the type that cradles the boats rather than have them hanging. I also came up with some skylights for the captains cabin. The structure extension behind the pilot house has the captains cabin and the radio room plus the first mates cabin. 100_0003 by John Moore posted Jul 26, 2022 at 11:14 AM
I started installing some parts. Skylight, Loran antennas, short and long range radar, and a mast with two radio antennas and lights all on the superstructure roof. Then I moved up to the bow where I am installing a cargo boom and running lines to it. Made the motor housing for the inboard motors on both lifeboats and installed that. Last night I got my Shapeways ship's stairs. I took a chance and ordered Z scale stairs since measurements showed the the N scale ones would be a hard fit roomwise. They fit perfectly in the space allotted for them. Last night they soaked in a bath of Simple Green all night. I use Simple Green rather than Bestine and it works just as well. Today it will be the delicate task of cutting the openings for the stairs and finish rigging the boom and installing the two winches the control the sideways movement of the forward cargo boom. 100_0007-1 by John Moore posted Jul 29, 2022 at 6:50 AM 100_0008-2 by John Moore posted Jul 29, 2022 at 6:50 AM
Well a major oopsie happened when I tried to notch out a flat spot on the bow to accept the anchor hawse pipe. Ended up splitting about 4 N scale feet off the bow. Dang Nabbit and Notafinga. Tried a repair with Squadron putty and that stuff is almost useless. I have both the red and white putties and that useless stuff runs, will not harden for days and does not sand well after days. The stuff is pure garbage. So looking for another putty to use. Meanwhile I went to my handy Home Depot and came home with a small tube of DAP plastic wood since I am dealing with wood. Fifteen minutes after applying the first layer it was already hard and about 3 hours later I was able to apply another layer. Now sanded to shape and the flat spot created for the Hawse pipe and drilled out to accept it I am back in business. Now if I could just get my parts order which has been hung up in the UPS USPS nightmare that is mail innovations. 100_0014-1 by John Moore posted Jul 31, 2022 at 2:30 PM
DAP plastic wood is such a lifesaver. I love it - get a small flat-blade screwdriver to stuff it in those little places and you're golden. Plus it smells up the whole room when you have the can open haha
Well fully restored bow and the rear anchor hawse pipe also installed. Now I can get to work building the stairs for the superstructure. 100_0015-2 by John Moore posted Jul 31, 2022 at 3:20 PM 100_0016-3 by John Moore posted Jul 31, 2022 at 3:20 PM
Look for Tamiya's Gray putty in the tube, good stuff for many purposes. I have not tried it on wood, but works well on plastic and pewter.
Thanks I found the Tamiya has a line of putties and may have found what I want. Used to use the Squadron products but something has changed and not for the better
Well some trial and tribulations with shipping of parts but they are all in now. Got my hatchways from Shapeways and did a slight mod to them. Often the hatchways are set into a larger hatchway and those I modeled, painted, and then installed. I also installed ladders leading from the main deck up to the bow deck. Then I built stairways out of Plastruct stair parts and installed those and then placed a railing around the open stairwell. Installed the yellow cargo boom rest below the pilot house. Not happy with the paint on the side of the pilot house and it will be sanded and then painted again. 100_0025-2 by John Moore posted Aug 3, 2022 at 8:54 AM I ordered some larger winches from Shapeways to use for the main cargo boom hoist line and the cargo hoist lines. I am extremely dissatisfied with them, way to large, although listed as N scale and for a N scale tug. Well if they are anywhere close to N scale I have delicate ballerina feet then. Compared to the winches on my tugs which are 1/150 scale they are huge. And too danged brittle if you look at one they fall apart. I am trying to fix one now. Not all is lost though since I will use these as a flatcar load of steam donkey parts at the sawmill. So another type is on order. And I installed the Hawse pipes on the bow railings so they are ready to install. 100_0026-3 by John Moore posted Aug 3, 2022 at 8:54 AM I also received an order from Seaport Model Works of detail parts and that includes some small deck winches that are to be used to swing the booms from side to side and other parts.
This evening I completed outfitting the bow area. Installed two sets of bollards, a small winch, anchor, and railings. 100_0029-4 by John Moore posted Aug 3, 2022 at 8:14 PM And to give the size of this little inter island cargo vessel some 40 foot box cars were posed beside it. 100_0030-5 by John Moore posted Aug 3, 2022 at 8:14 PM
John, this is really looking good! Can't wait to see the finished project on the water. Great work. Ralph
