Great info and suggestions! Thanks to all RSN48, I sort of have plans but they are in the form of paper patterns. I basically taped together a mock ship with these paper cut-outs to see if they would all fit. I also did this so each hull side could be one big piece of styrene with compound angles and curves. The all-styrene hull was glued together using "Plastic Fusion" from the makers of Super Glue (great stuff!). These patterns are a bit worn after their use, but I might be able to send them to you. You should know, however, that I still had to do a lot of fussing and cussing to get it all to fit! . WATASH, I've thought about an operating crane but have not decided yet. Would be neat! Some kind of electric magnet would be the easiest for operating, but I don't know if such a thing is possible EAGLE2, The ship is entirely styrene. I picked up a large piece of 1/16" thick styrene at a local plastics shop (it was really cheap! ). This stuff readily deforms at about 220F degrees however, and could be trouble if the ship is transported in a car's trunk or something (I found this out while trying to form the tight bow curve using the oven). Russ [This message has been edited by tehachapifan (edited 09 January 2001).]
Just curious if you've got any pictures of your creation yet? I'm going to have an intermodal yard on my layout and if space permits... a container ship. D6
Here's a couple of snapshots I happened to take just this AM! I obviously still have a lot of work left, to include raised container platforms, raised deck in the bow area, bridge and stack on the superstructure and all the finish work (handrails, ladders, painting, etc.). Russ [This message has been edited by tehachapifan (edited 23 January 2001).]
Mr. T. in "N" scale, to make the ribs along sides of some containers, wipe sewing thread with paint or glue, then wrap it around the block at marked intervals. Clip off the excess when dried. After spray painting, it looks like the corrugating on most containers. If you have a good photo of the end of a container, straight on, have the scanner set up to attain the proper size, then do like Walt Disney does, print out how ever many you need on one full sized sheet of paper, cut each out, and glue to the end block. From where you are at the controls, and anyone else, the photo looks more real than tedius detailing can do. Yes an electro magnet can be built into the clamshell gripper frame used to clasp real containers. Your frame would only be used for alignment, then the magnet would do the lifting. You can operate the crane's traveling bogey remotely by fishing line, or monofiliment sewing thread. The crane tower can be moved the same way. Just turn deep groove pulleys, and mount loop eyes on both sides of pulleys to guide the threads "for sure" into each pulley groove when slack. Use a paper cutter to shear tinplate (like a coffee can) into flat plates, and glue then to the top of each container. Paint and thread ribbs will not affect the magnet. You will need a full time switch engine to shunt cars with. The containers can also be cut from extruded foam, covered with printed paper, and would not become such a heavy train. But then you could also pull the loaded train with 7 or 8 MigMac's too. Just a thought: The wooden containers might tip the ship over, so "whatever floats your boat!" ------------------ Watash #982 "See you in the Pit"
Looks good. Did you base your model on a particular prototype ship. Your original post might have said that, but I have forgotten.
I just re-read your original post on what ship you based it on. I can see why the project could present some difficulties, in particular the hull.
This was an interesting discussion from nearly 13 years ago! In the past year, I've introduced a 487' first generation container ship, which has drawn a few orders, and a 375' modern feeder container ship, which has drawn no orders in N scale, but more than a few orders in Z scale. Any ideas, after 13 years, if there is a market here? Big container ships, and big loads of containers, perhaps get too expensive? I'm trying to introduce individual containers, resin cast, unpainted, and undecorated, for about $1.25 each, and container "cores" of about 18 containers for about $0.90 each container, or $16 per core, but I fear even these price points may be too expensive (and may not be sustainable). Any thoughts?
I built a freighter, 300 scale ft, and used old WW11 liberty ship photos for it. Mine was carved from foam insulation, and the rest styrene. Looks great. As for the containers, I'd buy a couple, then order the RTV and resin from micro mark, make a most and cast my loads of containers. That's just me, I make molds and cast my stuff all the time, it's easy.
Boy, was this dug up from the depths! Believe it or not, in the 12 or 13 years since this thread started, I still never completely finished the ship or the gantry cranes.
Container cores for the massive intermodal yards should have a viable market, in theory anyway. I would have jumped at the chance to buy a core like that a few years ago. I'm using card stock cores for now... Brian
My container ship is a focal point on my layout but im finding that to load her up to look right is costing me a fortune. One thought ive had is to make a core out of wood and stack the containers i currently have around the perimeters. Another option is to make a ton of containers out of paper. There are a few sites one can download 3d paper containers. Mixed reviews. Next to free but not very realistic. Another option is purchasing resin containers redabily available on the "bay". But even after theyre painted I dont think they look very good. Pete, id be interested in seeing what kind of containers you can create with resin. Maybe a bit more detailed than the ones coming from china??? http://www.trainboard.com/railimage.../the-lady-sea-at-the-dock-in-eastport/cat/500 Brian
I hope my N scale containers are better. But they are resin models after all, and meant more for background scenes, and for populating my ships. I did a 6 x 3 core (six wide x three high) stack in Z scale this week, and found it's probably just as economical to cast eighteen individual containers. The 6 x 3 core was a great exercise in "thin" wall molding and casting, which is essential for some of my future projects, but it just didn't work out as a product. It looks neat, but not as neat as individual containers. I think folks would rather spend $18 for individual containers that are easily painted and decaled, than perhaps $15 for a stack. It just shows that every idea of mine is not necessarily a good product.
