mwb

Hans,
 
Now that's beautiful. Your first scratch build? Wow!!
 
Best regards,
 
Mark

The rudder has been completed and fitted to the hull. Don't worry Jim I can remove it! 
 

 

 
The grappling hooks have been made. Just have to add the rope.
 

 
For the thole pins I chucked them in my dremel and used files and sandpaper marked the cap rail, drilled and glued them in place. Once dry they were painted. 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Other than a little touch up of the paint the hull is now complete.
 
 
 
 

You're making this look easy Rusty.

1/32 1929 Orient Express Sleeping Car No.3533 LX
Amati
Catalogue # 1714/01
 

 
 
Ok, I know this isn't a ship kit, but it is very much a wood and photo-etch model, and from Amati. I hope you enjoy!
 
The Orient Expresswas a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). The route and rolling stock of the Orient Express changed many times. Several routes in the past concurrently used the Orient Express name, or slight variations. Although the original Orient Express was simply a normal international railway service, the name became synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel. The two city names most prominently associated with the Orient Express are Paris and Constantinople (Istanbul) the original endpoints of the timetabled service. The Orient Express was a showcase of luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous. On June 5, 1883, the first Express d'Orient left Paris for Vienna. Vienna remained the terminus until October 4, 1883. The train was officially renamed Orient Express in 1891. In 1889, the train's eastern terminus became Varna in Bulgaria, where passengers could take a ship to Constantinople. On June 1, 1889, the first direct train to Istanbul left Paris (Gare de l'Est). Istanbul remained its easternmost stop until May 19, 1977.

1929 Sleeping Car shown from 4.00minutes (new upholstery)
 
The onset of World War I in 1914 saw Orient Express services suspended. They resumed at the end of hostilities in 1918, and in 1919 the opening of the Simplon Tunnel allowed the introduction of a more southerly route via Milan, Venice, and Trieste. The 1930s saw the Orient Express services at its most popular, with three parallel services running: the Orient Express, the Simplon Orient Express, and also the Arlberg Orient Express, which ran via Zürich and Innsbruck to Budapest, with sleeper cars running onwards from there to Bucharest and Athens. During this time, the Orient Express acquired its reputation for comfort and luxury, carrying sleeping-cars with permanent service and restaurant cars known for the quality of their cuisine. Royalty, nobles, diplomats, business people, and the bourgeoisie in general patronized it. Each of the Orient Express services also incorporated sleeping cars which had run from Calais to Paris, thus extending the service right from one edge of continental Europe to the other.
 
The kit





Amati had been publishing videos and photos of this then-upcoming kit on Facebook for a few months, and even though trains aren’t really my thing, this one looked intriguing with its 1920s/30s wooden opulence, so when Amati said they would ship one out to me to look at, that was very exciting. I knew this was going to me one large kit, but I had no idea! The model itself is 1/32 and the box is the same size as their1/72 HMS Vanguardthat I recently took a look at. Whilst the box doesn’t weigh as much as that kit, it’s certainly packed out with some heavy metal. The box lid itself is decorative, depicting the finished model and some period imagery. You will also note that this model has a section of track on which to display the sleeping car. Lifting off that large lid uncovers a complete box with a tabbed, lift up lid, adorned in the Amati logo as standard for these large releases. 

Chassis parts
 
Inside the box, we have plastic trays full of parts, two smaller Amati boxes, a large thick plastic sleeve with paper/wood/metal components, and sleeves full of timber strip and brass section strip. There are also a series of folded plans and TWO perfect-bound, full colour instruction books which look sumptuous. Lifting all of these out uncovers two card covers that when removed, show a whole swathe of photo-etch brass and nickel-silver sheets, and a bag holding three sections for the base onto which the rail tracks and sleepers will mount.
 
Amati’s 1/32 Orient Express Sleeping Car kit consists of:
 
1 x gloss card for carriage ceiling mouldings 1 x decal sheet for carriage signwriting and stencils 2 x gloss paper sheets with printed interior wood panelling and carpets. Also contains illustrations of exterior coach work for reference 2 x laser-cut ply sheets for the carriage chassis 5 x laser-cut ply sheets for all side and internal walls/construction of the carriage. 1 x tape of yellow self-adhesive trim of different widths 2 x white trays of cast and turned components, chain and wire. Parts include radiators, tissue dispensers, towel rails, wall mirrors, bottles and holders, soap racks, door handles, coat hooks, locks, eyelets, cabin lights, ventilation panels, electrical sockets, decorative cast exterior crest, spring-leaf shock absorbers, nuts, bolts, boiler, etc.  2 x boxes of components, contains parts such as sofa/bed carcasses and cushions, cores for the armrests and hanging headrests, rolling stock wheels and axles, sink units, stools, carriage entry tunnels, etc. 1 x pack of brass strut sections Various timber lengths of varying size and type 3 x MDF track base sections and stirrups 4 x sheets of photo-etch nickel-silver parts (internal main carriage wall panelling and hinges etc) 17 x sheets of photo etch brass parts (chassis, bogies, roof and roof sheathing, exyerior main carriage walls, etc. 1 x sheet of pre-cut acetate for windows 6 x parts and plans sheets 2 x full-colour instruction books
  Now, a little about the model itself. Whilst the Orient Express is known for its amazingly high standards, these sleeping cars only had a single WC for the whole carriage. Amati has created an entire, accurate interior to this model kit, of which the toilet and small boiler closet are also included. To be able to see all of these details, the lid, constructed from photo-etch and rolled brass, is removeable.

White card inserts for she shaped interior ceilings are included, and this would provide an amazing opportunity to add some soft lighting which would set off each of the cabins. Each of those cabins is intricately detailed, and whilst have no per-cabin toilet facilities, each cabin does have facilities for passenger ablutions. These come in a stylish curved-door unit which contains sink and other things which you’d expect to see in this area, all intricately reproduced in this kit. The walls of the cabins are wooden panelled, and all of the cabin creature comforts are present, including seats, cushions for arms and head etc, and ceiling racks for storing luggage. Remember, these cabins were pretty compact as passengers spent the day in other areas of the train too. An access corridor runs alongside the cabins, and of course, these are fitted out with radiators etc. In all, an impressive piece of rail history that Amati has gone to pains to recreate here.







The sleeping car is based on two lengths of laser-cut timber which sit atop each other to produce the main frame of the carriage. On the real thing, this would of course have been metal, so bear that in mind when building and ensure you seal any timber and rub down before filling, priming and painting in black. Added to the metal framework are lengths of heavy-gauge photo etch that create the authentic appearance of the carriage chassis. Other plates etc. are fitted out with miniature nuts and bolts. Brass section strips are also fitted to the entire length of the exterior frame, adding authenticity and some rigidity to the model. There is also a main bolt towards both front and rear of the carriage, onto which the moveable, wheeled bogies will mount. After all, your train won’t just roll in a straight line!








The underside of the sleeping car is incredibly complex with some superbly engineered and cast leaf-spring suspension for the buffers, couplings, photo-etch battery housings, compressed air tank, etc. Assembling the rolling stock/bogies themselves is broken down into over EIGHTY separate stages in around 20 pages of the first construction manual. Of course, all of the parts for this are manufactured from either photo-etch, cast or turned parts, and a photo-etch bending tool really should be mandatory if you wish to tackle this model. After all, if you are willing to shell out 890€ for a kit, then it’s foolhardy not to progress with the required tools. 










For the base, Amati has supplied three parts on dovetailed MDF which is profiled for display purposes. The positions of the sleepers is also engraved onto the top. I have to say that the fit of these is so precise that virtually no joint can be seen when they are put together. If you flip them over, you’ll note that there is a pencil mark to show you which part is the best match. Two MDF splints are then to be glued into the underside channels. Now, I don’t think that MDF is a strange material for the base, as you may wish to paint this, but one omission, for me, is any material that can be used to infill between the buffers, such as the gravel/stones. This would have been a nice addition so as to hide the MDF.




The tracks themselves are supplied as brass sections which need to be cut to length. As per the real thing, the tracks are attached to the sleepers by the correct hardware. I would use an assembled wheel/axle section to properly ensure that the tracks are equidistant at both ends, as well as traditional measuring. I would also look at either painting the tracks in an iron colour, or if you can immerse them in a shallow bath of burnishing fluid, then that would also fit the mark.




With the base of the model now built, the time has come to assemble the carriage itself. This initially starts with the Head A and Head B bulkheads, followed by the fitting of the interior corridor wall. Onto this are fitted the interior compartment walls, creating the cabins. Please note that a lot of paper cutting will be required as the internal walls in their antique finishes, are printed matter and will need to be fixed to the pre-sealed internal plywood walls. This will also be enhanced with actual timber framing too. The printing of the wooden walls is very, very nice and should look as good as trying to emulate this using precious timbers.

Besides, this approach means we all stand a level chance of success. Actual timber will be used to line the panels, adding to the realism. The carpets are also to be cut from paper. You will need to pick up some paper-crafting skills too as the numerous head rest and arm rest cores, sofa/bed chassis and stools, will need to be wrapped in the same matching paper and neatly fashioned around corners. There are some good techniques to be found online, such as dampening the paper to make it easier to mould around corners etc.








Each cabin will also have its own wash locker, and these are constructed separately and then installed. As well as having all the mod-cons, for the 1920s, the doors on these will actually hinge open and closed. You won’t have this option for the cabin doors though, but these can be posed in any position using the nickel-silver etched parts. The main carriage exterior walls are sheathed in photo-etch brass which will be painted, and the trim/decals added. Internally, those same walls are plated with the nickel-silver panels. I don’t know the reasons for change in material from brass, but the panels are superbly produced. Remember, there’s no actual silver in those parts. Instead, it’s an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel. 





























To construct the carriage’s roof, a series of photo-etch frames are interlinked with longerons that have raised pips. Once the basic frame is assembled, a series of individual brass panels are then rolled into shape and the holes in these used to lock over the raised pips of the longerons. Whilst you can use CA generally, I would suggest that the pip areas are soldered and filled before then being filed back flush to the roof. The roof is then painted white. Internally, the card mouldings are then shaped and sealed/sprayed white before decorative wooden edging is applied.

 
 
Instruction manuals

Two full-colour instruction manuals are included, showing the various stages using photographic images and clear text in English, with Italian also. Each step is very easy to understand, in the way that magazine part-works are designed to be straightforward. There’s nothing here that should catch any modeller out, meaning that the only thing you need to have some experience with is photo-etch. Each manual is landscape in format, and perfect-bound, as a novel would be etc. Paint references are used where necessary and supplied in FS codes. 







 
Plans
A number of these sheets are simply for helping the user to identify the various PE parts and wood parts, with a couple of others showing the rail carriage in various plan formats. All line drawings are clear to understand shouldn’t provide the modeller with any issue.




 
Decals
A single sheet of waterslide decals is included for the exterior livery signwriting etc. Print quality looks excellent. It could be worthwhile trimming any of the clear carrier film as close to the actual decal as required.

 
Conclusion
This isn’t a cheap kit by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an epic one in every sense. The Orient Express kit is a sort of crossover between vehicle and doll’s house building, with some beautiful period features in the mix. It’s certainly a project that will command a lot of time from you in order to achieve the very best outcome. You really do have to be reasonably adept with photo-etch metal in bending, curving and folding, and although you don’t strictly need to, some elements would be better soldered than glued. A lot of attention to detail has been made here, from the kit detail itself, down to little things like the cut-out paper décor not lying across folds in the sheet paper. The instruction manuals are also a work of art and should be a cinch to follow. Projects like this are usually once in a lifetime, so if you fancy doing something pretty unusual, then this has certainly got to be a major contender. These kits are hot off the press, only having being released within the last 2 weeks, so get them whilst their fresh!
 
My sincere thanks to Amati for sending this kit out for review on Model Ship World. To purchase, check your favourite Amati shop or online retailer. Tell them you saw the review here on MSW.
 
 
 
 

Hi Clare,
 
I've been absent for a bit and just tuned in to your build. An interesting subject and very nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Clare,
 
I've been absent for a bit and just tuned in to your build. An interesting subject and very nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Clare,
 
I've been absent for a bit and just tuned in to your build. An interesting subject and very nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

Some more pics to share...
 
You might have notice all the rails along the sides of the boat. You may have also wondered how they were fastened down to the beams. I don't know if this was true of all boats of this type, or if this changed over time, but I went with rope bindings that some models show.
 

 
Clearly such bindings weren't enough to keep the rails from slipping off the beams, but similar binding were used in the early days with the sculling oars where the handle section attaches to the shaft. Some kind of peg/key would likely have prevented the sliding, while the rope simply held the parts together.
 
Now, if the rope binding is used to hold the rails to the beams, why aren't they used to hold the rowing platforms to the rails? I don't know. Perhaps because those platforms are larger, and need to be very stable, they are fixed to the rails using a more sophisticated fastening.
 
In any case, on my model, I wanted to add these bidings. Here are some photos I took while experimenting with a GoPro camera I got last year...




 
I wonder how many of you do the same thing with glue? When I'm working with many knots, I put a dab of white glue on the back of my thumb, so I have a constant ready supply without having to reach for a glue bottle.
 
As for the bindings, I had to tie them carefully, so they all looked exactly the same as they wrapped around the beams and rails. In the photo below, you can see how they wrapped in kind of a figure-8 pattern, with the loops of the 8 wrapping underneath the beams. That hole in the bottom of the boat is where I glued in a piece of brass tubing to receive a mounting rod. There are a pair of these. The voids around the hole got filled in later.
 

 
 
Below, you can see the progress on the bindings, with most of them tied here.
 

 
You might also note the additional progress on the deck houses. Here, they have a central external beam attached. Also, note that the raised beams ("goal posts") have been changed. One of the round ones I had mounted earlier broke. So, I took the opportunity to change them to the rectangular style shown here. 
 
Pretty soon, I'm going to have to figure out how to finish the sides of that aft deck house...
 

And here it is modified black strip on wales:
 

Hello everyone,
a few years ago, I finished my most beautiful ship - Sovereign of the Seas and I wished to find another similarly beautiful sailing ship which I would be able to build. There are plenty of glorious boats, but only for a few of them there are avalialbe good plans and exact information. I decided to create and build a card model of Royal Katherine from 1664. I do not have exact plans so I will proceed according to other plans of ships from 17th century - HMS Sussex and HMS Prince and use information from professional literature as well. I like great challenges and connection of fun and education, so I am looking forward to this project very much. The model will be created in the scale of 1/55,  so there is an oportunity to create many details in a higher level of quality.  
During creation of previous models I have received many valuable and professional information about sailing ships, their construction and fitting from one of the greatest experts - Captain K.L. who has taught me a lot and I will also use his advice here.

 
The main build log you can find here:
 
http://modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=110763
 

Thanks for the nice comments Carl, Druxey.
 
Druxey, I'm giving your suggestion a try. When I looked at it last night with my eyes and not through a camera lens, I have to admit (Carl) that it's not very noticeable. Still, I added water, but this wood soaks it up like a sponge and didn't change much. I was reluctant to add any more water as I could see the area that was getting wet was growing too much. Doesn't look like the dye has been affected any. 
 
Looking at it today, it hasn't changed much. Seems that the Japanese wood is actually too hard to swell much. It is a very brittle wood unless wet. Both holes are a little smaller, and if I go over the correct hole with the "Tooig" it will probably look better. Unfortunately, the Tooig is easily misplaced, so the repair will have to wait a bit!
 
Pressing on, the next step was to add the planking for the main deck house, or yakata. If you've looked at my other builds, you might have noticed that this is the same word as in Yakata-bune, a pleasure boat of a much later period, with a similar type of deck house. The large Umibune of the Kamakura period has a second small deckhouse at the stern for the pilot. This house is referred to as the tomo-yakata. 
 
And for those of you who are enjoying the Japanese terms, don't think for a moment that I have all these things memorized. I'm a student of wasen, or traditional Japanese boats, and I'm having to look this stuff up all the time.
 
I laid down the raised deck for the yakata, and you'll notice that these had to fit precisely between the existing beams, or futabari. These are narrower planks than the ones on the main deck and they run the full width of the boat. To support them, I simply installed ledges along the hull planking, in between the beams, for the planks to rest on.
 
One problem I ran across was what to do about the space under the upper deck. It seemed a little odd to just leave it open, but I had no information on whether these would be closed off or not. This is pretty much an open deck boat. The yakata, houses the passengers, but crew and some cargo would just be sitting out on the deck. If these openings were closed off, it would just be that much harder to store goods under there. The main deck planking might even be left off under this space, so as to allow for more cargo. Unfortunately, there just isn't much information available. I've seen museum models that appear to be done both ways.
 

 
Above is a photo I posted earlier, but here I am focussing on the aft edge of that upper deck. This is about as good as it gets with most of the information I have. There's another photo of a similar model that looks about the same. There is clearly nothing visibly closing off this space, unless it is well recessed, and I don't see a reason it would be recessed.
 
But then, we come to a larger model that I believe was more recently built. The above model was 1/20-scale. The model below is most likely 1/10-scale. The photo was taken early this year by my friend and fellow ship modeler, Mr. Masami Sekiguchi, who has been a tremendous help to me in my studies. This model, if I'm not mistaken, was in a gallery at Kanagawa University, which has a Japanese Cultural History department. I'd hoped to visit the gallery last year, but didn't have time.
 

 
It's hard to see in this photo, but the underside of the upper deck, and also the raised deck at the bow, appear to be closed off. Of course, it's also possible that at this scale, the builder decided to do that, in part, so as not to have to speculate on the structure underneath these decks. It's actually one reason I didn't try to build my model at a larger scale: The bigger the scale, the more detail that needs to be included – details that I don't have information on.
 
In any case, here's the completed upper deck. Also note that I've added a beam at the stern. This beam supports the outer rails, the segai, reinforces the hull planking, and serves as a place to secure the rope that will help support the weight of the rudder, or kaji. Later, a lower beam will also be added when I complete the structure at the stern.
 

 

 
You'll note that I placed a kind of splash board on the forward edge of the ōtoko, or great beam. This was speculative, and I've actually removed it after looking at the various museum models.
 
 
 

Hello all,
 
Had to wait quite a while for 0.6mm drill bits from China as I broke all I had. Got them last week and one of the "scoops" is now ready and installed on the model. Second one is also at drilling stage.
 
Alexandru

Right there with you Greg.  I guess I couldnt fight my Italian urge to be extra bright and gaudy.   But yes, after a day or so I re-did the friezes making them a more subdued blue gray.  This is more in keeping with the contemporary model I used as a reference.  Comments are welcomed !!!  Any thoughts ???
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Thank you very much for the likes and comment.
 
The panels were completed and glued into position.  You could leave them like that with just the empty panels which has been seen on many contemporary models.  In this case I chose to insert printed friezes into them like the contemporary model shown above.
 
I actually patterned the same same frieze design from that contemporary model and used it on my prototype.  What do you guys think.   I will be working on the step into the stern sheets next and then started on the outboard details again shortly after.
 

 

 

 

 
 
Chuck

Parts were layed  down on tables for each frame had 4 groups, 2 parts for each half. 
Regrouped in 62  bundles with elastic... 1 table less is now needed.
 
 
I do not think that I save time buying frames already drawn.
Drawings are not user friendly.
Frames are drawn 1 side only.
 
To help to build 2 half frames with the correct width, I draw on a paper ruler, the correct spacing for each frame at the top of each one. The spacing will surely be more regular this way, at least I think, in comparison if I deuct by the center line of each frame.

Many thanks to you all for your efforts and dedication. Thank you Toni for this post, very interesting to know a bit about the Directors. Makes the NRG more personable knowing whose at the helm. Happy Holidays to all.
 
Mark 

Many thanks to you all for your efforts and dedication. Thank you Toni for this post, very interesting to know a bit about the Directors. Makes the NRG more personable knowing whose at the helm. Happy Holidays to all.
 
Mark 

Glad that worked out for you Mike. Matt does some great stuff and I didn't know he did custom milling. Looking forward to the Morgan taking shape.
 
Mark

Hi Mike,
 
I know you already have your stock of wood for your project, but this might be an alternative for you and any of the other members. This gent does inlays for  instruments/furniture and has stock of ebony and holly and others. I have ordered both ebony & holly strips and sheets from him and they are flawless. Very nice material. With Jeff retiring, I've ordered from him also - again, flawless product - this may be another source. First link is the home page. Second and third gets you to the good stuff. Hope this helps. Mark
 
http://inlaybanding.com/   http://inlaybanding.com/odds.html   http://inlaybanding.com/stringing.html

Glad that worked out for you Mike. Matt does some great stuff and I didn't know he did custom milling. Looking forward to the Morgan taking shape.
 
Mark

Glad that worked out for you Mike. Matt does some great stuff and I didn't know he did custom milling. Looking forward to the Morgan taking shape.
 
Mark

After months of searching for a supplier of African Blackwood, I gave up and went with ebony.  Thanks to MWB's recommendation, I was able to source ebony sheets and strips to ship model specifications from Matt at Inlay Banding:
 
http://inlaybanding.com
 
Matt was really great to work with, and did a custom order for me to exact specifications.  He was even able to get ebony sheets down to as little as 0.7mm.  Matt most does work for inlays and veneers, but I think he would make a great resource for ebony and other exotics (along with ebony, he does holly, maple, boxwood, satinwood, maple and others).  Now that Jeff is retired, I would highly recommend Matt is you are looking for ebony or other woods.

I would highly recommend people giving Matt at Inlay Banding a look if you are looking for ebony, holly, or other woods:
 
http://inlaybanding.com
 
Matt was really great to work with, and did a custom order for me to exact specifications.  He was even able to get ebony sheets down to as little as 0.7mm.  Matt most does work for inlays and veneers, but I think he would make a great resource for ebony and other exotics (along with ebony, he does holly, maple, boxwood, satinwood, maple and others).  Now that Jeff is retired, I would highly recommend Matt is you are looking for ebony or other woods.

Sometimes known as the replacement for the famous "Liberty" ship, the 14,000 ton SD14 general cargo ships are found under many different names and flags in most of the world's ports and all of the high seas. The designation "SD14" denotes "Shelter Deck 14,000 tons". The shelter deck is the second or tween deck in the cargo spaces and, when the ship is loaded down to her plimsoll line, she displaces 14,000 tons.
By the mid 1960s, there remained some 700 Liberty and other war-built cargo ships still trading. Even the youngest were 20 years old and the question of a replacement was exercising the minds of ship owners and builders around the world. the emergence of bulk carriers and container ships pointed to the end of the "shelter Deck" design which had been used with little alteration since the turn of the century. Many felt that this design was no obsolete and that the future lay with containerisation.
It was, therefore, something of a surprise when ship builders all over the world unveiled their plans for the "liberty Ship Replacement", almost all of which offered a two-deck vessel of 14,000/15,000 tons deadweight. Doubtless this choice was influenced by the requirements of potential customers. Most of the war-built vessels were, by this time, being operated by Greek ship owners of limited resources to whom these new designs, for a type of vessel with which they were fully experienced and priced at about £1 million with cheap credit facilities, were very attractive.
A total of 30 designs were put forward as the "Liberty Ship Replacement" in the early months of 1966. Of these, the most successful was the SD14, developed by the Sunderland shipbuilders, Austin and Pickersgill. The first SD14 keel was laid on 8th. June 1967. Unusually, this was not at Austin and Pickersgill's own yard, but nearby at that of another Sunderland shipbuilder, Bartram's, who were building the ship under licence. The first ship, named Mimis N. Papalios, was launched on 1st. December 1967. She was also very nearly the first SD14 to be completed. However, Austin and Pickersgill managed to make up the leeway in their own building programme to hand over the first completed SD14, the Nicola, on 14th. February 1968, the Mimis N. Papalios following the next day.
Between 1968 and 1988, a total of 211 SD14s were completed and it is interesting to note that, by 1990, only 10 had been scrapped for commercial reasons, a further three going to the breaker's yard after marine accidents. Of the dozen vessels reported as sunk, at least two fell victim to missile attack during the Iran/Iraq conflict.
Like the original Liberty ships, which many thought would be scrapped as soon as the war was over, the SD14 was not ascribed a very long life by some early critics. Nevertheless, these ships are still in demand in the charter market, with average daily rates of $5,200 for a one-year time contract, and in the second hand market with prices ranging from $2.5m for an early seventies ship to $5.75m. for a newer example.
One guide to the success of the SD14 is to look at the movement of the 211 ships through the second-hand market. Most of the ships now sailing are with only their second owner, a few remaining with their original purchaser. The oldest SD14 in service is the Wave Crest, the vessel which, as the Mimis N. Papalios, missed by one day the distinction of being the first completed ship of her type.
  The Model
In 1978, while attached to Manchester Docks, George Robinson, a retired Merchant Navy captain, hit on the idea of providing the port fire brigade with an easy-to-build model of the SD14. In this way, the trainee firemen could easily and quickly become familiar with the layout of the ship.
So, originated a 2-foot long, 1:70 scale model kit of the Forward section of the SD14. This first attempt met with such success that kits if the Midships and After sections followed in 1979, the complete model measuring an imposing 7 feet in length. Professional and international recognition followed in 1982 when the model won the "Shipwrights Model Competition" at the Guildhall in London.
Quite apart from sheer size, the kit is remarkable, for it is, in fact, put together in much the same way as the original was in Sunderland. Space here permits no more than a brief glimpse of what awaits the builder of this miniature leviathan.
The instructions, which, for the complete kit, run to about 60 pages, first explain that the model will be built by the dry dock method rather than on the slipway - the difference is clarified.
You then proceed to lay the shell bottom plates of the Forward section to form the double bottom, between the outer surface of the hull and the inner surface of the holds. On the original, the space in between in used for water ballast, necessary to keep the propellor submerged when there is no cargo and to maintain an even keel. This last expression, in such common and, I suspect , often unwitting, usage, is precisely defined.
The building progresses aft as the cargo holds are each constructed with transverse watertight bulkheads, hold pillars and centre line plates. There are even properly runged ladders on which to descend to the bowels of the vessel. In the After section, as well as a cargo hold, there is the engine room together with the propellor shaft tunnel and, by lifting up the after deck house, access is provided to the steering gear flat and the rudder stock.
In the bridge superstructure, containing the crew's accommodation, every cabin is accounted for. The crew's mess room, galley and smoke room are each separately delineated as are the linen locker, baggage room and officers' smoke room to mention but a few. The model also incorporates the correct ventilation trunk ways, the significance of which for cargo handling is explained.
In the course of construction, the instructions are supplemented by sections which explain the actual fabrication of the original, so that, as you work through the model, you learn about the SD14, how it was assembled and how it works.The operation of such components as MacGregor hatch covers, the keelson and camber in the original are fully expounded and you can then reproduce these to scale. Step-by-step diagrams illustrate the sequence of construction.
It is perhaps worth remembering that ships are machines, the largest ever built by man. So it is fascinating to see how this great machine works and to reproduce it in miniature at the same time. The correct nautical terms are used and explained, showing how each part of the ship functions and how the whole design draws on centuries of experience to produce the modern ocean-going vessel. If, like me, you have wondered what exactly is a "Tween Deck" and what is its purpose, you need wonder no more. All is revealed after which you can actually build one.
The kit is printed on 184 A3 sheets of top quality manilla card, there being approximately 4,500 pieces, and the modeller can choose to paint the model with an authentic colour scheme or one of his own choice. The three sections can be fixed together or left dismantled and the aft superstructure can be removed to give a glimpse of the various deck levels inside the hull. naturally, all the cargo hatches open to show the holds.
. The model can be made either for display or, with suitable waterproofing (see "Cutting Remarks" no. 3), can be sailed, there being space for R/C gear.
Although the original SD14 models were all sold out about 10 years ago, Marcle Models, under licence from George Robinson, reissues the SD14 kit. The complete kit, weighing over 17 lbs, is supplied in 6 cartons, complete with a tool kit and costs £280 including worldwide surface mail. The three sections, Forward, Midships and After, are each available separately at £105 each.
Should you decide to have a go, this, the "Non plus ultra of card (and perhaps any other type of) modelling, should keep you busy for about a year.
 

 
Christopher Cooke and Thomas Pleiner, with acknowledgements to George Robinson, John Lingwood and Ships Monthly. Article first appeared in "Cutting Remarks" No. 4, September 1992.
 

Arr !!!
 
CaptainSteve 'ere. Recently promoted to Apprentice Wood-Hacker (3rdClass), aboard the USS Constitution (under Cap'n 'ull, 'is ownself, no less).
 
Most all of us as ship-modellers, I suspect, strive to create as much realism as we possibly can with our models. Whether you class yourself as a kit-builder, scratch-builder (seriously, you guys truly are the Jedi-Masters of the model-ship universe!!), or something in-between; surely we look to make our models correct - aesthetically, technically and historically.
 
Myself, I have discovered that I am a kit-basher ... a term I had never heard of prior to my discovering MSW.
I unashamedly accept the title.
 
As such, I often find myself looking at everyday objects through the eyes of a modeller.
 
Fortunately, my job often sees me waiting in stores and various businesses, giving me golden opportunities to browse through their display stocks, whilst considering how some items could be trimmed/chopped/painted to become the perfect capstan/smoke-stack/cannon-ball or whatever.
 
As such, I would like to start a new forum based upon everyday items which could be tailored into ship parts to enhance our models.
 
 
[Please note that, with the recent change of name for this forum, I am familiar with the works of Douglas Adams AND have read his entire, brilliant "HHGTTG: A Trilogy in Four Parts"]