Steamship ERGENSTRASSE by Mirabell61 - FINISHED - 1:87

[Mirabell61]

I`ve just kicked off my new project, It`s a tramp Laker Steamship based on an 3 island superstructure and on a real appr. 2150 tonnage freighter built in 1918, now in (H0) scale 1: 87.

Who still remembers the Warner Bros movie "The Sea Chase" of 1955 staring John Wayne in the roll of capt. Ehrlich of the ERGENSTRASSE and Lana Turner as an attractive female agent as the only passenger.

 

I investigated and found out that the Laker ship "Corsicana" aka "Margaret Shafer" had been engaged for the movie in 1955, hereby renamed to ERGENSTRASSE.

For my model I used the Corsicana`s data  for the Ergenstrasse rating and for hull, frameplan and general shapes those of a wooden Ferris-Ship of the American emergency fleet, being round about the length, width and depth an tonnage of the Laker Corsicana .

The movie ship was fitted with the following changes compared to the Corsicana :

- Masts changed from four to two, these placed in the forward and aft welldeck areas

- Outer bridge ends fitted with wing cabs

 

My model will be performed completely from scratch and in the same way as my previous models and bearing a rivited metal plating skin

 

Data for model ERGENSTRASSE

scale           1:87 (H0)

Length        87 cm

width          15 cm

depth            7 cm

 

I decided to fit 23 plywood frames, and to provide stringers and pine plank strips beneath the metal plating

The model will set up on 2 brass pedestals and wooden stand baseplate

 

Nils

This is the Corsicana, built 1918

This is the steamship ERGENSTRASSE aka Corsicana aka margaret Schafer

Captain Ehrlich aka John Wayne

This is a pic from the web representing a laker steam freighter, not my model

[FriedClams]

Interesting subject, Nils.  I well remember your Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse build and I look forward to following this new project of yours.  

 

Gary

[mtaylor]

This should be a great model.  I'm in.

[Paul Le Wol]

John Wayne and Lana Turner! This Pilgrims in for the long haul. Great subject Nils.

[Roger Pellett]

IThe “Lake” class of steamships were steel hulled vessels built by shipyards along the shores of the Great Lakes.  Over 75 of these were built in Duluth, Minnesota’s Riverside neighborhood along the St Louis River that flows into the Western End of Lake Superior.  In addition to constructing the shipyard the owners built an entire community; apartment buildings, houses, recreation clubs, etc.  The houses are still lived in.

 

The Ships were based on the Norwegian Fredrickstad design with dimensions limited for passage through the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls and the locks around the rapids in the St Lawrence River.  This limited length to about 240ft.  Most if not all were not completed in time to stem the WW I shipping crisis.    Construction stretched into 1920, and of course they then contributed to a glut of shipping that depressed prices.  The Riverside Yard closed shortly thereafter.  The yard’s owners formed a Great Lakes fleet composed of these vessels.  Known as the “Poker Fleet,” the Ships were named Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. In the first picture that you posted above Corsicana’s cargo gear has been fitted out for the lumber trade.

 

You should be able to find drawings.  The American kit manufacturer A.J. Fisher used to sell a kit and drawings for one of these.

 

Roger

Edited May 24, 2023 by Roger Pellett

[realworkingsailor]

That last photo looks like the Sylvan Scale Models kit: https://sylvanscalemodels.com/kits/HO-1082.htm

(Might be the N scale version)

 

I have a partially completed one sitting on the shelf. 
 

Andy

[Mirabell61]

Dear fellow builders,

I`m pleased to find all this nice response with my Ergenstrasse introduction, and shall be posting the first available pics of the log herewith.......

 

Gary

the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was my most detailed model to date, I`m pleased that you liked it

 

Mark

thanks for looking in and further enjoy the build

 

Paul

I`m very pleased you like it

 

Roger

thanks very much for your kind and interesting to read input on this behalf

 

Andy

Yes, I remember it was a waterline-model kit from the webs homepage of Sylvan models. The pic in my introduction was just to give an idea what a Laker steamer would look like

 

Nils

 

dimensions / data

 

hull, frameplan and lines taken from wooden Ferris design steamer (Emergancy Fleet)

 

frames adopted to transparent paper glued onto 3 layer birch plywood

 

frame set up on the base building board

 

a lot of jigsaw work.....

 

the raw cut tiles for better handling

 

the hull shape is coming on with every frame, the edge outcuts are for placing the stringers

 

 

here to be seen, the square bar "backbone" of the hull. This will also take up the mounting spindles for the stand pedetals

 

an additional keel bar is placed underneath the square bar

 

next in progress will be the mounting of the stringers and check of the lines staking

[druxey]

A nice and sturdy start, Nils!

[Mirabell61]

3 hours ago, druxey said:

A nice and sturdy start, Nils!

Many thanks Druxey,

I`m following a certain pattern of sequences but now and then there are some slight necessary changes depending on how the progress works out, as this is completely a scratch build

 

Nils

[Ian_Grant]

Looks great! There's nothing like scratch building.......

[Mirabell61]

56 minutes ago, Ian_Grant said:

Looks great! There's nothing like scratch building.......

Thanks Ian, you`ve said it......

 

Nils

[Jim Lad]

What a fascinating old steamer, Nils. Looks like a great project!

 

John

[Roger Pellett]

I see that a number of these vessels were built by The American Shipbuilding Company.   Bowling Green State University (Ohio) holds American Shipbuilding’s drawings.  They should be able to supply copies.  Originally, the names of these vessels all began with “Lake.”  So if you enter a known name into the data base it will yield the original name. You can then use this to search for drawings.

 

Suggestion:  the Poker Fleet vessel King was built by American Shipbuilding.

 

Roger

[Mirabell61]

9 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

 

John

I´m happy that you like it, stay tuned

 

Roger

many thanks for your information .......

 

Nils

 

I started with the stringers yesterday, 6 on each side, it takes a little tuning on the position of the frame outcuts, but in generell it fits good.

There are now 2 out-cuts in the lower part of the keel and press-in counternuts in the squarebar (topside) for taking up the M5 pedestal spindles for the standplate

the stringers are relatively thin planks but get there strength through the bending. They provide (after sanding) a good surface for the later planking

 

The press-in nuts .....

 

 

 

where spindles go through

Edited May 25, 2023 by Mirabell61

[gjdale]

I missed the start of this one Nils, so I’ve just caught up. Looks like another interesting build - I’m pulling up a chair.

[Mirabell61]

do`nt worry Grant, your good in time for watching the logs begin,

thanks for looking in .....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

update

 

made the bilge keels, the raw standplates,and the pedestals

 

Nils

 

the raw standplate prior to staining and the two pedestals. Am again using brass parts of a candle holder and made a 5 mm center boring

 

the bilge keels are from aluminium flat 2 x 15 mm. Here in the pic the alum. strips are appr. 12mm wide, but that was too narrow, so they wii be rejected

 

am experimenting a little how to get the prop / rudder area. The upper aft area (poop sides) will be vertically planked

 

Nils

[Ian_Grant]

Nils you are moving very quickly!  Looking great!

[Mirabell61]

7 minutes ago, Ian_Grant said:

Ian, I am myself surprised how fast it goes to date with this build .....

Nils

[FriedClams]

A nice sturdy beginning.  Looking good.

 

Gary

[Mirabell61]

1 hour ago, FriedClams said:

A nice sturdy beginning.  Looking good.

 

Gary

Thank you Gary and stay tuned

 

Nils

[Mic_Nao]

A beautiful model and the beginning is very good. Good luck for the future.

[Mirabell61]

thank you very much Mic

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

the rudder is going to be attached to the Ruddershaft with on-soldered tabs

 

the peace of wood (dummy rudder)  is only a help in soldering and for alignment of the tabs for position and thickness

 

Nils

 

 

 

 

[bruce d]

Hello Nils,

I'm a little late but will try to keep up. 

A nice subject, it will be impressive at this scale. 

 

Bruce 

[Blue Ensign]

Always a pleasure to follow your projects Nils, you select such interesting subjects.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[Mirabell61]

2 hours ago, bruce d said:

Hello Nils,

I'm a little late but will try to keep up. 

A nice subject, it will be impressive at this scale. 

 

Bruce 

hello Bruce, welcome and its nice to have you on board

 

Nils

1 hour ago, Blue Ensign said:

Always a pleasure to follow your projects Nils, you select such interesting subjects.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

many thanks B.E.

I read the German version, der Seefuchs of "The Sea Chase" a couple of weeks ago, and was looking if anyone had ever built a model of the Ergenstrasse, but in vain, no results.

What I found on the web was the original Laker steamer which transfered into the movie ship. I also remembered some drawing data I had filed some years ago of the Ferris typ wooden steamer.

What came out is now my new project

 

Nils

[Jim Lad]

You're making good progress, Nils.

 John

[Mirabell61]

8 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

You're making good progress, Nils.

 John

Thank you John,

I`m putting on the last stringer on the port side today. The heel with the outcut for the 4-blade prop is in work as well as the rudder arrangement.

 

Nils

[FlyingFish]

A movie boat! I'm in! Great start Nils.