N Scale Shipbuilding Plans

[pnolan48]

As always, things go much slower than anticipated.

Here's a quick sneak preview of the prototype of the first ship that I am comfortable enough to release for sale, the 125' Active-class USCG cutter, which served from 1927 to 1972. Sorry for the plywood ocean--this is a preview, and I thought I might Photoshop in an ocean, but decided that wouldn't be wise. Likewise, I didn't Photoshop out any of the dust and imperfections--it's just a snapshot. It has not been cleaned up and dullcoated. But I thought I owed you an update.

An emergency trip down to the eye surgeon 135 miles away (always a three-day trip) delayed things.

There's obviously a few adjustments to be made, and a few clean-ups, especially to paint lines and railings, but this is basically it.

And I still have to build a website for the effort, describing the details for each ship.



There are only eight of these in the first run (W125-W132). I realize everyone is awaiting the pricing. I'm still trying to figure that out, but it will be probably north of $500.

All for now. Next up are the 142' Santa Fe tugs and the 260' three track barges. I thought these were ready until I looked at the photos tonight. Just too many paint flaws to show them until I correct them.

Comments will be appreciated! Or corrections, as there are not a whole lot of usable photos available.

[bc6]

Wow that USCG Cutter is a beauty, you should have shopped in a ocean in one pic and did a plywood ocean as well.

[pnolan48]

Wow that USCG Cutter is a beauty, you should have shopped in a ocean in one pic and did a plywood ocean as well.

Yes, it is a beauty, and a small ship that could fit on even small layouts. All it needs is a small slip on a river. It spanned the steam, transition and diesel eras. It will be expensive for its size, but the details and effort are the same for larger ships than won't fit on most layouts.

This was just a snapshot. By July 1 I hope to have fully lighted and composed photos, and a firm price for the first eight. I originally thought these would be ready by March 1, but Kay's eye problem has taken more than 90 days of my time to stabilize, days that required my full-time attention. During those days I spent perhaps three hours late at night on the ships, so I fell behind.

I could have shopped in an ocean with a simple "replace color" menu item, but I'd rather do that with a better image, using Helicon to make bow to stern equally as sharp.

[termite]

Pete, I wish I had half your talent. I wouldn't know where to begin doing something as nice as that.

Alan

[hpwrick]

The cutter is awesome.   To order this complete as in a non-kit form...the price seems right.

Well done!

[shark_jj]

Looking at the quality of your work makes me wish I had a waterfront scene.

[pnolan48]

I think I cannot offer it as a kit, as the castings are rough out of the mold, and require a ton of effort to get right, especially the hull. Getting the 44 or so scuttles (portholes) aligned is difficult, as is trimming and painting the square windows. My mold making has improved, but I don't foresee making new masters and molds for this boat for quite a few years. I build the masters out of sheet styrene, cut by a digital cutter. That is, I use sections (bulkheads) and then plate them. In making the molds, I often face a choice: use a lot of mold release and get a bad mold while saving the master, or use a little release and often damage the master. The molding materials are sticky enough to pull the plating away from the sections, which distorts or tears the styrene, making it next to impossible to put back together. It's easier to cut a new sheet of styrene and build a new master.

For those without waterfront scenes, ships of this size were often built quite a distance from the water, and then hoisted by a crane or transported by special mechanisms to the water. I have images of 173' subchasers being built during WW II with nothing but blocks of wood to level the keel and very tall stepladders. The sections were sort of piled up in the weeds and erected one by one. To me that was utterly amazing. It was literally like building one in your backyard. BTW, something similar happened in my neighborhood when I was growing up. A carpenter bought a surplus WW II minesweeper, had it trucked to his backyard, rebuilt it, and had it trucked back out.

I have also built. molded and cast a full-hull version of the cutter, for those who might want to show it in drydock or want it as a display model. That will be more expensive, and available as a special order. That version is even "prettier", because you can see how carefully the shape was defined.

[pnolan48]

Here are some pretty good photos of the 125' Active Class cutter, that served the USCG from 1927 to 1973.

Starboard side from the bow:


Port side from the stern:


I will have seven for sale on Sept. 1, 2012, for $775, although custom work will be slightly higher. There is an immense amount of work to produce each ship, and each ship will be slightly different. The parts, especially cast pewter and photoetched brass have become very expensive. You will have a choice between pre-1967 (no "racing" stripe) and post-1967 (stripe). Thirty-three were built, and you can choose a specific name and number.

I'll have more details later, when I get a website up--my primary task between June 17-27. Except for custom orders of specific ships, I don't foresee running another batch of eight until early 2014.

My next post will be about the Santa Fe tug John R Hayden.

[pnolan48]

Here's the first production unit of the 142' John R. Hayden, which plied San Francisco bay from the late 1940s to 1984.

Stern 3/4ths Starboard view:
 

There will be seven ready for sale starting Sept. 1, 2012. The price will be $750. After the seven I will build as ordered, as there were only two tugs: the Hayden and the Paul P. Hastings (later tonight). Like the cutters, these are handbuilt by me. More later!

[pnolan48]

What good's a tug without something to push around?

This is an accurate model, drawn from the plans, of the eight barges that ferried cars to all of the ATSF's terminus around SF Bay, with many ventilators, access hatches, and bits and chocks. The raised pilot house will be custom photo-etched brass, including the stairway. The three tracks will accept C40 through C80 rail. These will cost $299 without rails installed. I will install rails for a TBD price. I placed three reefers on the barge so that you will have some idea of how long a 260' barge is (19.5 inches). These are available now; after the first eight, allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.



A mating dock is coming shortly, as the barges were piloted into custom built facilities that fit the bows.

[pnolan48]

One last photo before I break for a late dinner. This is the typical configuration that I see in photos of operations. The tug is at the side of the barge. The barge, while unpowered, was steerable.



There will be a discount if you buy a tug and a barge or two.

[pnolan48]

The Hayden and Hastings wore identical color schemes until sometime in the early 1970s. By 1975, the Hastings sported more and more yellow, with even the stack topping painted yellow. Here it is still black, as in about 1972, as far as I can tell. The railings and ladders stayed ATSF blue. This color scheme is optional, but will require an additional one to three weeks for custom painting the superstructure and applying the yellow-lettered decals.

Pardon the dust in the photo--I was rushing to get this photo done before leaving for Alabama.



Next up (around July 3 or after July 10): 173' Bluffton class patrol boat.

[pnolan48]

Sorry, I've been away most of the month (and last), but things are still progressing for a September 1 launch date, although I am still waiting for some custom photo-etch railings for the two announced ships--the Active-Class cutters and the Santa Fe tugs--and three as yet unannounced ships. The photo etch also includes the prototypes for many pilot houses and other small accessories.

I'm getting ready to announce a whole line of small boats, spanning from early USCG 19' double enders to deep-hull 27' rigid-hull inflatables--and many boats in between. At last count there were nine different boats--I've been building the masters for them since 1972, and finally got around to making the molds.

And I also hope to announce a line of N scale ship building parts: engine house skylights, funnels, capstans, booby hatches, life rafts, ventilators, winches and windlasses, and more--all 1:160 scale instead of the usual 1:192. I'll be taking pictures soon, and trying to build a web site for the whole shebang.

Oh, there'll also be some warship parts, the first being a 5-inch twin turret.

Gearing up for meaningful production has been a 12-hour a day task. I'm actually getting some of those days, after 20 months of disruptions.

I think you'll like the 21- and 27-foot RHIBs. Contrary to my earlier reports, the casting of the two versions of the 27' hull have been much more successful than the 21' hull. I've tried a third method for the 21' hull, and will learn the results tomorow.

[pnolan48]

Got the photo-etch today. It includes custom-made railings for the 125' Active-class cutter, the 142' Santa Fe tugs, and the 173' Bluffton-class subchaser, as well as some trial pilot houses (especially for the 260' ATSF barge) and trial doors. Can't wait to install the railings over the next few days. Custom railings in N scale, with prototype spacing of the stanchions, should improve the overall accuracy over generic 1:192 or 1:200 railings.

I am also getting the 21' and 27' RIH boats painted for photos, as well as some recreational craft, and the 27' wide hull into production. I think showing an unpainted white resin hull might not be the best marketing strategy.

[pnolan48]

This 210' medium endurance cutter has proved fiendishly difficult to model. On the right is the styrene prototype, in pre-1985 non-stack configuration. On the left is the first production hull, with a post-1985 stack configuration, and some work still needed to straighten out the bow--a simple operation. You can see how the second superstructure deck is braced on the left--the sheathing can not be applied until the superstructure is fixed to the hull, as it flows together, as shown on the right. You can just barely see some of the custom photo-etched railings on the left model. The stern bulwarks have not yet been trimmed and applied.



This ship has been the most challenging modeling project I have ever taken on. Custom photo-etched brass safety nets around the helicopter deck are next to be applied.