180' N Scale Freighter/Tanker Announced

[pnolan48]

N Scale Ships has announced a 180' long coastal freighter, the first of three ships on the same basic hull. The other two ships, available in December 2014, will be a tanker with the appropriate piping and catwalks and a container ship.

These small ships serve thousands of small harbors all around the world. This model is based on the dimensions of a small freighter based in Juneau, Alaska. It is 180 scale feet (54 m) long, with a beam of 28 feet (8.5 m). The model is thus 13.5 inches (343 mm) long and 2.2 inches (54 mm) wide. Height to the top of the navigation bridge, minus antennae, is 2.8 inches (72 mm).

The three hatches can be modeled open and stacked, or closed. There are two main hydraulic cargo cranes, plus a forward long-reach post and boom. Custom photo-etched brass railings and stairways, custom-made windlass and rear winch, lifeboat, davits, anchors, bitts and other small parts fill out the kit. The gunwhales are raised just as on the prototype.

This is an easy kit to build. Kit prices are US $99.00 plus shipping. A basic built-up model is $450 plus shipping; a superdetailed built-up model is $650. See www.nscaleships.com for more details

[Scottl]

I never thought I would want to build a boat model, but these are getting me pretty interested.  The pricing seems very reasonable as well.

[pnolan48]

I've simplified this one to be a one- or two-night project for the basic build. Like any project, you can spend from zero to a zillion hours detailing it. It may be easier to build than the harbor cruise ship as there are fewer decks to worry about, and no see-through decks. I originally wanted to stay with much larger ships until I started visiting small fishing harbors and usually saw one or more of these 450-ton ships at small piers. They draw only 7 to 10 feet of water, and may service only one small plant at each port. The ship this model was based on had refrigerated holds, and transported fish between the West Coast and Japan, as well as making runs up and down the coast. The prototype was black where this is green; I changed it for photography.

I will be bringing out some interesting fishing vessels, perhaps as early as next Spring. Some of the private fishing vessels are nearly this size.

I also wanted to keep the cost under $100, and see if that price point would spark interest.

[nkalanaga]

With a 28 ft beam and 7-10 foot draft I'd imagine these could fit through the locks on both the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio and Columbia-Snake systems.  Were they ever used as river transport?

[pnolan48]

Yes, these would easily fit through the locks on the rivers, in fact more than one at a time. They are smaller than a US standard river barge, with just a little more draught. I have seen them queued up at the locks, but have witnessed only a few recently at up-river ports, notably Peoria on the Mississippi and around Irontown or Portsmouth on the Ohio. In the US I think barges have become the most economical transport for bulk cargoes, and overland railroads or trucks for the rest.

I used to think these were just excuses to build a small model ship in N scale, until I looked around. These smaller ships are everywhere! They account for about 30% of international and intracoastal shipping.

[Philip H]

I've seen ships this size in Baton Rouge most of my life- but much north of there it's solid barge tows. When not iced over I suspect you'd see some in the Great Lakes. Also lots of them sailing to South America and he Caribbean

[Scottl]

We don't see them on this part of Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence that I can recall.

Are there any picture sites for "boat" foamers?  I'm kind of interested to see more.

[pnolan48]

http://www.shipspotting.com/
http://www.marinetraffic.com/

I also use google maps to find a harbor and see what was there that day. You will find that ships disappear between close up and extreme close up views!

[Scottl]

Great, thanks!

[nkalanaga]

If they make it to Ironton and Portsmouth on the Ohio I'd say that definitely qualifies as "inland".  As far as I know they didn't come to the Tri-Cities on the Columbia after the completion of John Day Dam, and they couldn't have easily made it before then.  Barges did, so navigation was possible, but I can't see a ship captain trying it.  Portland/Vancouver would almost certainly see them, as larger ships make it that far.