OPERATE JAMES STREET -
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OPERATE JAMES STREET -
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Ship 1
The kit used as the basis for the first ship was a Humbrol/Heller 'Breton Fishing boat', which I believe is now long out of issue. The main alterations were a new accommodation block and enlarging and opening up the cargo hatches. I modelled the hatches as being partly loaded with general cargo, and the hatch covers partly open. I used code 55 rail for the hatch beams, and plastic embossed planking sheet for the wooden hatch covers. This ship appeared in an article in 'Railway Modeller' magazine about 1998. I've looked at this model a few times recently to see if it could be upgraded again but haven't yet done so.
Ship 2 - 'SHELL WELDER'
Picture courtesy BRM magazine
The first ship of the 'new' ones for the PLA was a small coastal product tanker, the SHELL WELDER. The real ship carried oil products such as petrol, diesel, lubricating oil, and other refined products from the refineries to the smaller distribution centres on other rivers. It is believed that such trade has more or less ceased now but was still common up to about twenty years ago.
The kit was originally issued by Frog model in the early 1960s, and after some other owner changes, is still made by Ark Models in Russia, and occasionally is advertised on such places as eBay. Most sellers are based in Europe, though this kit actually came from Canada. The kit is now showing its age, as some of the mouldings are not the best and need work done on them, or replacement by cast white metal or brass fittings, or plastic mouldings or prints.
The kit was made more or less as the instructions say, though I replaced deck valve control hand wheels with etched brass ones, and also the main deck handrails - the originals are rather chunky and overscale. I used replacement brass cast ventilators, as the kit ones are one of the parts showing their age with moulding defects. Transfers for the name, funnel band, and draft marks were obtained from Atlantic Models, as the original transfers were rather dull and not very well printed.
The crew on deck operating the valves came from an unknown commercial set of 'workers'. I modelled the starboard anchor chain as if the anchor is still in the water, as in times before a bow thrust was common in small ships, this was one way of controlling the ship when berthing or sailing without tugs. The original berth was at the entrance to the old dock, but now the ship is outside in the new dock, surrounded by an oil terminal. The berth has been modelled with A-shaped ‘Chiksan' loading arms, and one arm is lowered to join the manifold of the model, to represent the cargo work. Not sure if the ship is loading or discharging, but probably the former, as the terminal represents part of a larger refinery.