OPERATE JAMES STREET -
Click here
OPERATE JAMES STREET -
Click here
Ship 9 - 'ROEBUCK'
The next ship to be built was the collier. The hull is a kit bashed Revell trawler kit, the model is based on the sister colliers POMPEY POWER and POMPEY LIGHT which, as the names imply, supplied coal to the Portsmouth power station, and later carried coal for the CEGB. POMPEY POWER still exists as a museum ship in Norway and is being restored. The model is named ROEBUCK.
This was again an exercise in cutting the hull down, adding details in plastic card and mouldings, with rigging from brass wire and tube. All three hatches are modelled open, with the coal load being almost complete, they are just levelling off to the final tonnage required. Paint scheme is more or less the CEGB colours.
Though modelled as having hatch lids as opposed to covers and tarpaulins, they are opened and closed in a slightly different way to those on the reefer BOREAS, they are of the single pull type and are moved by means of a 'bull rope' to and from a winch, and this is modelled accordingly. Again, each hatch and coaming took about sixty tiny parts to build, with the model lids joined by fine chain.
As built and running as a collier, the ship was steam driven, and the deck fittings and funnel reflect this. She was later converted to a motor ship, and then preserved as the SVANEN; there are videos of her in this state on YouTube. There is also a card model of the ship produced which can be downloaded and built. Steve built two coal loading chutes based on those at Penarth, Barry, and Cardiff in south Wales to load the ship in the model port.
Ship 10 - 'CORSAIR'
Next up was a type of coaster known as the 'well deck' type after the design of the forward part of the hull. The model is named CORSAIR and is closely based on the real AUSTERITY and her sisters, owned by Everards.
The hull of the trawler is not very high to start with, so cutting the well to size was a bit of drawing, experimentation, and resizing. Eventually, the shape and position were decided on and the well cut out. After this, the build was more of the same, with central accommodation made from plastic card, the aft one from card and kit parts, and details from plastic mouldings and the usual wire and tube for the masts and rigging. The hatches were again modelled open, with cargo represented in the hold with a gang working it.
Ship 11 - 'VITAL SPARK'
The final build was a kit of the Clyde 'Puffer' type, and named VITAL SPARK after the ship in the BBC series about the fictional ship and the rascally crew.
This was a relatively easy build, though it needed some detailing parts in addition to those supplied. Originally, the design was used in the Clyde area between Glasgow and the numerous small ports which largely no longer exist, especially on the adjacent islands. The design was taken in World War 2 by the Admiralty as the basis for ships to supply fuel and food to warships in the Navy bases; these were known as VIC with a number, standing for victualling ship. Their use therefore became more widespread. Coal fired with a simple expansion steam engine they were gradually replaced by motor barges.
That currently concludes the ships we have for the PLA, but of course most ports in the UK are equipped with cranes for loading and unloading the varied cargoes…