Jump to content

British Monarch Tramp Steamer


Recommended Posts

Hi Bob,

 

I've just bought your latest "The Shelterdeck" and noted the additional ebooks you offer.  I am interested in your publications on the St Helena, in which is stated has b/w & colour photo's, and would like to know if either contains a plan and profile in them?   That could be an interesting scratchbuild, if plans accompany the photo's.

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mike,

Thanks.    The printed St. Helena Falklands book sold out ages ago.    The other book does contain a small profile, but no deck plans, both are available as downloads.     She was a strange little ship, but of all the 19 I sailed it, I liked her the best.      76 passengers and all very informal made it all very friendly.   I was there for 11 years.    We had the victory party aboard in 1982, and you may have seen us down there.    Here we are on the day of the party, all decked out in flags, but beginning to look a bit battered by then.

Bob

St_Helena_Victory_celebrations_Port_Stan

 

Edited by ShipbuilderMN
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bob,

 

yes, it is a lovely and quirky looking ship and hence why I'd like to have a bash at building it. As you said, she was part of the Falkland's history and I have a particular interest in those vessels.  If I can source some plans, especially the heli-pad,  then I'll get your ebooks of her for additional on board detail.

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't even know if plans exist for the flight deck.    They measured us up for it in Avonmouth where we went to disembark the passengers, and by the time we got to Portsmouth two days later, it had been built, and was lying on the quayside waiting to be lifted on.      13 months later when we arrived back in Falmouth for restoration, they took it off, and dumped it on the quay, were it lay rusting for years - may still be there, for all I know!

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bob,

 

that really is a useful photograph, thank you.  Not only does it show the flight deck undersides, and supporting girders, but also the position and layout of the windows and portholes.  Is that a gun mount on the port quarter?

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, we had four oerlikons fitted, two on the sides of the accommodation and two more on the foredeck.    Six machine guns were fitted along the length

of the ship, three on each side, and the helicopter (Wasp) had AS12 missiles and an Exocet decoy.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Good question, as you see on the site, most of the ships are warships, it's the same on most every site, there is a bit more of what I build but when compared to military there is not much. Maybe it has to do with the size, all of what I do mesures from 60 to 100 cm so they do take lots of place. Seems to be the same with cruise ships.

 

Jesse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ShipbuilderMN said:

I find it very strange that I appear to be the only one building this type of ship.     Why are merchant ships so unpopular amongst model shipbuilders?  

You are not the only one Bob, there are a lot of people out there that build and collect models of merchant ships but they have their own sites and don't visit BM.  The thing is that most people on here are kit builders whereas you, and I to an extent, are scratchbuilders.  I would put the lack of modelling 'this type of ship' to the non-availability of such types in kit form in the marketplace.

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike

I have not actually found any merchant ship model sites, apart from the 1200:1 resin or diecast miniatures, and they are really just painting exercises.

Several years ago, another site asked me to have a 19th & 20th century merchant ship section in their site, but it was almost a complete failure, and is lucky to get one visit per year in my section.:lol:       I would not want kit manufacturers to latch onto merchant ship models though.      As it is, I am always getting "Is it a kit, where can I get one?" :(            Would be nice to see a few more scratchbuilt MN models though!    I did start a group on Facebook that is proving popular, but only the odd model of my particular era turns up in it (about 1850 - 1965).      But quite a lot of very good 1:1200 scratchbuilds of present day MN ships are posted regularly.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...