ShipbuilderMN Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 A very simple little ship, scratchbuilt to a scale of 25 feet to 1 inch. Just under 4 inches long on the waterline. It took 25 hours to build, spread over 13 days. Masts, spars and rigging 100% metal. She was a Geordie collier that spent 66 years humping coal from the northeast coaling ports of Great Britain, down to London, but did the occasional trip to Baltic ports. Not a very popular type of model. The ports did not conceal guns, they were just painted on, initially to make enemy ships think they were Royal Navy brigs-of-war. After the war ended, most collier brigs kept their painted ports just as decoration, as did many of the big iron and steel windjammers, right up to the end of the days of sail in the early years of the 20th century. These are, for some strange reason, often referred to as "working ships," but in truth ALL merchant ships were "working ships!" Bob 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Another beautiful little ship Bob, as usual lovely modelling! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Beautiful subject, beautiful model as always. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLC1966 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 ShipbilderMN, the ships you build are always lovely to look at. Got to go back through your posts now to see if you have ever done a WIP, if not, why not, would be really interesting. Once again, great work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Another lovely build Bob, keep em coming, just awesome works of art, all the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs2man Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Absolutely superb Bob . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Excellent work again Bob, and I love reading about their history when you put these models online. I must get back to my Knight Templar build again... Keep them coming please, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Im always amazed at the patience it takes to Rig sailing vessels and Bi-Planes. Great work on this 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cngaero Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 It's great to see another one of your beautiful models Bob and this one certainly doesn't disappoint, especially as she hails from my neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing it with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Thanks, But it doesn't require much patience at all, because I am very much lacking in it. As I said, building the whole thing only took 25 hours and the masting and rigging was only a small portion of that time! I was in the coal trade myself years ago (1962/63) sailing out of Tyne Dock in the colliers Wandsworth and Frederick T. Everard. Something like this takes about a week to rig, and is quite repetitive, but it still doesn't need any great amount of patience. Bob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I agree with PLC96 it would be great to see a WIP thread on one of these. 👍If you have already done one I have never seen it. Great work as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Thanks Steve, I have sent you a PM - Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seadog Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Collier Brigs, somewhat unloved but vital. Lovely model Bob. Good to see one modelled! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Thanks, Here is a picture of me when I was a "collier lad," aboard the South East Gas collier Wandsworth, 56 years ago. I am on the left of the photograph. Like an image from a bygone age, (I suppose it was). Bob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Another superb model, always a pleasure to see your work. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seadog Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 19 hours ago, ShipbuilderMN said: Thanks, Here is a picture of me when I was a "collier lad," aboard the South East Gas collier Wandsworth, 56 years ago. I am on the left of the photograph. Like an image from a bygone age, (I suppose it was). Bob You look happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Yes, I was - very! We were anchored off Southend Pier in pack ice. Shortly after, we hove in the anchor and scrunched through it up the Thames to Wandsworth gassworks, where I paid off, and went home, and that was the end of my collier days (thank goodness). My next ship was a 10,000 ton iron ore carrier called Sagamore, (Furness Withy) that was more to my liking! Here is a link to a famous Wandsworth painting - It looked better than it was! http://collection.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/co526272/painting-south-eastern-gas-board-collier-wandsworth-oil-painting Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seadog Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Very low-slung! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 They were called "flatirons" designed to be able to get under the London bridges! It was the only twin-funelled ship I sailed in, but they were only dustbin sized and half the height of a dustbin. They stood next to each other, and were not even visible from the outside! We had two telescopic masts that disappeared into holes in the deck, and the same with the radar scanner. 1,792 gross tons, and could get as far up river as Wandsworth. She has been at the bottom of the sea for almost 50 years now, being sunk in collision with the liberty ship Rio Tajo off Lisbon in 1969, after being sold foreign, and sailing under the name Pietro Rembado! The other three in the photograph are left to right, 3rd engineer, chief engineer and 2nd engineer. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 3 hours ago, ShipbuilderMN said: http://collection.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/co526272/painting-south-eastern-gas-board-collier-wandsworth-oil-painting Have you modeled that one? It would make an interesting change and no rigging! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 No, I haven't built it. Not a very attractive ship. Just a coal barge with accommodation. Very little interest in such ships nowadays. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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