Author Topic: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)  (Read 9868 times)

Offline Story

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Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« on: June 28, 2016, 08:58:26 PM »
Greetings.

First build post here. Not so long ago, I acquired a Lindberg North Sea Trawler in a trade. Not being one to leave well enough alone, I decided to try a variation of the VENTURE tramp steamer, as found in the 2005 version of the movie KING KONG ( see Josh Baré's digital 3D model here http://www.joshbare.com/Gallery/kk_venture_model2.html ).

The intent is that the end product will be suitable for 15mm tabletop wargaming, from 1895 to 1939.

Dumb luck struck, since the movie company did their own 1:1 style kitbash. Scroll down to the SS Manuia - she was a Dutch coaster built in 1956, bought in 2004 to become the 1930s tramp steamer used in the movie!

www.nzcoastalshipping.com/dutchcoasters.html

So after re-watching the movie and scouring the interwebz for more still images, I raided a Revell Robert E Lee steamboat kit (from the same trade deal, already looted for it's hull and paddle wheels http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Lindberg-1-163-Robert-E-Lee-Steamboat-Kit-p/lin-70864.htm ) for some decking and acquired a Revell Tugboat for it's superstructure (http://www.revell.com/germany/ships/80-5207.html#.V3JymI-cGM8 ).



Massively large cargo hatch is floorboarding from a 1:24th scale tractor trailer kit.



Had a few false starts on design concepts.


So after whittling away some extraneous plastic and raiding the spares box (for iron balcony grating from AHC's HO scale San Francisco style houses), this is where she is at the moment.




Obvious remaining work is obvious.

« Last Edit: June 28, 2016, 09:59:26 PM by Story »

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2016, 09:34:26 PM »
Looking interesting, so far. :))

Keep up the good work! :)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2016, 10:14:47 AM »
This is looking good! I love those old tramp steamers. I wanted to make a 1/350 scale tramp steamer similar to the SS Manuia... but my skills aren't quite up to it.

Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2016, 10:35:00 AM »
Thanks, Gentlemen.

Frank, LOVE your work (http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/marathon.htm)- was on your page earlier today, stumbled onto it by accident while doing some research on a different build.


Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2016, 04:08:09 AM »
Tramp steamers, actually most merchant stuff is woefully under-represented, at least from what I've seen. Outside of the Titanic, Lusitania, QE2 or odd Cutty Sark here ant there. A project like this cheers me and the possibilities are endless.

Looks like you're off to a wizard start!

Brian da Basher

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2016, 01:14:00 PM »
like this... be putting a hearty Aaarrgh in the hearts of many
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2016, 11:38:11 PM »
Frank, LOVE your work (http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/marathon.htm)- was on your page earlier today, stumbled onto it by accident while doing some research on a different build.


Thanks! I really should build an accurate tramp steamer.

Loose Cannon makes some 1/700 Japanese "Steel Trucks" that are a good source of inspiration and ideas, especially if you get stuck on a detail or two:

https://lots-of-models.myshopify.com/products/loose-cannon-1-700-japanese-steel-sea-trucks-qty-3-resin-model-kit-lcm0120#

Here's a paper card 3 island steamer: http://zealot.com/threads/1-300-olza-polish-piece-goods-ship.147373/


Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2016, 12:14:08 AM »
Wow, thanks - I was aware of this style of shipping but had only read of them in context of being targets of Allied forces. See other thread here - http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=6516.0

« Last Edit: July 15, 2016, 03:20:35 AM by Story »

Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2016, 12:30:18 AM »
Continuing with the Tramp Steamer, doing each deck as an independent build



Not sure what I'm going to do with the aft structures, yet.





American quarter dollar coin (just under 25mm) shown for scale

« Last Edit: July 15, 2016, 03:21:49 AM by Story »

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2016, 06:59:41 PM »
That solid aft structure is unlikely have existed on most ships (civilian or military) but you could well have had an awning on a frame over the aft deck.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2016, 10:54:42 AM »
Detail from Josh Barre's 3D model, from the original as linked in the first post.



See also http://www.serkis.com/images/kong/00038.jpg
« Last Edit: July 17, 2016, 10:57:19 AM by Story »

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2016, 05:57:26 PM »
If you're enclosing underneath it, that's normal, but if you're leaving that long an overhang, that's abnormal.

Note that neither image shows more than a metre of overhang & that both have air vents into (probably) engineering spaces directly below.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2016, 01:37:40 AM »
  but if you're leaving that long an overhang, that's abnormal.

Ah. Yes, that's what I meant about "not being sure what I'm going to do back there" - this is a cannibalization-as-one-goes project (kind of like the Deathmobile in Animal House), guided only by design pragmatics; gonna need some watertight doors further after, probably could use another stairwell to the crewdeck and the gunwales need to be cut for at least four aft mooring chocks.

Think the aft deckhouse will need to hold a surprise as well.

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #13 on: July 18, 2016, 05:47:46 PM »
Well, keep up the good work! I'm liking the build. :)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2016, 10:45:14 AM »
Yes, proceeding along nicely

Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #15 on: November 08, 2016, 01:41:40 AM »
That modern bow annoyed me, so I did what Wetaworks did in reality for the KING KONG movie.

Lopped off the old one, found a period-correct (ish) donor from a SHELL WELDER kit.


Offline Story

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2016, 02:12:39 AM »
New bow grafted on, filling and blending to follow.






Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Tramp Steamer (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2016, 02:28:24 AM »
Looking good
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