this model was made from a set of mouldings purchased from the internet, they were for a 1944 Birch class empire tug, the one I chose to make was the Empire Walter, later re named Sea Queen and she worked in the Bristol and Avon area.
I am restoring a tug that is named "Avon Queen" she is a Birch class Empire tug.I have looked for her history, but only came up with Sea Queen. I wondered if you knew if there was an Avon Queen and what her empire name was. The model I have originally had a live steam engine in it, taken out before I bought it. She is 1.6m (5'3") long 1/20th scale.
This tug was made from a Tito NerI tug kit and modified to make it look more like one of the local tugs near my home, she is fitted with two azimuthing propellor units driven by 900 size motors and a bow thruster unit
Here are some pictures of my new tug boat under construction. it is almost finished. I made some changes to make the tug look like a Turkish tug around 1930's. Her Turkish name is Kalender. Original kit is 1/30 scale Panart Anteo model, 890 mm long.
Scratch built New York Harbour tug. Wanted something different from the norm. Quite powerful, too much really had to power her on 6v even though she was geared down. Up for sale now on ebay. Dont get the time to sail her much because of work.
Sometime around 1968 I found a small set of drawings, about A4 size, for Sct. Knud in (I think) Ships Monthly. So I enlarged to 1:32 scale and made my model plank-on-frame with GRP overcoat. She is powered by a 6V Pittman motor driving a self-made scale prop and 2:1 gearbox. Steering is effected via chain and quadrant as per prototype! Everything bar the anchor, anchor chains and steering chains is self-made using a variety of materials (brass, plastics, 'Perspex', and copper electro-deposited cowl vents). Recently I fitted her out with LED lights: interior, navigation and working. One might notice that I abhor a working boat looking like "Daddy's yacht" and so I apply custom dings, stains, oil spills, scratches, wear and tear to my tugboats 😀 My Knud runs as well today as she did 45 years ago and in all that time has only needed one repair to her gearbox!
Hi, this is Hercules 51" L 14" Beam was scratched built
12 years ago . it's powered by 2 robbie 1000 off a 12v
battery with a vantec ESC . it has a working fire monitor
2 sound systems with 2 -4" Kort Nozzels .
It is all planked by Cherry veneer deck and superstructure
It olso has working lights for the night runs.
I run this tug evry weekend for the past 10 years and it
still looks new . I live in Whitestone NEW York and I
belong to the Empire State Model Mariners Club .
Check us out at Empire State Model Mariners RC Groups
I am Band1.
Mast Lighting fine parallel wires for mast lights or radar
I have found that a parallel ribbon cable from an old desktop computer (80 way type) are ideal for mast lights or working Radar etc. and can be glued down neatly.
The end connectors are easily removed without damaging the cable. it is possible to separate two or three insulated wires or however many wires or pairs you need to run to different areas of the hull or the superstructure.
For mast lights or radar etc, I found that wires in pairs are the best way to feed multiple pairs of wires up a mast tube etc. (It helps to feed wires through tubes with a dab of talcum powder to ease the wires through). I was able to run 4 pairs of these fine cables up a 3mm mast tube.
The wires are single strand insulated and easy to solder onto led's or bulbs with very fine heatshrink tubing to insulate. Because these wires are very fine the lights or radar supply should be fused at a low amperage rate. 250mA in my Tug.
BRAVO ZULU! That is a fine boat with every attention to detail. I especially love the fact that you have the proper dayshapes hoisted.
I am a USCG Veteran, QM3(SM)
Hi
Yes I did have a set of plans for Titan altho they were only about half sized so scaled them up on the computer. They then ended up about two inches shorter and 1 inch beamier than the fibreglass hull so had to adjust as I went along. The fibreglass hull is actually a 40year old zwarte zee hull which had previously been used [ not for a titan model] but the old model deteriorated over the years so the whole lot was stripped right down to the bare hull and started again reusing only the original decaperm motor, shaft and prop.
Both the titan plan and this model are based on the bustler class tugs.
Thanks, very interesting. My father's model is bread and butter in obechi. She is about 30 inches long and still has the original brushed motor. She is heavily ballasted and has a very purposeful sit in the water. Father refitted her at least three times, and I am just finishing the latest refit now. The first radio was an ED Black Ghost reed set. She has lots of 1950's Ripmax fittings - I ended up resin casting port holes to replace missing items. I will post some pix when she is finished.