Steamer Primer Pics

The detail view of my side wheel steamer. Note the vents from a Flower Class Corvette. The mast is from the steamer but has been moved and reconfigured into a more modern version.

Here is the steamer all primer painted. Overall, it turned out pretty good I think.

Starboard rear quarter view of the steamer. Note the 37 mm AA gun on the stern.

Looks ready for action. I do intend to paint it eventually. I tend to paint models in groups so I am working on some other projects and this one will be painted with them. I don't like dragging the air brush and compressor out and only doing a couple models.

This was a big project, convert a pre-American Civil War 1/128th scale steamer into a 1945 era German vessel in 1/72nd scale but I think it worked out okay. The model was all assembled when I got it, so I had to do the conversion work on a completed kit. I think it would have been much easier on an uncompleted model.

A similar conversion could have been done to make this ship into an ACW or American West ship in 1/72nd scale or maybe for pulp gaming in the 1930's. Loads of possibilities.

Paddle Wheeler

At the end of WWII the Germans were using anything that would float as a warship. This is the Lindberg kit of a side wheeler steamer, not unlike those used during the ACW. The kit is about 1/120th scale, so part of the conversion involves making is pass for 1/72nd scale.

I blocked in the lower works, I used very thin sheet styrene. I wrapped it around the kit, and glued it down. I had to strengthen the bottom by using some plastic "angle iron" to keep the plastic in place.

Naturally, the ROBT E LEE will have to go, but first I plated over the front part. I was not too worried about it being a scruffy job, the ship will be an old and tired sailor.

I removed a lot of cargo, railings and other bits as part of the conversion. The windows were a bit small, so I raised up the small cabins to make them appear taller.

I left the rear railing in place, while it is very tall on the original, on the 1/72nd scale version it will be about waist height.

Britannia Miniatures makes this WWII German 20 mm anti-aircraft gun. I plan on using at least two of them on this ship. Even an old ship taking refugees back to Germany needed protection against Allied aircraft.

Side Wheeler

The Lindberg side wheel steamer project is still in the works. Here I have removed the pilot house and re-arranged the upper works. I cut down the smoke stacks and moved them into position with one fore and one aft, rather than side by side as they are in the kit.

The upper works are badly damaged and have a smooth surface. I am plating them over with a sheet of styrene plastic that has planks scribe in it. I have to cut out the notches for the side wheels. The center of the upper works has a huge hole in it that was previously covered by the uppermost cabins and bits.

I got a couple clamps on the upper parts holding the new upper deck panel in place. This is kind of a long term project. The planning is taking a while and I do intend to arm the vessel. I had to order the weapons from Britannia Miniatures in the UK. It took a couple weeks for them to arrive, pretty fast service from half a world away.

Side Wheeler

Lindberg made a kit of an American paddle wheel steamer from the mid - 1800's. They built it about 1/120 scale. I am going to convert it to a World War Two era German boat. My friend Randy from Fidelis Models purchased the model, used and assembled, a couple years ago. It has been bouncing around my garage for all that time. These are some of the bits I removed from the model.

I tore off all the cotton bales, and tanned hides and most of the upper superstructure. The kit was so old that the plastic was a bit brittle. I am updating the ship by 100 years, changing it from American to German and increasing the size from 1/120 to HO scale.

At one point, the kit was pretty well done. The model had rigging and lots of other details. I had to remove most of them, and the previous owner used big globs of glue.

Once the upper works are removed it has a very smooth clean line. I am planning on plating over the upper deck with new sheet plastic to give a deck surface similar to the lower deck.

The ship model looks much like an old derelict ship, docked in a backwater harbor someplace. Removing the upper works took a long time, then the residues had to be scrapped off. This is going to be a long term project.