"Tramp Steamer build (15mm or 1/100th-ish scale)" Topic

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.

Nice.

So if I wanted to kit bash one, what is retail?

Hard to tell, Saber6, since my builds are amortized (eg; the Trawler's hull below-waterline will go towards an ACW build, as will the tugboat's) and I've been a judicious shopper

The Lindberg kit has a longer hull, but the Revell offering is cheaper link

Combined with the tugboat and Robert E Lee links in the first post, you can work out whatever the cost would be for your locality.

Check out the builds by Serious7/Sumpter250, which are a bit more modern (perfect for African small wars), cheaper and simpler.

link

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Nice. I used a Hobby Lobby trawler with a little adjustment for my tramp, the "Esmeralda."

Shagnasty, thanks – got pics of yours?

I also have a Hobby Lobby trawler modified only a bit to serve as a tramp steamer, cause wholesale conversion of ship models is way beyond my ability.

Looks great. My idea of converting a model is cutting a full hulled Hobby Lobby vessel down to a waterline vessel.

Sorry, no. My adjustments were not much beyond what 79thPA said.

I'm in the same "boat" as the above fellows. N'yuk-n'yuk!

For those of you running Pulp campaigns, this clickbait site purports that the wreck of the Cotapaxi recently appeared off the Cuban coast recently.
link

Save your googlefinger, these are the worthwhile images

…and this is the "official" story
link

Just a quick update 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