looking for a tug, barges, and other boats
want something that looks good but doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
EFchicagolooking for a tug, barges, and other boats
You've probably already done an Internet search, but if not, you might try that. There are more offerings in N scale than one might expect. A client has built up some Sylvan Scale Models kits that looked fine.
Google search string "N scale boat"
Google search string "N scale ship"
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I purchased an N scale waterline tug model produced by WIAD (a German Company) at a model train show recently. Its a simple kit, 7" long, 2 1/4" beam. I plan to make it into a HO river tug by scratchbuilding a new superstructure for it.
Jim
There are several n-scale railroad carfloat kits available. I have one in HO scale. It could be assembled without the rails as a barge.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If you can't find a good n scale vessel you like, and if your a kitbasher, I've heard you don't nessesarily need to use a hull from your scale to make an accuarate boat. I saw an artical in some book a bit back where a fellow use a hull from a kit in a completely different scale to make his HO scale boat. All that's important is the shape of the hull.
So if you want to take this route you could select a prototype and then head to the model boats section of the hobby shop and look for something about the correct size and shape. Then kitbash it with various n scale detail parts, and be sure to replace the obviously over/under scale stuff with n scale stuff.
Good Luck!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
I model in N scale and I recently purchased 2 boats from Model Tech Studios. The hulls of the boats came in one piece, which was nice. It took some time to paint and these kits have crazy amounts of details, but they are very nice. They have quite a bunch of different kits available (Tugboat, clipper, lobster boat, schooner....). I only had room on my layout for 2 boats, but after building them (and I am still not done with the work barge) I wish I had more water to place more boats. See below for my pictures. They are a little pricy, but if you have the time and patience, they have the potential to turn out very nice. I hope this proves helpful. Cheers!
-John Collins
20190407_021659 by John Collins, on Flickr
20190406_001401 by John Collins, on Flickr
Here is a list of some suitable ships for N scale.
I model in N scale and have a big port on my system, the erea is the 30's -45's.
Course some of the model mentionned are suitable for this period especialy.
N scale is the poor man for many things, ships are on the list even if a few models are available.
Often kitbashing or scratchbuild is the way to go; hull from existing models in other scale are suitable for a N scale use, don't forget a 363 feet or 120m steamer is nearly standard for most of them, but in N scale this is a lenght of 28".
Most of these model comes in plastic, so styrene, Evergreen and some parts of the kit ship are easy to scratch and kitbash.
You can do a hull from a piece of wood course, but to be realistic with all the curves the job is long, not easy and ask a long time of sanding, anyway superstructures, deck, details need to be scratch.
I mention Heller, in my list, because in my period the hull had a stern like sailing ship, and modify the bow is easy with piece of styrene.
But, more modern Hull are available in different scale; just avoid military hull because they are very specific and are far from a commercial hull.
I cut my hull to waterline; to do it I glue the model hull together, trace the waterline, cut the hull with a dremel disk at very slow speed and sand and ajust the cut with files and sand paper; the cut hull is glued on a piece of styrene again filled to mach the hull when dry.
The marine modeling has numerous details which are suitable for a kitbash, like anchor, winch, windsock, boat of rescue, chains, mooring bollard.
Here are some the ships I have used or in the way to be used for my layout,
Lindberg made years ago, in the 90's, a box with four small ships, three tugs and a fish boat, they are nearly 1/160 scale, probably a little bit smaller, but work well for N scale; these models appears time to time on Ebay and sell for a between 15-25$ without shipping; the ships need some rework to put finer details like mast
Lindberg also made some old model of war ship, in scale around 1/400-1/500; course the ship are to small but the hull are nice for ships from the 35's to the end of the 40's; again look on Ebay.
Course new deck and superstructures need to be scratchbuild.
Frog was a very old maker of plastic models, in their line a small freighter was the "shell welder" a small freighter of the 50's; this ship is around 1/140 but work extremly well for N scale, kitbashing this ship is easy to make a bigger model.
This old Frog model is made back again by a russian company, and you can find it easily on E bay for a few bucks just by looking after "Shell Welder" in the search input.
Meng a chinese company has offered a ship model from a film, this ship is a passenger steam ship; the scale is 1/155, perfect for N scale, again Ebay is a good source; this model come in a beautiful box and the instruction are in a real book; price is over 120$ but the level of details and the quality of the model is well worth the price.
Heller, a french company has offer several big sailing ship, these hull are a perfect starting point for a kitbash of a big steamer of the 30's, model of the "Passat" or "Pamir" are excellent starting point, lenght of the hull is 70 cm or more than two feet; again superstructures and new deck need to be kitbashed, scale is 1/150 so some part could be easily reused.
As mentionned, Modeltech studio offer some excellent ship models www.modeltechstudios.com
Also Langley a British firm offer some N scale ship; however they are not 1/160 scale but at British N scale www.langley-models.co.uk
It's important to mention a Netherland firm, Artitecht, which offer fine scale N model ships, fishing boat, ferry, passenger ship. www.artitec.nl
Sylvan model offer some N scale ships in N scale www.sylvanscalesmodels.com
Model sea port also offer some N scale model ships and some details and parts for N scale ships however in N scale avaibility seems not sure all the time www.seaportmodelworks.com
Here are some picture of suitable models I mentionned is this small review.
1. the lindberg four ships box
The tug and the ship boat are sometimes also available alone
2. the shell welder
3. heller sailship
4. the Meng ship
5. old Lindberg kit which hull are suitable
Some of my kitbash,
The shell welder,
Ongoing, the Q ship ( see more pictures at wpf 29-30 june 2019)
A lot of talk about ships . . . I need a ship. Actually, I need several. Ocean-going ships to be berthed at a deep-water port. Loading and unloading. Cargo: containers, automobiles, bulk ores. N scale. Between four and six feet long. About 8" abeam. Waterline models with decks that sit about 6" above the water and bridges about 6" above the decks. Similar to, but not necessarily exactly like:
I am prepared to scratch build each as necessary, but it will be a year or two (or more) before I can get to it; and then no telling how long to actually do it. I think I can get a hull based on 1:144 or 1:96 WWII-era battleships or destroyers for about $200, plus shipping. For a start . . .
Any ideas? Any takers?
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
am prepared to scratch build each as necessary, but it will be a year or two (or more) before I can get to it; and then no telling how long to actually do it. I think I can get a hull based on 1:144 or 1:96 WWII-era battleships or destroyers for about $200, plus shipping. For a start . . .
Sorry, but because I have used many ships and kitbash for my layout is for sure not a good idea to use warship hull to make a merchant ship.
The design of the hull is completely different in a warship and a merchant ship.
Warship hull are narrow and designed for high speed, even a battleship has a design for high speed and very narrow bow.
Merchant ship have large hull with just a compression for the bow and the stern like a big floating rectangular box.
It's not prototypical to use warship hull for a merchant ship and you will ended with a hybrid model.
About your big hull, some of the models which I have spoke about in this thread can be easily lenghtened by making a long hull piece between the bow and the stern using styrene and this for a very low price.
Superstructures are easy to scratch like the deck and mast.
It's not particulary difficult to make a hull which is high on the water, for an empty ship or low in the water if the ship look like loaded.
About a three of four feet long this is a ship of 210 meter or 640 feet; these are on the eceptionnal lenght and are ship of around 180.000tons; a look at the loyds register tell there are quiet seldom and are made for very specific purpose like petrrol tanker, ore carriers or container ones; anyway this kind of ship need to go to big ports with big facilities to work with them.
I will share some picture of 150.000 tons ships which enter in the Anvers port in Belgium one of the six biggest port in the world; these ship go through one of the biggest locks in the world, a double locks system in fact and you will see how huge these ship are; the locks is able to move two or three such ships in one round.
This mean enormous receipt dock, which mean in N scale a lenght of more than six feet to be credible; don't forget this.
I'm in the way to build a high lift coal dumper and build a steamer, which I have plan and numerous pictures,this ship was build in 1933 in Belgium; it's an ore carriers of 60.000 tons one of the biggest at his time with a around 160 m lenght or 484 feet and lost during the war by U boot torpedos; this ship is 100 cm in N scale, or 3 feet, so he eat more than 180 cm or nearly six feet for a credible dock where it can move and help by tugs
Just my opinion.
Marc
Logan Holtgrewe (Severna Park MR Club) built this icebreaker last year, using a large piece of balsa for the hull. He bought a couple big chunks of balsa 40 years ago to build a replica of a cruiser he served on in the Navy. After 40 years, balsa gets hard.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Marc_Magnus Sorry, but because I have used many ships for my layout is for sure not a good idea to use warship hull to make amerchant ship. The design of the hull is completely different in a warship and a merchant ship. Warship hull are narrow and designed for high speed even a battle ship has a design for high speed and very narrow bow. Merchant ship have large hull with just a compression for the bow and the stern like a big floating rectangular box. It's not prototipical to use warship hull for a merchant ship and you will ended with a hybrid model. About your big hull, some of the model which I have spoke about in this thread can be easily lenghtened by making a long hull piece between the bow and the stern using styrene and this for a very low price. Superstructures are esay to scratch like the deck and mast. Just my opinion. Marc
Sorry, but because I have used many ships for my layout is for sure not a good idea to use warship hull to make amerchant ship.
Warship hull are narrow and designed for high speed even a battle ship has a design for high speed and very narrow bow.
It's not prototipical to use warship hull for a merchant ship and you will ended with a hybrid model.
About your big hull, some of the model which I have spoke about in this thread can be easily lenghtened by making a long hull piece between the bow and the stern using styrene and this for a very low price.
Superstructures are esay to scratch like the deck and mast.
Hey Marc-
Yes, I am aware that warship profiles are very different from cargo ships. Hence, my lament that the only commercially available hulls are for warships. It seems that a lot of people want a scale model of Bismark, but very few are looking for Toyota Maru No 8. Dang!
Which leaves me with scratchbuilding. The largest ship planned for my N scale layout will be 6 feet long by 7.5 inches wide (960 feet long by 100 feet abeam). This approximates Panamax dimensions.
I plan to use a template similar to this:
I can generate a complete 3D model using AutoCAD and export the data to my milling machine. I plan to fabricate the hull from laminated basswood, or possibly maple or poplar. Something with smooth straight uniform grain. Balsa is too irregular in grain and density, and it is hard to get large blocks nowadays.
I will build a waterline model, so that means only the contours shown above the water line apply and the complex bottom of the hull can be ignored.
I figure I will need to design and fabricate an 18-inch bow section and an 18-inch stern section. Being a large containership, the middle 36-inch section will be basically a rectangle.
I'm not too concerned with the superstructure or other deck furniture because I can find many examples to use as prototype, and the usual scratchbuilding techniques will apply.
High quality paper models
https://scalescenes.com/dockscenes/
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Boatarific Mattell battery operated toyboats of the 1960's are very close to N scale and well detailed plastic models considering.
I had the harbor tug version as a child and acquired a new/old stock from ebay for my N layout harbor. I finished the Meng Model Steamer for the tug to attend.
Cheers..
I have a wide selection of N scale ships at nscaleships.com
Pete Nolan I have a wide selection of N scale ships at nscaleships.com
Hey Pete-
Thanks for the link. This is exactly what I've been looking for.
I will contact you via the message board on your website.
Here's a list of what I need right now (N Scale):
210' USCG Cutter Reliance
610' Great Lakes Bulk Ore Carrier
960' Container Ship
700' Automobile Carrier
750' LNG Carrier
(2) Hewlett Unloaders (plus various other dock structures)
I am looking for waterline models, but full hulls would be okay and I could modify them as necessary. I have extensive experience with computer design and drafting (AutoCAD), and I have a CNC milling machine and a Full Spectrum Muse Laser Cutter/Engraver plus the usual array of other shop and hand tools.
Thanks. I'm excited about this.
Thanks, Robert. The first two have exact models, the others models that can be easily scaled up or down as needed. I don't have an auto carrier and always thought a shoebox might serve well Seriously, I just haven't looked at them yet. Lots of volume might require some new design methods. All of the larger ships are waterline and built up from styrene sheet cut by a digital cutter. Many molded, photo etched brass, and 3D parts are used, and the entire parts list may come online in the next six months or so.