"JaBear" Gidday Fred, I've only researched, (read skimmed the surface) the Detroit River ferries and they all appear to have lifeboats. I say "appear" because though I haven't seen a photo, when they were self propelled, of one without a life boat, no doubt I would be proved wrong. Any how this is just the excuse I've needed to post a link to this great photo, every time I look at this I am almost persuaded to sell all my gear and model the 1900s. http://www.shorpy.com/node/14494?size=_original#caption Cheers, the Bear.
Gidday Fred, I've only researched, (read skimmed the surface) the Detroit River ferries and they all appear to have lifeboats. I say "appear" because though I haven't seen a photo, when they were self propelled, of one without a life boat, no doubt I would be proved wrong.
Any how this is just the excuse I've needed to post a link to this great photo, every time I look at this I am almost persuaded to sell all my gear and model the 1900s.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/14494?size=_original#caption
Cheers, the Bear.
Very interesting photo, thanks for linking. The passenger compartment appears too big for just the ferry's crew. So I suspect there was the ability and the need to ferry a couple of passenger cars as well as freight. It would be interesting to know whether passengers were ever carried.
OTOH, I only see one lifeboat (possibly a second on the other side), which would not hold all the passengers the ferry was capable of carrying. Typically, the more compact rafts would be used to make up the capacity difference. The boats were for the ship's officers and senior crew - rafts for the rest! And the addition of rafts was only after the advent of safety regulations that came about after multiple tragedies. Sorry I don't have good dates about the requirements for and development of life rafts.
Fred W
"JaBear" Any how this is just the excuse I've needed to post a link to this great photo, every time I look at this I am almost persuaded to sell all my gear and model the 1900s. Cheers, the Bear.
I must say, that's one fine photo.
And remember, a dual-era layout allows you to have twice as many trains!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
"JaBear" Frank, if any one was offended by your statements they'd have to have a very thin skin, thinner perhaps than an egg shell. Cheers, the Bear.
Frank, if any one was offended by your statements they'd have to have a very thin skin, thinner perhaps than an egg shell.
JaBear,
I was offended by Frankie's statement, but, then, I am offended by all of Frankie's statements.
Rich
Alton Junction
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Bear,
I hope I didn't sound,offensive in my statement,,sometimes I'm too blunt in my comments...But try a straw,on the eggs,,the trick is making the hole..
Cheers,
Frank
richhotrainI could pay for them with some of my Fiji War Bonds
Gidday Rich, I'm not sure you've got enough. and that's just for the freight, thanks for the kind words though,. I've been asked before why I don't model New Zealand Railways Simply its because of the cost of the locomotives and because virtually everything has to be scratch built., so what am I doing for my own first major project?, yes, scratch building
Seriously I'd be looking at Chucks option,thanks for the tip, there's some nice looking stuff available, if it wasn't for the freight costs to this side of the world.
zstripe. I won't go into,,how many times,,I crossed the, ''Ambassador Bridge in Detroit'' Gee Frank the next time I start to try to" teach my Grandmother how to suck eggs" please let me know.
Need some HO scale 25 foot life boats? A quick Google glance led me to several suppliers.
Of course, they are catalogued as 28 footers - in 1:96 scale.
1:96 is a common nautical model scale. 1:87.1 isn't.
Chuck (Ex-USMMA Cadet-Midshipman modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Geez, I like JaBear's life boats the best.
I wonder if he would build some for me.
I could pay for them with some of my Fiji War Bonds
BEAR,
I won't go into,,how many times,,I crossed the, ''Ambassador Bridge in Detroit'' on my way to Toronto,Ontario by truck,I came back,via,Sarnia,Ot,at Port Huron,Mi,,,to Grand Rapids,Mi. where CSX, had a trailer drop yard..I was leased to CSX Intermodal Trk Ops. at the time..A lot of times,I had more Canadian Money in my pocket than American,,,for anytime you gave them American money,they gave you back,Canadian money and kept the US money..
Gidday Frank, in 1905 the "Detroit" was one of the Michigan Central Railroad Detroit River fleet, crossing between Detroit and Windsor. If you're interested enter, "Ambassador Bridge, Detroit, MI,United States", into Google Maps and you will see just to the right of the bridge the remains of three ferry aprons used by the Pere Marquette and Wabash. Go further right and across the river you will see the site of the Canadian Pacific Railway Ferry Ramp Locations. This was one river crossing, I gather back in the day there were others which haven't survived the developers.
Thanks for sharing that pic,,,Without knowing,where it is at,,aside from the Ferry,,it looks like a part of the Chicago River,in winter....I like the arch bar trucks,also...
Unless the ferry was used for passenger trains - I remember reading of such an operation by the SP in San Pablo Bay - there would be no need or reason for more than one lifeboat for the crew. Cargo doesn't need/rate lifeboats or liferafts. In Army parlance (I was Coast Guard), "....certain losses are acceptable..."
Lifeboats would be used for ocean-going vessels or crossing the Great Lakes, but life rafts would be sufficient for harbor operations. If the prototype modeled pre-dates life rafts, it's quite possible there would be nothing for a harbor or river ferry.
just my thoughts and experiences
Gidday Karle, while researching lifeboats I came across this link......................
http://www.crowriverproducts.com/11_CoveredLifeboat_Davits.htm
I don't know what length these are in scale feet, but with the davits, could possibly kill two birds with one stone. Incidentally mine are 20 feet in length.
If you don't mind,are you building any particular car ferry?
Sylvan makes HO scale life boats.
Here: http://www.internettrains.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IT&Product_Code=SSM-DP-0020&Category_Code=
And here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-LIFE-BOAT-Model-Railroad-Boat-Ship-White-Metal-Detail-Parts-SPP72-/400577764191?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5d444b9b5f
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
I dunno about bought ones, but JaBear whipped up a few nice little ones just last week. Take a peek here:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/220823.aspx
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Hi all I am building a model of a railroad car ferry and I'm looking for a source for lifeboats (not life rafts). I checked the Walters catalog and none of the boats there are appropriate. Can anyone suggest sources for HO life boats. Even the model ship websites I check come up nil. Thanks for the help.