Thanks guys......
Domi, the platform still needs primer and the finished colors and lots if wear and tear and rust and weathering.
Alan, thanks man, I've been trying to follow your builds and the Grant is a smasher.
J Boilard, thanks dude, I'm honored.
Jean, as always thanks man !!!!
Murdo, aye, ........... while they're arguing the toss I'll try and score with this build !!!
Tim thanks man, not totally off the chart ............. a little Hollywood a little reality...........
Bob, thanks man,I've seen your work - beautiful, for me a couple of beers and a smoke or two and I'm thinking on stuff .......... please post some pics of your barge here. I'd love to see it, or send me pics at - [email protected] I know what you mean though about work. I used to climb poles and drive and work out of a bucket truck for 30 some odd yrs. in all weather except T & L storms. You'll find the time - don't waste it on not modeling. You'll get to be my age and wish you had your younger eyes to build with and all that lost time not building.
Speaking of barges I've got one of those in the works also on my too - do shelf.
Steffen, thanks man, I love ships, boats, armor, wingy thingies, sci - fi , oh yeah and the wife and kids. Even though I've always been partial to Julie Newmar [ Catwoman - Batman tv series ].
I'm keeping the light, I don't think it's all that heavy and the genny will naturally be below decks in the engine room. I've already got an exhaust stack for that. Like I stated earlier the 60cm was the smallest light and was carried on the same trailer as the 20cm aa gun. It's the same light that goes in the 251 uhu [ sp ? ]
I've also spent much of a lifetime fishing on some pretty old wooden boats. Much, much smaller than the craft I'm building. The pilot houses on some of these old boats we built flybridges on and sometimes had 4 or 5 200lb+ drunken shark and tuna fisherman on them.
This boats pilot house will hold a small searchlight , in 1/35th she measures out to about 60 - 65 feet and the top of the reinforced [ the decking I added ] pilot house measures out to be a cabin of about 15 x 12 - 13 feet.

Thanks again guys for taking the time to check this out.
Glenn

Bob some old barge and lift bridge pics from about 3 yrs ago. Get some inspiration !!!!!!! finish yours before I get to mine, l.o.l. These are still on my shelf waiting to get ignored some more.

I do know what I think when i am seeing your new pics Glenn, it's 2 fold
1/ Do you ever *paint* a model?
2/ wow, so great bit of building here once more, that bridge is ace!!

I just discovered this thread and I do not like it !

I just LOVE IT ! Great work and keep the fantastic pics coming Glenn !!! G.

Mahdi, thanks .... I think.

Jean, long story......... Before I retired I started building models with the hope that when I did retire I could get a place with a garage and a full basement. I started building projects and then stopped when they started getting too big because of space considerations. I shelved them to paint and finish when I got my new digs. Well the realestate market sucks right now and I'm not going to pay someone to buy my house, if you know what I mean.
So most things get built to a certain level then get put on hold, no room to display anything finished. [ not much room for the unfinished stuff either ] I am taking the family to Pennsylvania to look at new houses next week but I'll have to drastically reduce the price of my house to make the move. One step foward, two steps back. I usually like to build everything and then paint as a last step, unfortunatly I never get to the last step.
I do have painted finished models , but since I've been on a dio kick [ for 3 yrs. ] I havn't really shown them. Didn't think my work was that good.
Guy, thanks man I love your work also. Especially the 1/72 marvels that I wouldn't even be able to see to work on l.o.l.

The pics are about 5 years old so the photography is a little rookie.

It's great to see the drawbridge back. It still looks great.

Thanks Scott, one of these days I'll have to use it for a small dio with just the bridge and a vehicle and a couple of figs.

Lifeboat drill ........... The lifeboat is made from wooden coffee stirs .
The davits are drilled out to be operative in either stowed or a lowering position. All the parts except the I beam type davit arms are from the spare parts sprues from aa guns old tanks etc.
The davit design was loosely adapted from ref pics of the Titanic lifeboat stations.

Finished up the lifeboat & davits while watchin the Mets beat Cinnci in extra innings.
3 Miller Lites
Two ciggys
One DiGioerno supreme pizza

Oh and no spillage.

Nice job Glenn, your little boat alongside the handles looks really ace! Wooden coffee stirs, now that's bold and my kind of modelling

Then you see, about your place problem I understand you as I don't have any place myself, but then I am building small dioramas eh..
well i hope your house problem gets cleared soon enough, it's been some time you tell about it already

Yeah, I know, some think the searchlight is too heavy for the pilot house ............ I don't think it's that far of a stretch so here goes.

Spent the day making a stern pedestal mounted early mg 34 , bag fed. Also primed some other sub builds.

LOVE the combo of civilian and military! Beautiful work and just keeps getting better!
This has to be the best blending of ideas yet.Keep up the good work!

Looks real good once again Glenn! you know when working on my own boat I see that there was some special strengthening stuff below the gun so that the bridge doesn't collapse at the first shot -I think if you were to put some kind of iron stuff below your searchlight so as to straighten the cabin, you wouldn't face any comments of the "it's too heavy" type
The gun mount looks good, I like the way the ammunition is fixed

Hi Glenn,

You are busy these last days! I am myself in holidays and i'm trying to scale back a bit my online time so I missed thelast updates.
These are some great scratchbuilds, i especially like the boat. You are putting a lot of great ideas in here again!

Have fun

Claude

Hi Gloenn,

Outstanding work. I'd go with jba's thoughts on the search light, but I rerally have no ideea how much one might weigh, so can't say. The cabine might well have been strengthend with some steel beams inside. Strength or not it looks the part.

Nice work on the MG

Al

Bob , thanks man , I like straying from the norm and depicting something different yet plausible - I can live with a little Hollywood...................... a little.

Jean , thanks , there are support timbers under the planking for the light. I didn't want to add to much steel - so to speak as in properly engineered ships. I want to stick to field mod as much as possible with local materials , yet blend some German engineering as well.
To be honest with you there's no room fof structural braces from the pilot house to the roof deck anyway ....................... shhhhh.

Claude , thanks , I know what you mean , I take the kids crabbing and fishing and partying on the island ........... I can't keep up with them and it dosen't leave much time for me ................ but then again it makes for some really good eating !!!!!

Alan , thanks , I searched everywhere for a weight count on this bugger by to no answer. I do know it's the same searchlight as on the 251 Falke [ ? ] , so I don't think it weighs as much as my second wifes mother..............................

Not much to report but ............... a little painting and weathering. I also removed the step to the 5cm gun and moved it back closer to the pilot house and will add a step to enter the 5cm gun ring.

Hi Glenn,

Classic comment . Progress looks great, love the camo on the guns. Trying to find a home for that Italeri hoist lol, lol. I have several of those, not sure about this one as it seems to get in the way of the guns line of fire.

Is the purpose to lift the platform over the side? If so it's facing the wrong way I think.

BTW U Models do some German life Jackets and Warriors (I think) have some fairly decent U Boat crew you might be able to adapt.

It's a real joy to look at that's for sure.

Al

She's looking gorgeous Glenn! Congratulations for the big bit of work done -and with colour too! Now I would just suggest a bit of extra weathering on the deck? perhaps? Anyway, keep on the good work!

Glenn, things are coming along nicely. I like the lifeboat position you chose instead of the 1st method.

You're getting close

I have plans , maybe of adding r.r. elements to the dio on the pier.
I started with Ironsides flatcar [ a dog kit but useful for conversions ].





I'll be trying to create the shot up car in the ref pic.
First I took balsa wood to form the box.



Added a roof .........





I then took the tail gate and front portion from Italeri's Opal Blitz and chopped the pieces to create sliding type box car doors. A cargo door and an entrance door with a window,





Then I formed the coupla which will have operating windows [ the larger rectangular end ones ]









Hopefully I'll be able to create the shot up effect by applying thin plastic card and poking holes into it with an awl. I've experimented with this and it looks like it will work out fine.
My only concern is if the Italian railway systems were of the same gauge track as German r.r's. I may be able to get away with the shot up car only , but I am looking to add the BR52 and possibly some other Dragon cars. I actually have the Trmpeter 52 and the TankWorkshop 52 all in resin [ scary build !!!!! ] .
Any thoughts or knowledge on the Italian track gauge and if the afore mentioned German rolling stock operated in Italy.
Thanks in advance - Glenn

I just wanted to say that your work is incredible and I'm enjoying your post .Will love to see it finished Bob

Glenn-- you should write a book. This is outstanding creativity and skill seldom (if ever) witnessed by my humble efforts. Mind boggling project, wonderful to see.
DJ

amazing build its stunnnnnniiiiinnnngggggg i cant wait to see it finished with its crew


martyn

Bob from Mass. - thanks man.
D.J. - Virginia , a book ? ............... first I'd have to finish something , l.o.l. , most of the fun in this is creating and building if I ever finish something I'd surely consider a book or mag , ......thanks for the vote of confidence though. To me this is a hobby - my relax and beer time while making stuff.
I do have plans on making something of this whole mess ........... eventually ................ problem is I keep coming up with more things to add to the dio and after awhile it gets out of hand. The main thing is to keep modeling and have fun and don't count too many rivits.
Actually I'd be happy to just keep scratching and modelling and creating stuff cause it makes me happy .................... not One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest happy ................... but watching football and modelling and creating stuff happy.
Martyn, thanks man patrol boat is basically done , outside of weathering , next is the village - pier etc.

Some more on the r.r. car ............... I'll have double sliding doors on the other side and I still have to clad the rest of the car in Evergreen .................. then comes the cool part ............. bullit holing the heck out of it like in the ref. pic.

Thanks for looking - next post hopefully I'll have the thing done and primed ........... tommorrow is Saturday and Sci - Fi channel day so I should get alot done ......

Just noticed the wrinkling on the Evergreen from the Testors glue ............. actually planned ............... to add rust effects in corners and most likely wear and tear spots.

Hi Glwenn,

Railway car is coming along a treat. You're making me feel guilty

Great stuff.

Al