Hi again Y'ALL,
Further to my recent E-Mail above - I have found another supplier of thiis ubiquitous (Oooooh!) model Tug Boat Kit
But - whereas the Lindberg Model Kit is Plastic and runs out at about £20 -
this newly found Kit has a pre-carved solid wooden hull. and runs out at about $200 (although I have seen offers at $100.
Herewith is a description of the Tug Boat with some history included.
Mr. Admiinistrator - this description maybe superfluous to the Forum - in which case it should be removed. Otherwise "Waggons Roll"
“DESPATCH No. 9” - DIESEL HARBOUR TUG
by Model Shipways - Solid Hull Kit
The Diesel harbour tug “Despatch #9” was built for the Marine Corps in 1945 at Tampa, Florida from a US Army design. Later sold to Standard Oil of California, she worked oil barges in the San Francisco Bay area. Powered by a Busch-Sulzer 6-cylinder engine, she was equipped with practically every modern device of the time, including electric capstan, electric towing machine and watertight doors. “Despatch #9” was 85 feet. long with a 23 foot. beam.
Model Shipways “Despatch #9” kit features a pre-shaped, machine carved solid wood hull, shaped deck house and superstructure. Other wooden parts include dowels, strips, sheets and blocks. Brass wire and airports, plus over 80 cast Britannia metal fittings.
Clear plans and newly written instructions by Ben Lankford make building easy. (Wooden display base and brass pedestals are not included.)
Model Shipways Kit No. MS2011
Length 13-1/2" / Height 7-1/2" / Scale 5/32" = 1 ft.
Difficulty Rating: Entry Level
History of the “Despatch #9”
The original model plans and kit of the “Despatch #.9” were developed in 1949 by John Shedd, the original owner of Model Shipways in Bogota, New Jersey. These early plans and the kit have been updated with more detail and reissued by Model Shipways, Inc. and sold by Model Expo, a division of Model Shipways. New instructions are provided along with a more complete set of supplies for building the model. The fittings are now cast from lead-free Britannia metal and laser-cut wood parts have been added.
The Despatch was constructed from an Army design; “ST 85 Motor Tug” ( designated Army ST (small tug) 85'). The original design plans for the tug are in the Army Transportation Museum in Fort Eustis, VA. The Museum also has a model of the Army tug on display. There are some differences between the Army tug design and the “Despatch”, [changes required by the owner no doubt.] Primarily, the “Despatch” has a different towing winch and capstan, and some minor differences in the deck house compartments. The Army version also had railings on the pilot house top and two machine guns, and there was a lifeboat carried on the upper deck.
To incorporate the differences between the Army version and “Despatch”, John Shedd obviously had access to plans and information specific to “Despatch”. Unfortunately, none of the original information could be found. There are two other known tugs built from the Army design. The “Messenger” built in 1944 in New Orleans as an Army tug, but in 1946 was acquired by the Coast Guard. Likewise, “Angels Gate” started out as an Army tug, but soon became a commercial tug in California. What is nice about the “Angels Gate” is the fact that it is still around. The tug has been restored and is a floating exhibit at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. The tug is as built by the Army, except the machine guns have been removed. There are a number of photos of the tug on the Museums web site.
Description Size(MB)
MS2011-Despatch-Instruction_Manual-Complete.pdf
0.09
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