Mat Thompson
ocrrnet.ipage.com
Ships and Boats for the
HO Waterfront
Oregon Coast Railroad Waterways
Portland is Pacific Ocean Port
Portland water front served
by railroads
Small Fishing harbor
outside Hoyt Street
Railroad follows
Columbia River 100 miles
Astoria is Pacific Ocean port
Tillamook is fishing port
Ships and boats are purpose designed and purposes are
local…
…but if it floats, somebody always has a scheme…
Sails gone by World War I…mostly
Wooden boats until mid 50s, then steel
10% out of scale probably works
1/96 ship – OK
1/72 – probably too big
Manufacturers careless about scale
Old boats - wreaks or abandoned
What I think I Know…
What I think I Know…
Waterline models are best for layouts
Wash resin in soap and water
Resin requires filing and trimming
Solid wire for lines (Tichy .010, .015, .020)
European work boats = colors, U.S. = white
Oregon Coast Railroad Wharf
• Wharf – Sheet & strip styrene painted concrete
• Notice cleats and bitts and wooden snubbers
Oregon Coast Railroad Wharf
• Wharf – Sheet & strip styrene painted concrete - wood snubbers
• Notice cleats and bitts - Seaport Models
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS NA
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICULTY EASY
APPEAL GOOD
OCR Seawall
• Mr Plaster Seawall
• FOS Models construction barge
Campbell Piers
Campbell
• Currently available – $90
• All wood construction, great template
• Wharf has tracks
• Decking is panels - stripwood looks better
• Other craft kits makers have released wood piers
Walthers Pier
Walthers
• Currently available – crane pier $75, pier $22
• All plastic construction
• Piers have tracks – connect track to land
• 12 x5 – expansion sections available
• Piers can be perpendicular or parallel to land
Sylvan Ships
Laker Class Steamer Great Lakes Freighter
Great Lakes Lumber Ship West Coast Lumber Ship
OCR Tramp Steamer – Victory Ship
• 36x 7 soft resin kit (260 scale feet)
• Brief instructions, 3 piece hull, no rigging diagrams
• Available - $300
OCR Tramp Steamer – Victory Ship
• 36x 7 soft resin kit (260 scale feet)
• Brief instructions, 3 piece hull, no rigging diagrams
• Available - $300
• “The Lakers”, Mainline Modeler, Aug to Oct 1998
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS POOR
MATERIALS FAIR
DIFFICULTY HARD
APPEAL GOOD
OCR Freighter - Artitec
• Small Freighter – 160 feet
• Highly detailed resin casting and brass parts
• Available - $200
OCR Freighter - Artitec
• Small Freighter – 160 feet
• Highly detailed resin casting and brass parts
• Available - $200
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS EXCELLENT
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY HARD
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Painting
• Assemble major parts
• Spray paint primer
• Spray paint major color
• Use micro brushes for details
65 foot Islander – Seaport Models
• River steamer/mail packet/buy boat - 65 feet
• Nicely detailed resin casting and brass parts
• Available - $90
65 foot Islander – Seaport Models
• River steamer or mail packet - 65 feet
• Nicely detailed resin casting and brass parts
• Available - $90
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS EXCELLENT
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY MEDIUM
APPEAL EXCELLENT
If I had a million ($, hours, space) Deans Marine 1/96 scale offerings
Howard Lloyd article “Rail lines to the seashore” Model Railroader, March 2005.
Ship is kitbashed
S.S. Melanie II
Size: 36” by 5”
Cost: app $375
Dean’s Marine
OCR Tug Boats - Walthers
• Large Harbor Tug – raised pilot house to see over car float
• Plastic – hardest fitting is upper deck railing
• Pilot house lowered by trimming along inside cut line
• Available - $50
OCR Tug Boats - Walthers
• Large Harbor Tug – raised pilot house to see over car float
• Plastic – hardest fitting is upper deck railing
• Pilot house lowered by trimming along inside cut line
• Available - $50
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY MODERATE
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Pete LaGuardia NYC
Walthers Tug Boat
AMB Covered Barge
NYC Historical Society Paints
OCR Tug Boat – Seaport Models
• Steam tug “Exeter” 78 feet typical harbor tug
• Resin and brass fittings – good instructions
• Available - $100
OCR Tug Boat – Seaport Models
• Steam tug “Exeter” 78 feet typical harbor tug
• Resin and brass fittings – good instructions
• Available - $100
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICUTY MODERATE
APPEAL EXCELLENT
OCR Tug Boat - Sylvan
• Great Lakes Steam Tug Boat 84 feet
• Soft Resin, easy construction
• Available - $60
OCR Tug Boat - Sylvan
• Great Lakes Steam Tug Boat 84 feet
• Soft Resin, easy construction
• Available - $60
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICUTY MODERATE
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Floats and Aprons
• Walthers – 18 cars and 3 tracks, turnout on apron
• Frenchman River – 8 cars and 2 tracks with gauntlet track
OCR Float and Apron
• Walthers float with section left out – 12 car capacity
• Walthers apron modified with 3 tracks
• Use idlers cars to keep engine off apron
Artitec
• Dutch Company – European prototypes – paint for U.S. look
• Highly detail resin castings – few parts – painting is key
OCR Artitec Models
Fishing Boat
Wire lines
White paint
Launch
OCR Artitec Models
Fishing Boat
Wire lines
White paint
Launch
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY HARD
APPEAL EXCELLENT
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY MEDUIM
APPEAL EXCELLENT
French River
• Multiple locations for cabin
• Net - military modeling camouflage netting
Log Bronc
French River
• Multiple locations for cabin
• Net military modeling
camouflage netting
Log Bronc
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICULTY EASY
APPEAL ECELLENT
63’ Sardine Carrier - Seaport
• Typical fishing boat
• Soft Resin, wood, brass parts
• Available - $70
63’ Sardine Carrier - Seaport
• Typical fishing boat
• Soft Resin, wood, brass parts
• Available - $70
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS GOOD
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICULTY MEDIUM
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Sierra West
Sierra West RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS EXCELLENT
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICUTY MODERATE
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Get ‘em If You Can
Fine Scale Miniatures Pile Driver -- Sheepscot Barge
Get ‘em While You Can
Fine Scale Miniatures Pile Driver -- Sheepscot Barge
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS EXCELLENT
MATERIALS EXCELLENT
DIFFICULTY MEDIUM
APPEAL EXCELLENT
RATING THE MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS Ummm
MATERIALS GOOD
DIFFICULTY EASY
APPEAL EXCELLENT
Revell
Harbor Tug
Scale 1:108
Not waterline model
Hull kit basking – 62 feet HO
New York Fire Boat
Scale 1:87
Not waterline model
Hull kit bashing – 150 feet HO
Names and Markings
Left – Port – Red
Right – Starboard – Green
Names
Home Port – era
Funnel
Figures
Preiser HO 10352 Merchant Sailors Ashore
Preiser HO 10350 Industrial Workers and Dockers
Preiser HO 10351 Industrial Passengers Sitting
Preiser HO 10353 Ships crewmen
Walthers HO 3153 Tug Crew
Location Specific
Clyde Puffer - Scotland Station Track Float – NYC, big city
Menhaden – SE US Canal Boat - Europe
Location Specific
Bump End Barge – Big City
Lobster Boat – New England
Log Bronc– Sawmill Pond
Tow Boat – River, Inland Waterway
References
MODEL RAILROADER'S GUIDE TO MARINE
TERMINALS AND WHARVES by Bernard Kempinski -
NORTHWEST LEGACY – Sail, Steam & Motorboats by
Jeremy S. Snapp
WHERE RAILS MEET THE SEA by Michael Krieger
THE LAKERS by Eric Hirsimaki
“Rail lines to the Seashore”, Howard Lloyd, Model
Railroader, March 2005
“On the Waterfront”, Paul Dolkos, Dec 2015 – Jan 2016
Model Railroader