This is a 487' long 1st generation container ship that would have entered service in the mid-70s. It still uses a modified tanker hull but was purpose-built for containers and modern, compact power plants. It has six full-width hatches (seven containers wide)and six wide fore and aft hatches. This means its capacity was about 1000 TEUs, or 500 containers. These are nearing end of life, but are still used between smaller ports, and as feeder ships. The model is built with cast resin bow, stern and hatches, built up styrene for the middle section of the hull and superstructure, custom photo-etched railings and stairways, and many custom details such as winches, masts, ventilators, davits and lifeboat. The model is 36.5" long. The midsection hull can be extended up to 80' or shortened up to 100' in about 20' intervals by custom order. Here's an overall view from the port bow: Here's a closer look at the superstructure. The rear bracing structure can also be supplied for other hatches. And here's a view from the stern. The ship is of the Ever-Spring class built for Evergreen shipping. A built-up model, custom painted and decaled is $950.00 US, plus shipping and insurance. A complete kit containing all details (but not commodities like paint and glue) is $375 US, plus shipping. Extending or shortening the hull is an extra $50 US. I will be showing this ship at the N Scale Convention in Milwaukee in late June. More information from peterknolan@gmail.com. My web site is in production.
N scale containers are still in the pre-production stage. The first molds for individual containers were failures. I'm also trying to work out a method for populating the decks with "containers-in-bulk." The idea is a central core that can be surrounded on the outsides by individual containers. It will probably be September before I get back to trying to supply an inexpensive method for populating the ships. BTW, the Z scale containers and central bulk pack turned out well, so I hope my second try will be marketable.
Saw Pete's ships in Milwaukee, and as a container hound m'self, I was drooling! They are very nice. I think the center of the block should be solids, but the detail and color variation on the outer layers would be best served as plastic ones. Unless, of course, you are modeling the Evergreen photo-op day, in which case they are all the same color! :teeth:
Now that I've built seven of them, the price has risen to $1250. The built-up version is now available only by order, with a 6-8 week building period. The kit version is sold out, and probably won't be re-run until early 2015, and will probably be replaced with a more modern ship. The T-2/T-3 hull is available in a tanker/break-bulk freighter version (1947—1980 period). My web site should be up shortly.
