The tramp steamer Framlington Court and the cargo liner Port Wellington

Bob

Armadale Castle

Bob

Bob – I had to remove the second image as it was 'stuck' to the first one. You need to leave a line between photos – another little 'fearture' I'm afraid!, but keep them coming.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 30/12/2012 17:23:52

Ashley,

Thanks. I stopped doing private commissions earlier this year – too much like hard work! Also, you hit the nail on the head when you say that patrons wishes come first. That is one of the reasons I stopped private commissions – I like to build what I like, when I like!

Only thing to add is that they are not "boats" They are ships! If in doubt, consider whether HMS King George V was a battleship or a battleboat Or whether RMS Windsor Castle was the flagship of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co. or the "Flagboat of the Union-Castle Mail Steamboat Co!"

This comes from my 30+ years at sea where, in 1961, first voyagers would get a belt round the ear for calling the ship a "boat!" Fortunately, I have always thought of ships as ships even from a very early age (goodness knows why, as my parents often refered to them as "boats&quot.

Bob

Thanks Colin,

Quite complicated as well. Far more difficult to build than sailing ships!

Here are two more. Union-Castle passenger ship Winchester Castle and a small diorama of an old tramp steamer driven ashore years before onto the Skeleton Coast of South West Africa.

Bob

Thanks Paul,

It has just been a matter of plodding along for several decades. I was first inspired by the miniatures of Donald McNarry in the late 1960s. He pointed me in the right direction. I was soon producing quite nice models of sailing ships, but found steamers far more difficult. Here is one of my first attempts at a miniature of my first ship, Rhodesia Star, that I joined in early 1961 for a voyage to Australia. It was pretty awful, but I persisted, and 26 years later built the one shown below. I continued to improve and the third model below is the British India liner Kenya. The Kenya, although one of my best, hardly attracted any interest at all in the London maritime auctions and after having failed to sell in two sales, went for a very low price – I never sent anymore after that (about 2 years ago). I had been selling them regularly at the London sales from late 1992 until 2 years ago. As I improved, they sold for lower and lower prices until I finally quit sending them to the London sales!

I spent 32 years in the Merchant Navy and before, during and after my sea years, I always built model ships!

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 01/01/2013 09:38:46