Gorsefield – 1922-1958

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Steam collier Gorsefield – Scratch-built.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Beautiful as always Bob.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Richard,

I was very pleased with the way the Gorsefield turned out. I am now three-quarters way through producing a comprehensive download on the building of the model, and maybe even have it printed in book form as well.

This is more a "labour of love" than anything else, and the best I am hoping for is that it will break even, as most comments seem to revolve around "I could never do that!" But the subject (British steam coasters) seems to be moderately popular.

Best wishes

Bob

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Bob, I think we are all of an age still, just, when we can have some sort of connection to such vessels. In my case my father started his career on tramp ships, his first trip was 18 months, as well as time on a collier the Cliff Quay, before settling into a more structured career with Manchester liners.

Even the Gorsefield seems to have a connection for me as she was still around for a year after I was born. I did quite a bit of research into British Steam Coastal vessels when I started to build my own Ben Ain and was really surprised at the conditions crews worked in during the 1920s before the Board Of Trade started to introduce some conditions. Certainly the CV Waine series of books seem to be very popular so I'm sure such a book from yourself would be equally. You just have to produce it while our generation are still around!

I consider myself to be very lucky to have just caught the end of the best days of the British Merchant Navy so I at least saw what it was like before it all disappeared. When I started with Manchester liners, all officers, including cadets, enjoyed silver service in the officer's mess and their cabins serviced by a steward once a day. I even used to get a call half an hour before my watch with a cup of tea from my cabin steward. Good days!

Edited By Richard Simpson on 07/10/2021 10:06:13

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

When I was in colliers in 1962/63, the Cliff Quay was still around, and we met from time to time in port.I have most of the CV Waine books and find them excellent, especially the plans. He was going to publish one of my manuscripts in the early 80s, but decided that my models were not up to his high standards, so it was all cancelled. After numerous rejections from all the mainstream model and merchant navy publications I gave up, although I wrote fairly regularly for Model Boats at that time, and later a number of years with Model Shipwright, ending only when they abandoned model shipbuilding publications in 2013.. Eventually, I took up "vanity publishing" and paid for my books to be printed and marketed them myself, finally registering Shelterdeck Publishing in about 2014, and that continues to be very successful with all the printed books currently sold out, and over 50 titles in E-books and articles.

CV Waine inspired me to take up drawing the plans myself, and although I still fall far short of his standards, feel that I am acceptable at it, and it saves a lot of money drawing them myself and not having to pay fistfulls of £s to museums archives etc.

I was fortunate at sea, hanging onto a 1963-built passenger ship until 1990, when I had to move onto the brand new replacement for my final two years.

But generally, happy years from 1961 through to 1992.

Bob

 

Edited By Bob Wilson on 07/10/2021 14:06:23

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Bob,

Another lovely job, I have been following the build on your Facebook page, I'm in the dolrums with the Everard's Stability at the moment but it will get finished for next season

I have the CV Waine book a major insperation bought 30 years ago and Built Briarfield from the drawings.

All the best Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 08/10/2021 18:46:42

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hello Ray, I built the Briarfield as well from the Waine books, also Shotton, Cordene, Briarfield, Doris Thomas, Errington Dunford, Holme Force, Glen Helen, Newton Hall, Dashwood and probably others that I can't remember. Here is Ashfield: – If I stop a model part way through, I always find it hard to start again, but once I make the effort, it is soon OK again! – Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 09/10/2021 07:38:25

Edited By Bob Wilson on 09/10/2021 07:39:11

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Bob

Just how beneficial were those tiny sails. please?

Thank you

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hello Bob,

I don't suppose they were of much use, and I doubt if they were ever set – not worth the hassle. I only put them on the Ashfield model because the person I was building it for, wanted them set!

With the Gorsefield, they removed the mizzen mast quite early in the ship's career.

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thought so, Rob

Thanks

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I am always in awe of your models Bob……..love them all, sail, steam or motor driven ships.

However, I have never seen you build a model of a large steam or motor trawler from the 1930's to 1950's.

Have you ever built one, or been asked to build one, and if so, did you ever photograph the model.

I know at a usual size in reality they were only 130 – 190' in general, and as such would be a very small model in your chosen scale, but just wonder why I have never seen such a model from you.

Neil

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 02/11/2021 19:25:41

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, Yes I have built them, although I must admit, I have never been very interested in fishing vessels. Here are Margaret Wicks and Kingston Diamond. Although there is no pen there, they are both quite small, less than 12 inches in length.

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i am glad i asked Bob, as not only did i see them both regularly sailing in and out of Fleetwood, but i also during my university days supplied consumables to both ships during my summer holidays working for a company called COSALT.

The Margaret Wicks had a distinction about her.

From the day she was launched until the day she went to the scrappers she had a permanent 4 degree list to port, and even the trimmers could never fix this even with loading the starboard bunkers to over max……

those are beautiful models Bob and a credit to both yourself and those beautiful ships that sailed daily from Fleetwood.

thank you so much for posting th pictures.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Neil,

I was never convinced about the colour of Margaret Wicks, I felt that it had a black hull and the photograph made it look grey/blue that is the colour my client wanted it. But it turned out very well. I got the plans of both of them from the Hull archives. Also build Red Falcon and Samuel Hewitt, but not sure I have photographs of them,

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

maggie wicks sailed with numerous hull colours including grey and i'm sure blue as i think she sailed for the Hewitts firm.

my favourite but sadly tragic trawler was Red Falcon. have built two versions of her, both at 1;32 scale. one is in a show case in Fleetwood Museum, the other, pictured went to a privte collector.

She was about 68" long.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Do you have any pictures of your Doris Thomas Bob? It would be interesting to see what you made of her and how it compares with my own version.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Neil,

I saw the Red Falcon model at the Fleetwood museum some years ago, when I was building mine.

Richard

Afraid not. I built Doris Thomas many years ago and did not even take any photographs of it. Sold it to a local (Preston) collector – now deceased, and it has not re-appeared.

From time to time, they tend to turn up on either Ebay, or auctions, often selling for many times more than I got for them. Here is an extreme example, Clan MacTaggart, that sold at Charles Miller Ltd for £3,968! **LINK** You can enlarge the image by clicking on it. I sold it for less than £500!

I am quite convinced that obscure or semi-obscure model ships sell far better than the favorite subjects, but very few model shipbuilders will accept this.

Bob

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