Some of My Steam & Motor Ship Models

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The tramp steamer Framlington Court and the cargo liner Port Wellington

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

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 needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. As usual very nice. I prefer the boats to be sitting in a sea but obviously if you are building to an order then the patrons wishes come first.

Ashley

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

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

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Steamship Papanui. This model was "posted missing" whilst awaiting sale at a London Maritime Auction House a few years ago Insurance paid up OK, but I often wondered where it ended up!

Bob

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Lovely models as usual, Bob.

I cringe when people refer to larger vessels as "boats" (Sorry Ashley). I was taught at an early age not to call ships boats, although there has been much discussion as when a boat becomes a ship. When we were on the QE2 I had to bite my tongue when I heard people referring to her as a "boat" At more than 70000 tons she was definitely NOT a boat!

Peter.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Cunard liner Carmania and troopship Dilwara.

Bob

[John ShireParticipant @johnshire55937]

Bob

Your models are superb and the attention to detail is amazing.

You have my admiration and respect.

John

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Your Dllwara has always been one of my favourites Bob, you have really captured the ship beautifully.

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

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

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Bob

I have to say that I am in total admiration of your skills, I really wish that I had your ability to produce such fine and detailed work.

I spent 20 minutes looking at a highly magnified view of your Winchester Castle and I am just stunned at what you can do.

I can only echo Johns comment in that you have my admiration and absoloute respect as I think that you are the finest modeller that I have ever seen.

Paul

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

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

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The Dutch cargo ship Oostkerk and the Dutch passenger liner Tjisadane.

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

sorry to say guys, but to refer to these as "nice" or "superb" doesn't really do them justice………….they are beautiful works of art, that I could only dream of building halfway near such stunning models…..I really admire your craftsmanship Bob….and they give me inspiration every time I see them

I don't have much interest in sailing vessels, but yours, set within a "Sea" bring them to life, and I love them all.

I must say though, that your wife also deserves praise for the way she brings those "seas" to life.

I just add my two penneth and say that my favorite of all your vessels is the wreck of the merchant ship on the Skeleton Coast….just love that one.

 

neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 06/01/2013 10:12:34

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Neil,

The Skeleton Coast shipwreck was inspired by this wreck, that went ashore in 1909 and is now a very long way from the sea!

**LINK**

I have seen the Skeleton Coast as we sailed past it quite close in 1965 aboard the old cargo ship Richmond Castle, but we did not see the Eduard Bohlen, although some others were visible – a fascinating place. The model is now in Hong Kong!

Bob

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Bob,

They are all stunning models, or should I say works of art. My favourite one I can't seem to find in your album – Glenmoor.

Tony

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Tony,

Here is the Glenmoor. Fairly straightforward model really and subject of my CD tutorial disk on miniature shipbuilding.

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 10/01/2013 21:16:29

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