I started this mostly to hone my scratch building skills before I try a different project I have in mind.
The USS Montrose kit is one of the old Revell ‘flat-bottomed’ kits from the '50s. The hull is based on a VC-2 Victory Ship. I’ll use the hull, and maybe can use some of the booms and kingposts, but everything else has to be scratch built. I got VC-2 plans from the Smithsonian Maritime Commission Plans collection.
The Montrose has a rise aft of the main superstructure that I cut off. I sliced a strip off the top of the hull piece just below the molded-on gangway features. This made the hull look too flat at the aft end, so I built up some sheer to the stern with styrene strip. Also, the bow looks too blunt. I glued on a strip of styrene right on the stem and faired it in with putty. It still looks like a tugboat, but it’s better than it was.
Some progress is being made. i had a horrible thought last night. What if I get this done and then read that Trumpeter is issuing a nice 1/350 Victory ship kit?
That’s really great! I’ve started my T2 tanker, by marking the hull to cut it at a heavily laden waterline. Otherwise I’m going to stick to the kit except for a new front to the main superstructure making the upper decks look cambered, even though they won’t be; and GMM stuff in place of the molded railings. I briefly considered cutting the piping off of the main deck and replacing it, but life’s way too short.
I bought the Montrose at the same time and was really disappointed by the landing craft and related davits. I’d like to follow your project and do this too, and there’s the Red Oak Victory ship near where I live. Could you steer me to the plans, or could I buy a set from you? I could certainly go over to Richmond and take photos of the ship if it’s helpful.
I got the plans from the Smithsonian collection of U.S. Maritime Commission ship’s plans. I don’t know how I could copy them, they are on a big sheet of paper, about 1/196 scale I think. If you PM me with an address I could send you a copy of their order form and what plan to order. The plan I’m using was $15, plus $5 shipping and handling.
I just posted some old detail pictures of Victory ships over at the Debris Field site.
I think i have enough pics to reference. If you are going to take this on it would be real helpful to you to look at a 1:1 Victory ship though, since Red Oak Victory is closeby.
This is my first big scratch building project. It goes slowly, but it’s fun.
Very nice work, onyxman! My Dad served on several Victory ships during the war; I got back into the hobby so I could build a model of one of his ships, but I needed a complete kit. And my finished product is nowhere near how yours is going to turn out (it’s also a lot smaller at 1/700).
I have some good detail pictures of the American Victory, berthed in Tampa, and can send specific shots if you get stuck on something. The only thing I see missing so far as the distinct downward sloping ledge under each anchor chain hawse hole. That was diagnostic of Victory-class cargo ships.
I just started to think about the area around the anchor. The part from the kit combines the anchor with that slanty thingy. I’m not sure if I want to separate the two. I already puttied the kit’s hawspipe closed and sanded it over because I think it is slightly mis-located.
By the way, that slanted thing is to flip the anchor’s flukes as it comes up out of the water. The flukes can flip either way, and you don’t want them pointed in toward the hull as it comes home. At least that’s the only reason I can think of for it.
One detail I wasn’t able to get from the plans or any of the pics I have is the spacing of the web frames along the bulwarks on the main decks. I already guessed at it, so too late for me, but it would be something to look at if you get over to Red Oak Victory, Bill.
Bondoman, Ill be interested to see how your T-2 comes out. I have one more of those in the stash which I want to do using all the modern bells and whistles, PE and all. Somebody should finally tackle that bridge superstruture and put some indication of camber in the decks. I also thought about cutting off the piping. I decided if one was to do that you might as well scratch build the whole thing from the main deck up. Rather not think about that!
Good to see your posts on my favorite modeling subject – merchant ships. I’ve eyeballed the Montrose kit for a few years now, but have not bought one. It’s on my list near the top. I posted a pic below of a VC2 bow showing the tipping bar. The tipping bar was allegedly a feature of all Victory hulls. It’s purpose was to guide the anchor flukes into the correct position for housing as the anchor was being heaved in. From what I understand, it’s effectiveness was questionable.
I look forward to following your build. I’m at work right now and the pictures are blocked, so I’m anxious to get home and see what you’re up to. All the best!
Nice pics, and an interesting project. The VC2 is such a great subject, one I think that is overlooked. Some ran for a long time after the war, into the early 90’s. The USN Military Sealift Command operated several converted VC2’s. The ex-Furman Victory became a cable transport ship, and then there was the Range Sentinel, a tracking ship that operated out of the Cape. I loved the steam plant on the Victories, very simple, you can stand on the operators platform and practically trace the whole main steam system from that spot. By the way, the bulwark stiffeners generally follow the same spacing as the main hull frame spacing, so it looks like you have those spaced about right. Please keep posting you progress!
Another often overlooked Victory ship story is the one about the Meredith Victory, which evacuated 14,000 Korean civilians during the height of that war - all at once. The captain decided to take as many as he could, so they just kept filling up the holds one deck level at a time, then the entire deck, with the advancing North Korean gunfire in the background. Amazing to see, literally hundreds of people crammed into every available space … and they made it back to Pusan without a single casualty, and five new babies into the bargain. The book Ship of Miracles is well worth the read.
At least. You have to measure from the plans and multiply it by .51 or so to get to the kit’s scale. Do yourself a favor and use metric, and always check my math.
edit: oops, my bad. I read your 20’ as 20". Yep, 1/192 is right.
Thanks for the update. It looked to me scanning the kit and your pics, that you need to scratch a new forward mast, correct? And add booms just forward of the main superstructure.
I ordered the T2 plans- thanks Onyxman for the order forms.
The forward mast is the one on the right in the picture. ( sometimes I have to click on the picture to see the whole thing) It sits on a deck house which is already glued on the model. This deck house actually sits half on the main deck and half on the fo’c’sle deck. Nothing is simple on this sucker!
The 4 kingposts in the picture have that squarish ventilator on top. They locate on the 4 corners of the central superstructure.
As for booms, if I make them out of styrene, they’ll be too flexible. OK if I put them in the stowed position ( down horizontal in cradles). But I want to try having them “topped” in a 45 degree angle. I’m afraid the rigging for that will put too much pressure on styrene. So I’ll have to make them out of brass rod.
Soon I’ll start painting. The livery I’ve decided on is complicated. Decks will be grey or red, vertical bulkheads white, hull grey and white and red antifouling, most railings, masts and booms, white.
I miss the days when I painted a Liberty ship after all the construction was done. Just sprayed the whole thing gray!
Topped is the best. This subject is the next for me, after the tanker, but so far as a USN.
I grew up in San Francisco, and while I never set sail on a freighter, they are near and dear to me. There’s a particular dark yellow/ light brown color that the cargo handling equip. was painted in, plus a black hull and white deckhouse that can’t be beat. That “Lines” copy on the hull is nice.
