The Ship Model Forum

Most books about Atlantic liners refer to a yearly dry docking. The main reason seems to have been that early antifouling paints were not that effective which would slow them down. This was especially relevant for speedsters like Mauretania. There are actually 1/500 plans available for the dock in the picture, as modernized and used by RDM from 1959 to 1984. So if you are willing to scale these plans down by 83% and do some scratchbuilding you can build this scene.
https://www.modelbouwtekeningen.nl/nl/nvm-1020075-droogdok-prins-bernhard.html
And some more pictures.
https://www.rdm-archief.nl/project/prins-bernhard-dok-10-1959-1983-drijvend-droogdok/

In general, Atlantic liners were usually dry docked during the winter when service was suspended.

[quote="drdoom1337"]Does anybody know how often [i]Mauretania[/i] was drydocked, or how often steamships were drydocked in general during their service runs?[/quote]
Nowadays passenger ships need a certificate renewal every five years, this requires a full inspection of the hull. I don't know the validity period of the certificate before WW2, but I don't think it would have been that different.

In case of the lifetime of RMS [i]Mauretania [/i](1906-1934) this would mean she has been drydocked at least five times. Not many more anyway, as she would have been out of service for weeks or months and therefore losing revenue. In Wikipedia I found she'd been refitted in 1914, 1921 (oil firing), 1923 and in 1928.

During WW1 she of course was refurbished twice, as a troop transport and a hospital ship, and in 1928 her interior was refurbished, these refurbishments didn't require a drydock of course but most likely she had her bottom inspections at the same time. The picture below proves the point for 1928.[attachment=0]Mauretania_in_drydock_1928_autochrome_process_starboard_side.jpg[/attachment]

Does anybody know how often [i]Mauretania[/i] was drydocked, or how often steamships were drydocked in general during their service runs?

[quote="Iceman 29"]May be replaced soon...[/quote]

Here's the eye of the ship's engineer at work... Mmmm, that knick shouldn't be there, maybe we hit that rock when we turned close inshore?

May be replaced soon..

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/8P3CNFRK/Capture-d-e-cran-2024-04-15-a-13-31-06.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/NfL038H2/Capture-d-e-cran-2024-04-15-a-13-31-18.jpg[/img][/url]

[quote="Iceman 29"]This photograph is taken in Canada Dock in Liverpool, 1909.

The gentleman in uniform is “Mauretania’s” first Chief Engineer, John Currie.

RMS Mauretania was one of the most famous ships ever built on Tyneside.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/pLGr4hmL/article-2263881-1-AF02-A98000005-DC-219-966x1071.jpg[/img][/quote]
Interesting picture, eh? The two outboard propellers have already been replaced by four-blade [u]inward [/u]turning screws, the two inboard propellers still have the original three-bladers [u]turning outwar[/u]d! These would be replaced later by four-bladers as well (also turning outward).

[quote="Grant Goodale"]Does anyone have any information about armament on the Mauretania as a troop ship? I see lots of photos of her in battledress but no information on armament.[/quote]
On her Shelter Deck there were eight emplacents for 6 inch Q.F. guns, plus four 6 inch B.L guns on the Foredeck. These were already present at her completion in 1908 and are drawn in on her deck plans. These were intended for her role as 'Armed Merchant Cruiser' in the event of war.

When WW1 broke out she (and her sister Lusitania) were considered too large for this AMC role. She was converted later to hospital ship and troop transport, and in the latter role she received only six of the intended 12 guns. You may study Jim Baumann's model of her and find these guns: four on the Foredeck and two on the Quarterdeck. [url]http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/misc/liners/600-Mauretania-jb/jb-review.html[/url]

This photograph is taken in Canada Dock in Liverpool, 1909.

The gentleman in uniform is “Mauretania’s” first Chief Engineer, John Currie.

RMS Mauretania was one of the most famous ships ever built on Tyneside.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/pLGr4hmL/article-2263881-1-AF02-A98000005-DC-219-966x1071.jpg[/img]

Does anyone have any information about armament on the Mauretania as a troop ship? I see lots of photos of her in battledress but no information on armament.

Looking to get one of these for my collection in my WW1 museum. My great grandfather was also aboard so means that much more to me. Any help would be much appreciated

Yes, yes, really nice!

[quote="Thomas E. Johnson"]Really nice conversion. :thumbs_up_1:[/quote] Thanks Thomas! I will add more photos soon.

Really nice conversion. :thumbs_up_1:

Two more update photos.[attachment=1]IMAG2476 red.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]IMAG2479 red.jpg[/attachment]

[quote="Maarten Schönfeld"]Well, Lucy and Maury fans,

I've completed the first phase of my conversion of the Mr. Hobby (Gunze Sangyo) 1:350 kit into a credible Mauretania. He're some pictures included.

The most prominent changes are:

reshaped stern (poop is the better word I believe)
new scratch rudder
reshaped stem (sharper, more angular at bottom)
reshaped anchor wells (triangular, Lucy's are D-shaped)
larger bow bulwark

and completely replaced all decks, with Evergreen 2020 V-grooved plate, backed with 1 mm sheet for the Shelter Deck and 0.5 mm sheet for the decks above. I corrected and increased the width where necessary, this giving a considerable difference with the kit parts.

I used the sidewalls supplied in the kit, with suitable modifications along the way. As I don't have detailed plans about the window layout I accepted this for the time being, but all the decks are still accessible and I can change the windows as more info becomes available.

Further I scratchbuilt some parts: the larger and middle sized ventilator cowls, to be cast in quantity by a commercial resin casting company. The small ventilators with the slant necks at the front of the 2nd class Boat deck (unique to Maury, Lucy had no vents there) I made too but I'm not sure yet to have them cast. Also made the deckhouses over the engine room ventilation shafts, slightly different from Lucy's (smaller and rounded).

Well I'm looking forward to your comments and suggestions!

Maarten
[/quote]
An update to my Lusitania to Mauretania conversion is long overdue! But here it is.
After my friend Jan cast scores of ventilators in two sizes the project got shelved, but now I have restarted it.

The big changes since last time:
- Installed all the ventilators
- carved out the funnel bases from the Gunze sundeck, modified them suitably to fit
- added the funnels for show: details on the whistle platforms started (they sit 3 feet higher on the funnels that on Lusitania)
- made a new bridge/wheelhouse, the one on Mauretania being two frames longer than on Lusitania
- made the front walls on the boat deck and promenade deck, below the bridge
- constructed all the domes on the sundeck from scratch, these being fundamentally different from Lucy's
- started painting in earnest
- carved correct 4-bladed propellers LH and RH from scratch, to be cast in resin

I welcome your comments![attachment=2]IMAG2473 red.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]IMAG2474 red.jpg[/attachment][attachment=0]IMAG2475 red.jpg[/attachment]

[quote="Dan K"]Isn't it, though. I completely forgot about that post until this thread popped up again.

PE-wise, I believe either Five Star, Flyhawk and/or Rainbow make 1/700 crates, boxes, ropes, and the like.[/quote]


Unfortunately I'm working on the 350th scale kit of the Lusitania. I'll look into the same brands for the larger scale.

Isn't it, though. I completely forgot about that post until this thread popped up again.

PE-wise, I believe either Five Star, Flyhawk and/or Rainbow make 1/700 crates, boxes, ropes, and the like.

[quote="Dan K"]I thought this photo might be of interest here. I found it while surfing one of those way-back type sites. This is a real color photo via the Autochrome process, not colorized, from a National Geographic collection. Note the floating drydock.[/quote]
Wow - how did I miss this before? What a great photo.

Can anyone recommend some good photo etch bits for a WWI Mauretania. I know the obvious Tom's/GMM liner sets. I'm talking more for the equipment that would be on the ship during the war.