The Ship Model Forum

Well the next project seems to be coming along well: The Liberty Ship SS Robert R Livingston which can safely be said to have been the Liberty Ship with the biggest gun! On a technicality at least, having brought one of the “Anzio Annie” K5 railway guns from Taranto, Italy to the U.S. for testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The kit is the 1/700 Trumpeter John W Brown with a few modifications to represent the Livingston:

• Scratchbuilt box style engine room skylight
• Reconfigured rafts and supports with the large rafts where the wings would normally be on the after deck house.
• Aft 20mm gun tubs sitting elevated on diagonal supports, which seems to be unique to Brunswick built ships, rather than directly on the aft deck house. This is similar to but different from the raised 3” platforms on up-gunned Liberties like John W. Brown

And basic modifications that apply to any build of this kit (this is my 6th or 7th Trumpeter Liberty):

• Removed oversized straps on hatches
• Shorten the three mast houses which are a bit too tall
• Add steam lines to cargo winches
• Fill and re-drill portholes
• Torpedo net cutouts in the gunwale (a large number of the Liberty Ships had this feature, even if nets were never installed)

With any luck I'll have this largely wrapped up over the Christmas break.






The K5 Railway gun is from Big Blue


The barrel on deck at Taranto


Sister ship Joseph M Terrell, Launched from the same yard a week prior


Sister ship Isaac Shelby, Launched from the same yard a week+ later

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-- Scott

Hello Reigels,
I like your subject very much, it follows directly to a subject that I had dealt with a few years ago on the forum of "La Royale".

https://www.laroyale-modelisme.net/t158 ... d-1-350-pe

I will follow your work with interest!
Jean

Very impressive K-5 build Jean. Absolutely amazing work!

Last couple of days work on the Robert R Livingston are in photos below.

Steam lines on the deck in place, priming, water-lining the hull and some deck paint. 20mm gun tubs are resin copies of modified kit parts.



The primed hull. Experimenting with brown and rust primer on this build, which hopefully will help with weathering.


Water-lined with a hobby saw.


I built the full hull and then cut down to the lightly loaded high-in-the-water configuration I'm looking for rather than using the kit waterline option which is pretty heavily loaded. Since the ship was returning from Italy to the U.S. it would most likely have been lightly loaded.


Liberty Ships had "plastic armor" on the gun tubs and surrounding the bridge, depicted on the bridge roof with a splattering of Mr. Surfacer from a rattle can for texture.



A little paint on the decks.





Also working on my wreck of the James Longstreet, which was grounded in Cape Cod and used as a target ship for many years. This one is in danger of being completed after a year of progress slowed by distractions!

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-- Scott

Even with the mask set deck masking was still over two hours worth of “work”, mostly adjusting around added details and modifications.

Starting some weathering on the hull and cut a handling base to size so I can avoid touching the sides.






Lifeboats will be covered. These were actually resin copies of the kit parts, left over from another project, so good candidates to fill and save the styrene boats for future use.

_________________
-- Scott

Nice looking build so far! I am very impressed with such a clean strait cut you got from a razor saw.

Matt

PS> That wreck build is very cool looking as well

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In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Well done on the research! Very neat that you have actual photos of the ship with the gun loaded!

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ICBM Address: 44:78N 063:63W

Ex RCN, HMC Ships Gatineau, Athabaskan, Charlottetown, St. John's, Montreal, Charlottetown, Summerside, Montreal.

Always cool to see a ship with an unknown (to me) story! Quality build as well, but I guess you had some practice

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The merchant shipyard

Keep going on the Longstreet, would be nice to see a 3d visual of the target ship.

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Amen dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in paradiso (Lk 23,43).

Thanks -

It has been slow building for a couple of weeks with a new grandbaby joining the family, but the current view is below.

Trying to add some interest on the #1 and #2 hatches with the tarps not yet secured over the wooden hatch covers.





Tug boat will be pushing a barge crane with the gun chassis suspended prior to loading.

I hadn't realized that Alliance Modelworks stopped producing 1/700 buildings, locomotives, dock equipment, etc.. Having to order replacements from China to replenish the stash.

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-- Scott