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
