A 1:700 scale 1944 Mare Island Navy Yard

[nick]

AMAZING!!!

[J. Soca]

Exquisite job so far Bruno!!

[bgire]

Hello Folks! It's us again

Busy busy times... but Jean managed to assemble the crazy rail road stuff he designed from Harry Dente's data...

Some prototypes here. We found many improvements to be made in those soooo small items, so we'll redesign the whole sheet, which proved far too difficult to assemble for normal minded modellers

Some locos with a small harbor tug on the South pier (more on the tug below)



Mogul 2-6-0 (left) and Switcher 2-6-0 (right)




The Mogul (remember... 100% photo etching):



Note the "small" tweezer at right...





The Switcher :

During assembly. Note the boiler rear plate with details...







a tender :





Now let's return to naval subject. Jean bought a BattleFleet Models small Harbor Tug... and couldn't resist improving this very small kit...
First he made an underwater body (foam and putty):





Then he designed a photo etched superstructure :





And the tug was taken out of water for refit...



With a Consolidation in foreground



... sooooo, still working, getting more and more crazy/ insane

Jean and Bruno

[johndon]

Superb

John

[gtb -red]

This really unfair to the 1/350 guys!

[Cadman]

Awesome engines!!!!

[Avery Boyer]

You guys are completely and utterly insane, total lunatics. That is the most incredible piece of modelling I've ever seen. It's so good that I'm sitting here, looking at your photo's and I'm green with envy. That has got to be THE diorama of the century, Magnificent work, and a brilliant idea, congratulations, I hate you

I couldn't have put it better myself!

[Guest]

Are these locomotives made out of P.E's alone?
You guys are amazing!!

[bgire]

Are these locomotives made out of P.E's alone?

Yes : .1mm thick nickel steel, relief etched.
(except for the stacks which are scratch built from plastic rod)

[JPH]

Brilliant work

[Harry Dente]

I'm amazed at what you did with the stuff I sent! I'm kind of embarrased to be named there-I just scanned some old books' data, after all.
The detail you included rivals that on RTR N scale stuff (1/160)! Always wanted to do a slice of Mare Island in N, but the prospect of scratchbuilding all the ships...brrr! Amazing what you've done so far.
Now if we can etch those drivers separately and find a micro-motor the right diameter for the boilers...

[bgire]

Now if we can etch those drivers separately and find a micro-motor the right diameter for the boilers...

Why should we find a micro-motor ? These were steam engines, so we need a micro-steam-boiler

Nevertheless, Harry, you gave us a major contribution to this crazy thing

[MichelB]

This is one of the most baffling things I've ever seen...

[Sparrow]

Hi people. Twenty plus years ago, when I was a boy, I used to be a dedicated railroad guy. My grandpa had a nice collection of M�rklin HO engines of the sixties and seventies. They are still there in my parents� home and still today look very nice the rare times I peek into the boxes.
But those "micromachines" of yours! Oh my God! They would be very well detailed for 1/87.
I�m absolutely out of words about this whole thing.

[j leyland]

I would like to join all those who hope you make ypur photoetch commercially availaable. Thanks for the inspiring photos!

[bgire]

Hello, it's us again
Back on the air after forty busy days...

We spent the last weeks correcting the preceding photo-etched sets, expanding the submarine section sheets to a full Gato hull (more to show next week)... and designing/ prototype etching/ prototype assembling a new one...

This time, Jean and me went farther into the insanity/ madness (as you want).
Jean had been fascinated for a long time by this :



This is (left) the YD33, a 150tons floating crane with a very complex revolving structure which was used from 1918 to 1975 at Mare Island

Jean literally browsed all available pictures on NavSource which included the crane (or part of it) and drew the plans at scale 1:700. He designed two gorgeous sheets of fantastic ultra-detailed parts (down to the rivets !) and sent them to me for etching.

Here is one of the etched sheets :



As you may see on these enlarged parts, detailing is amazing :





Last week, Jean began the prototype assembly :

First the floating barge :



Then the fixed structure :







Next came the extraordinary complex revolving structure :
(remember, this is 1:700 scale and 100% photo etching !)







The windlasses come from BattleFleet Models :











... to be continued

The assembly showed some minor modifications to be made on production models to make the fitting easier : this has been so far the most challenging photo-etched project we've ever made.

Some new stuff should be posted in about one week.

Jean and Bruno

[dwemy86]

Wow. What more can you say? You guys are... wow.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Fascinating!!
I love big old yard cranes--they are a topic to themselves

Bravo!

JIM B

[DAVID BILEK]

Hi Jean and Bruno!

Have you any idea, when anything from your PE sets will be available for sale?

Cannot wait too long !! - 1/ I am motorbiker and 2/my diabetes is worse year by year...

Thanx and Cheers

David

http://www.sweb.cz/davidbilek

[bgire]

Have you any idea, when anything from your PE sets will be available for sale?

By early September the following should be ready :
- Rail road stuff : locos and wagons
- All the piers with equipment
- Buildings
- The pier large cranes
- Most of the barges : workshop barge, power barge, dredge USS Endicott
Upon completion and to come later this year:
- The twin slip with submarine stuff
- The YD33 large floating crane
- and probably more (surprise !)

When times come, please contact me via PM.
Bruno