A 1:700 scale 1944 Mare Island Navy Yard

[PetrOs]

That just looks so damn nice and impressive!!

[bgire]

Hello Folks

A set of pictures of our first � production � model for the large floating crane YD33.

After extensive checking and comparison of all available NavSource pictures showing this crane near an identified ship (at last dimensionally), Jean discovered the prototype had gone about 12-15% too large.
Thanks to vectorial computer drawing, he managed just to click to shrink the whole project to its right size.
I etched the corrected set and he started the assembly.

The two barges compared: the correct one is on the foreground



Starting to build the complex support for the rotating structure:



The two cranes compared again. The correct one is on the right:



Some pictures of the revolving structure. Note the two huge threaded shafts which command the crane elevation, originally made from piano wire were replaced with two brass threaded rods, 26mm long and .9mm in diameter specially made by BMK.









Jean told me he found the required skill level to assemble that stuff the most challenging ever.
But he survived and spent some rest time to assemble a few garbage or service barges:



Bruno and Jean

[Miguel]

Hi guys ,You(Bruno and Jean) never cease to impress me,that cranes ,barges and those tiny but incredibly fine pieces are amazing,hey Bruno ,I'm waiting for those sets,my compliments to You and Jean,you guys rock!!!!
Regards

[bgire]

Hello Folks,

Jean just completed the corrected (production) YD-33 large floating crane.
Here are shots of the �monster� with other yard cranes:







The YD-33 floating crane kit now includes a resin barge. The crane itself is 100% photo etching ( 428 parts).







By now, we�re shifting on another �surprise� sub-part of our diorama� More to come next month.

[JIM BAUMANN]

funny old world!

I never really thought of yard cranes as being things of beauty...--but they are when they are ...SMALL!!



JIM B

[softsea]

As someone who is trying to do some home-made PE (thou' I believe You use more sophisticated and professional techniques than I), I can absolutely only say :


Jo�o

[jean mahieux]

Hello everybody,
Hello Mister Baumann,
Thank you for your posts, usually, only Bruno writes on this post because my English is very hazardous, so, this is my first post on this forum. I want to thank everyone who gives us help and encouragement. The Mare Island Navy Yard is a very beautiful subject and makes a big project; we are still far away to finish everything�s presents on this site.
As said Angel eyes, where the model war ships are, they will comes� later!!! For the moment we are only focus on Navy Yards and District Craft and there is a long time before explore all this interesting subjects.
Hoppe you understand my English!? Thanks to my dictionary!
Jean

[David Yarnell]

Still watching this masterpiece take shape!
Keep with it and don't get distracted or discouraged!

[Bruce Kapito]

So far the work is outstanding. I can almost feel like I'm in Mare Island during WW2

[sdae102]

YOU DEFINITELY WIN with that diorama!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....Even the tender on the steam engine is even the correct vanderbilt type, as the base was served by the Southern Pacific

[bgire]

Hello
We�re back with our Mare Island diorama !

Jean and me did improve our prototype for � easier � assembly of our RailRoad stuff (still quite challenging).
Sorry of being �off topic� on MW, but we wanted to show you those little locos

Here is an ALCo S1 diesel (about 30mm long, with 17 parts):



An EMD SW1:





Now the steam ones. A 2-8-0 Consolidation with its tender:



A Saddle tank as appearing on 1921 Mare Island pictures:



A lovely tiny Switcher 0-60: 20mm long with about 30 parts� and a very very challenging assembly !



Sorry, we couldn�t resist : a Reefer car with water tank :



Now let�s go back to our sheeps �sorry : our ships. Today�s Google Earth pictures show the self propelled floating drydock ARD-11. She belongs to a class of ARD built from 1943 which saw service in the Pacific and Korea.

Thanks again to the excellent NavSource website, we managed to get enough data and pictures to completely re-draw this auxiliary ship.







First, we drew and etched the main sections and profiles for ARD-11, then we built a wood + plasticard hull around.







The hull then was entirely covered with custom photo etching to bring all detailing:







The forward superstructure:





The dock gate:



Preparing the dock floor:



On this picture we compared with the real one from Google Earth picture:



The master for this hull is now almost ready. Next step will involve making an RTV mold (this will be our first �large� resin cast ship).

More to come in some weeks, when the ARD is ready for launch�

Jean and Bruno

[Nektarios]

OMG this is just fantastic

[MichelB]

You just keep knocking my socks off, folks. Keep going.

[J. Soca]

P.E work is simply outstanding



Jose

[JIM BAUMANN]

Although I will never build a Mare Island diorama....

being a railway enthusiast who collects model locomotives..... in all scales...


I will have to get me some of those PE locomotives!!!!

SUPERB!!

JIM B

some of my locos...

http://www.kartonist.de/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=1604

[Atomsk]

Just a slight correction.

The S1 diesel switcher locomotive was made by ALCo (American Locomotive Company) of Schenctady NY.

The SW1 was made by EMD (Electro-Motive Division of General Motors) in LaGrange Illinois.

That said, this has been an outstanding effort, from start to (nearing) finish.

[Cadman]

Sorry of being �off topic� on MW, but we wanted to show you those little locos

Being a model railroader myself, I certainly don't mind the RR stuff. Especially in my favorite scale. Fantastic work. I love the Alco!

[j.mahieux]

Hello All!
This post is completely off-topic� but I think I�d to show you�as an intermission.
We noticed many of you are also Rail Road fans. So while Bruno is busy with his crazy castings of the ARD floating dry dock, I spent my �free time� assembling some off-topic stuff.
Starting with the RR material we designed for Mare Island, it was very tempting to design more equipment: station, maintenance area, etc.
I used data from the publication �The US Model RailRoader� from Kalmbach Editions.
Here are some pictures of what I did. I opted for a countryside dio, but one can imagine it as a background for a port diorama.

Sorry, we didn�t find steam or electric motor small enough to fit into those tiny locos�
End of intermission! Next time we�ll return to naval subjects.
Jean

[bgire]

Sorry, Folks, but I must make it official :
Yes I did the etching work but I NEVER etched that stupid giant paint tinlet
Now let's return to my silicon-carne casting

[Cadman]

I love it, and the paint tin gives a sense of scale. BTW that roundhouse is more detailed than most HO scale models.