Calling all Cellular Containership fans

[Cadman]

They do. Containers are loaded in the hold under the deck hatches and additional containers are loaded on top.

Is this true of all Containerships? I have see some that don't appear to have a hold.

[reigels]

Some small feeder ships may be topside only, but all the big modern blue water container ships have large cargo holds and follow a pretty similar design.

[Caravellarella]

In the early third-generation cellular containerships (which were Panamax size), like Elbe Maru or Korrigan for example, the below-deck containers were stowed 10 across and 9 deep in the widest part of the hull. They were surmounted by massive hatches which once closed a secured would carry containers 12 across and 3 high.

When these third-generation ships were being design in the late 1960s/early 1970s they were quite an unknown quantity. Naval architects had to design massive 950' hulls with hatches for sustained high speed (26+ knots) operation; and as a result they were generally over-engineered and over-designed.

Later third-generation ships wer built lighter with shallower hulls and bluffer hull forms (still Panamax) for reduced operation speeds (post fuel-crisis). The below-deck containers were stowed 10 across and eight deep below decks, and thirteen across and four deep on top of the hatches.

Later generation and post-Panamax designs have generally done away with hatches so that the container guide vanes often protrude above the weatherdeck. A typical fourth-generation Panamax hull would stow containers eleven across below weatherdeack level and thirteen across above, stowed thirteen deep. Of course this means the holds are open to the elements......

Reefer containers come in two types. The CONAIR type would plug into the ship's onboard (below weatherdeck) refrigeration system. Containers with their own integral refrigerations units would draw power from the ship's electrical supply. I understand stowage of reefer containers are limited to certain parts of the ship.

M.V. Elbe Maru (vi), � unknown.

I do like Elbe Maru; I'm toying with the idea of converting my horrible old Imex 1/550 Toyama kit......


Terry (Caravellarella)

[Caravellarella]

Reigels' picture shows a hatchless post-panamax ship. The containers are being stowed fourteen across (which is too wide for Panama Canal lock transit) and the guide vanes protrude above weatherdeck level......

Another thing to bear in mind (which is why hatchless ships can be more versatile) is that not all containers are 8ft high. High-cube containers are 9ft 6in high......

Terry (Caravellarella)

[reigels]

Oh- It has hatches. They're just unshipped by the container crane and landed behind it to access the holds (big red panels below).

[Caravellarella]

Thanks Reigels; I stand corrected. I did wonder, and then I saw the fourth hold back still had hatches on it. Which ship is it please?

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Cadman]

OK, another dumb question. Are the hold covers replaced after the hold is full? I'm assuming that containers are then stacked on top of them.

[reigels]

Hi Terry & Tim -

It's the Svend Maersk. Good photo essay here: http://www.menkent.dk/picsvend.html

Tim, you're correct that the top side containers attach to the hatch covers.

Another good site for some container ship photos of Emma Maersk (and a big model of her) is here: http://www.robse.dk/pages/Emma/ImagesReal.asp

[John]

Hello everyone

I am actually an N gauge model railway fan .... I am building a dockside scene to compliment coal , grain , timber and container traffic in 144/150 scale ... can't find a mini bulk or similar coastal/shorthaul vessel anywhere by way of a pre formed model .. can anyone help me out here ??

John Withill w.withill@sky.com

[Caravellarella]

Here is a foreshortened view of my favourite, S.S. Korrigan which was Messageries Maritimes' contribution to the ScanDutch consortium......

S.S. Korrigan; � unknown, dated 8th January 1976.

S.S. KORRIGAN; the first French third generation cellular containership with capacity for up to 2,804 TEU built for Messageries Maritimes. She passed into C.G.M � Compagnie G�n�rale Maritime ownership on 1st January 1977 and was converted into a motorship from 7th January 1981 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries� Yokohama yard. Sisterships - Benavon, Benalder & City of Edinburgh built for Ben Line.

Builder � Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, Kiel. Yard N�. 45.
IMO 7231098
Laid Down � unknown.
Launched 28th October 1972.
Service (Messageries Maritimes then C.G.M) 23rd April 1973 to 1998. Broken up at Chittagong from 5th April 1998.

Length 288.6 metres, breadth 32.29 metres. 57,249Grt.

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Cadman]

Here is a foreshortened view of my favourite, S.S. Korrigan which was Messageries Maritimes' contibution to the ScanDutch consortium......

Interesting Markings for this ship.

[Neptune]

Hello Tim,

all together most, and definitely all of the large, container ships have hatches. Smaller ones may lack them though, depends on how strong the hull is and how many containers you can stack on top of each other. Another choice to make is the weather, open container ships have rain coming in etc. this requires bilge pumps to keep the holds dry. On smaller ships the surface to catch the rain and hence amount of rain, is pretty limited, so the hatches, and their additional weight, can be done away with. Also overcoming seas can be a problem, although in later smaller container ships you will see the bow is covered or a plate is placed to avoid the green water from getting in.
On larger ships the hatches and their coamings are transferring a lot of forces. The bottom can not hold the weight of 10 containers on top, so they can load 6 on top below the hatch and the remaining stack of 4 is held by the hatch cover. In addition they transfer the forces of torsion and other longitudinal and transverse forces. If the hatches and their coamings wouldn't do that, the hull would collapse in heavy seas. In open ships, without hatches, the coamings are built stronger for this purpose. The weight of a hatch can go up to 20t or more, on large container ships you have a lot of hatches, which means quite some weight all together. Due to their length and beam they can not be left out though.

Did anybody build that Revell Colombo Express already? Has it actually been released by now?

[Pieter]

Colombo Express has been released. I saw a review copy built up at Euro Scale modelling (IPMS-NL nationals) two weeks ago and it was also for sale there. Price was 30-ish euros. It comes in a huge box so I did not buy one as I would have had some problems transporting it to Amsterdam. Could not really judge the quality of the molds as the reviewer does not seem to have been a ship modeler.
In order to spend much more money on a smaller container carrier I've just ordered the NNT Atlantic Conveyor instead. As I'm out of the game until november 27 having broken my wrist last wednesday I hope it will be worth the wait.

[reigels]

If you're looking to print your onw container decals, these are about the best profiles I've found online:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joekral/se ... 57/detail/

Had some troubles downloading. Ask if interested.

[Fred Koster]

That's a good source reigels.
It seems the Columbo Express comes with only that one company's containers, which isn't very realistic. Making the containers all different colors and logos would be much more interesting.

Fred

[Neptune]

Yes I also found a review on a Dutch board. Indeed they deliver stacks of containers. Full stacks that is. They're in white plastic, like the QM2 model. I guess you can cut them down to whatever you require as a full laden container ship is very rare, if not impossible, to find in reality.
The colours you can paint yourself, paint a row in blue, then blank off a few on either side and paint one orange in between etc. The only disadvantage I see is that those stacks are really full. Would require a lot of cutting and gluing to make it realistic.

[reigels]

Happy to say that my Colombo Express arrived today, and on first look I don't see any serious issues and had exactly zero "how am I gonna fix that" moments. Quality looks very nice, including some very subtle door details on the backs of the container stacks. Decals look very thin and well printed as well, although a few of them are not indicated on the instructions.

Might be a bit of a chore to cut down to waterline, and as mentioned above the full-to-the-brim container load will need to be broken up a little, but hey - that's what makes this fun.

Sure is a big hull, in 1:700 scale.

More container profiles here: http://www.fotoreisverhaal.net/containers/summary.html

[Caravellarella]

Dear Reigels, thank you for the excellent references/links on container liveries. Do you have any of the older ones from the 1970s when containers were still a novelty? Here is an interesting picture for those contemplating making the horrible old Imex 1/550 M.V. Toyama kit. Note the unusual faceted transom stern, the hull knuckles and the spare ship's propellors stored on the quarterdeck......

M.V. Toyama (ii); � J. K. Byass. Photograph dated 6th August 1975.

M.V. TOYAMA; a one-off third-generation cellular container ship with 2,208 TEU built for Wilhelm Wilhelmsen as their Norwegian contribution to the ScanDutch consortium. She was a triple-screw motorship and made 30.59 knots on trial. She was lengthened in 1984 by Hyundai's Mipo Dockyard to take 2,666 TEU. After the ScanDutch consortium ceased operations, she was sold to Maersk Line to become MAERSK NANHAI. She was scrapped from 21st October 2001.

Builder � Mitsui Zosen K.K, Tamano. Yard N�. 900.
IMO 7218412
Laid down � unknown.
Launched - 2nd June 1972.
Service (Wilhelm Wilhelmsen) 27th November 1972 to 1993.

Length 275.09 metres, breadth 32.2 metres. 52,196Grt.
1984 � Length 289.5metres. 57,123Grt

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Fred Koster]

These are the decals I created for my '70s era Houston ( Sea-Land ) build.

In the gallery here http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Anyone is welcome to copy them if they want.




Fred

[reigels]

Enjoyed this one on Youtube: May need to view again if my enthusiasm for my Colombo Express stalls, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2pL5zNshUU

Also Colombo Express: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQvyjk72YAM