Model fair Goes 2014 (Netherlands)

[Neptune]

Hello guys,

two weeks ago I went to the yearly Goes modelling fair. It's known for RC ships, since it has a basin and a large area reserved for RC ships. Yet it has a lot more to offer than that.
It used to have a large area for retail, but this year apparently they tried to avoid the shops and create more exhibition space. A pitty, since LHS is going down, this place was a good place to buy hard-to-find equipment (PE sets, tools, etc.)
Apart from ships and trains it also has area's for Lego, racing cars (RC), RC trucks (with storage area's, cranes, bridges etc.), RC tanks, with a track as well, small guided racing car tracks, so the kids can have a small contest, an exhibition space for Aircraft, with a small netted area for RC helo's and drones, a mechano exhibition and more.

This year's major theme was model railroading, with a track that spanned several 100m� of area and which took 25 years of creation. In addition of course many more tracks and trains.
I'll update this picture post today and during next week to give you a look. This hobby seems far from dead.

One very typical thing for the Dutch shipbuilders is the main focus on workboats. Tugs, offshore support vessels, dredger, cranes etc. Warships aren't exactly their main focus, although there are a few very nice ones as well. On last year's fair, there was a dedicated group for Dutch Navy ships in 1/100, but they came quite some distance, so this year they weren't there.

So first, the main subject: Trains. You can start drooling Cadman

















Some real steam driven trains.




And the tank track.

[Neptune]

And part 2.
The truck track, with cranes etc. This was just one of two such fields. There was a smaller off-road part with tractors and dirt track, and a smaller one much like the one pictured below.



Venturing into the 2nd hall, we found what we were looking for, the RC shipping part.





This is the fore part of the Titanic, the set-up was nice, a general model in the centre, then the bow and stern seperately as it lies on the seabed.

I loved the seaweed aspect of this one.

And the intact model.


There were a lot of common kits from Robbe and Graupner around. I think there were around 3 of these Aziz tugs and 4 of Happy Hunter.


And of course also full scratch builds.




On to part 3.

[Neptune]

Last one for the day.
Continuing in the RC shipping part.





And here is, for me at least, one of the toppers, a pretty huge model of Nikolay Chiker, a Soviet/Russian rescue/salvage tug that was also at some time leased to the Greek Tsavliris company. Nowadays she's back in the Russian Northern Fleet service. Fully lighted and detailed as you can see. Also a lot of working features on that model.











There were also some very nice fishing vessels, as far as I remember some of them are actually capable of fishing small fish (although probably not allowed to do so).




One more thing to say about the Dutch habits. They choose smaller ships, tugs etc. But build them at larger scales, this allows them to add a lot of working features and electronics inside. Ships without lighting, navigation lights, turning radars etc. are rare.

[Goodwood]

Given the almost symbiotic nature that the Dutch have had with the sea since long before they formed a national identity, this is not surprising. And any nation where weed is legal is definitely going to be producing a lot of masterful work like this...

[Neptune]

And another post, I think 1 or 2 more, perhaps tomorrow.

One more nice fishing boat to start:


Tug time:


And some of the largest ships in the Dutch fleet are their heavy lift ships, something they're known for (apart from Dredging), not sure if this model could actually sink and lift something.




Some more modern supply and workboats:






And our member "Smart-L" 's latest build, equiped with azipods etc.


Some of the smaller ships (some of them, if not all, RC):


And one of the big crane barges, last year, there were several more of these around.

[Neptune]

And another post.

A nice model of the Maersk Leader, I assume had a small problem with the bow thruster at some point.







And an unfinished one.


Some of them are REALLY big.


Jan de Nul's James Cook, far from finished, but looking good so far.






And a view of the basin. You can see some ventilators at the far end as well. Some periods were reserved for sailing boats, so they create some wind with those ventilators. Kids can sail some of the smaller boats just to get into the hobby as well. That sure is a good idea for promotion of the hobby. (a bad idea for some of the boats though, collisions and all...)



Also the paper modellers were represented. There is a very nice company called Scaldis that actually produces paper kits. They have even the latest warship models around. Next post will have on that.
Fully from paper:

[Neptune]

And another one of the toppers. Hertog Hendrik, I don't really know the history of that ship, but it was quite a beauty. Fully RC as well, but she didn't get into the basin, since she shouldn't be damaged.
As you can see, a superb weathering, very uncommon on RC ships (apparently).


and the other ships of this builder. Smaller in size, but equally impressive on quality!






And another big one under construction:


And some more basin shots. Including sailing ships, the typically Dutch sailing boats. Small collision as well as you can see...








And some more paper models. Quite impressive. One of them is the Karel Doorman, which was actually christened/named yesterday in the Dutch Navy. She's a logistics/amphib vessel. A new breed.

[Cadman]

How cool! I love the trains! The RC trucks and tanks with their own driving ranges is a cool touch too.

The RC ship pool is a cool idea. I'd love to know how hard that was to pull off. How did they fill and drain it?????

[Neptune]

No idea really, they do this every year. I'll ask around in the club who organises it. The fair is 2 days.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Great photo report--- many thanks

That is a fine looking model of the Hertog Hendrik

history thereof here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_Hertog_Hendrik

-- long and partially very eventful career!

Cheers

Jim Baumann