NOTE: The pages of photographs of ‘Real Ships’ has been moved to a different site which is dedicated to Ship Photographs:

 

 

www.shipmodels.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

 

INTRODUCTION

 

BEST WISHES for 2009

 

HMS Jervis Bay from John Staggs ~Santa Rosa Ships~ which shows her in ‘civilian colours after her original AMC livery of grey too readily identified her as an Armed Merchant Cruiser.  It was in this livery that she was sunk as the sole escort of the Halifax – Clyde convoy by the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer in October 1940. 

It was with a genuine sense of loss that we learnt of the death of John Staggs of Santa Rosa Ships in August 2007.  He had been ill for a considerable time but retained his enthusiasm and humour over recent years.  He was a good friend to this site always willing to share his extensive knowledge of both ships and models.    All who knew him describe a charming gentleman who was generous both in knowledge and in spirit.  The 1/1200 scale society is poorer with his going.  See the unit on Santa Rosa for John’s own description of his involvement and his work.

 

 

The Holland America cruise liner Zuiderdam (CMKR 145), given to me by Svein Eric Brurok on hearing we were booked on her for an Alaskan cruise.   I would not have met Svein Eric but for this site and thus not have gained from his great interest and knowledge of the cruise industry and cruise ship models, nor from his great friendship.

 

 

Welcome to these pages that are my first attempt to open my collection of 1/1200 scale (or there abouts!) model ships collected over the past forty years to a wider audience.   My original intention was to concentrate on three main areas: (i) pre-nineteen fifty models,  (ii) out of production kits and (iii) current kits.  Over the last couple of years other additions have been prompted by emails; for example the sections on Santa Rosa, Pier Head and Trafalgar Ships, and the revised section on Treforest Mouldings (Tremo), showing the dynamic advantage of the net as a form of passing information.  With the former I appear to have found a role as a conduit for information on British Manufacturers.   My desire is still to complement other sites rather than duplicate their content.

 

My collection, like many of my contemporaries started with Eagle kits and Triang Minic diecast models.  From there it expanded with the Airfix and Pyro kits, Clydeside, Ensign and Fleetline white metal models, and more recently Len Jordan and Figurehead.  I have also built up a small collection of earlier models such as Tremo, Ship Series and Recognition Models and a few of unknown origin.

 

For those unfamiliar with the scale, 1/1200 is the traditional imperial scale based upon 1”= 100 feet.  Therefore the Clyde Puffer, the Sir Walter Scott and the trawlers are about one inch or two and a half centimetres long.  At 1/1250 100 feet is slightly shorter at 9.6 tenths of an inch or 2.4 centimetres.   Thus the coaster below, Holme Force at 236’ would be 2.36 inches long at 1/1200 or, as is the case 2.27 inches at 1/1250.

 

 

The models shown date from the late fifties to the present.  The earliest ones – Eaglewall – were built by me when still at school, over forty years ago, and since then they have endured six house moves!   The style of painting started out with the models being based on the ships being miniatures of the real ones and is therefore more ‘glossy’ than some would deem acceptable.   My perspective is as of one standing on the pier waiting to board, rather than standing on the beach viewing ships a mile out in the estuary.  The latter is the perspective on which it is alleged 1/1200 scale is based and thus the ships are painted in paler, more muted colours.  

 

One advantage of the web is that it allows those with similar interests to interact across the globe in a way unimagined even a decade ago.  In addition web pages have the great advantage over books in that mistakes or inaccuracies can be easily corrected.   These pages, like the ships shown have been done for enjoyment.  They will have flaws and may be criticised but for better or worse, they are mine, but I would genuinely appreciate any information that would make them of more value or better informed.

 

Six years down the line I would like thank all those who have visited the site – a peak of 1,300 different IP addresses logged in during June 2006 and over 74,000 hits in the first year – many more than I ever anticipated. [see site logs]   Indeed I am pleasantly surprised that I still manage to average 900 a month.   I enjoy switching on and finding new messages from all over the globe. 

 

Thanks to all who have already e-mailed me, all your comments and information are appreciated.  I would also like to make a particular acknowledgement to those who have contributed to the site by not just giving their time and effort by contributing but to the quality of their work and photographs which they have supplied and the knowledge of the subject.  It is greatly appreciated.

 

I hope you enjoy the site and I wish you all the best with your own collecting. 

 

Iain McGeachy,

2nd August 2009

 (First launched July 2003)

 

To aid navigation you may find pages by either ‘clicking’ on the Contents Menu (Left) arranged in chronological order of start of production, or on the alphabetical list below.

 

Contents:

Prologue – Clyde Room ~ Glasgow Museum of Transport

Airfix

Anguplas

Casadio/Revell New page added November 2009 (QE2 /QM2)

Chad Valley – Chris Hankin

Clydeside: Clyde Coast Collection

   RN Cruisers – ‘C’,’D’, and ‘E’ classes

Dinky Toys)

Eaglewall  

    contribution from Joachim Thiel

Ensign

    contribution by Jeff Stevenson ( Master model maker)

Figurehead

Fleetline

Framburg

Gillow

Heller 

Len Jordan New page added November 2009

Life-Like /  Pyro

Llyn

Mercury  Additional photographs August 2009

    Contribution from Jeff Stevenson

Mountford

Pier Head Ships by Chris Hankin

PILOT / Scandinavian Seaways Additional photographs August 2009

RAF Recognition Models

Ship Series

Santa Rosa – John Staggs

Trafalgar Ships by John Mitchell

Treforest Mouldings (Tremo) Additional photographs September 2009

Triang – Revisited

Wiking

Wirral

    Portside Accessories

‘One-offs’

British Manufacturers

Restoration – Decals and Spare Parts by John Mitchell

Contributions

     From Jeff Stevenson – also see Mercury

     Cruise ships (from Svein Erik Brurok)

Cruise ships and NATO vessels visiting Leith

     Related Models including Revell Liners

News and links to other sites – last update  8t h  October 2009

Forthcoming Sections

List of Photographs

And Finally

 

After yet another  year of problems from poor service John Mitchell’s forum for 1/1200 scale collectors has moved to a new host : http://members7.boardhost.com/Dockside/ 14th September  2008

 

   http://www.shipsmonthly.com/

 

 

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