More Miniature Merchant Ships

Book excerpt: John Bowen brings his knowledge and expertise of waterline ship modelling to a second volume of miniature merchant ships, including examples such as Haverford (1901), Carpathia (1903), Oronsay (1925) and Braemar Castle (1952). The book opens with a section giving advice on initial preparations - finding and using plans, suitable materials and tools. This section also presents an alphabetical list of the principal fittings on a ship (those that would be included on this type of model) - hatches, winches, capstans, anchors, etc - with details and diagrams on how to make them. Section II comprises 30 sets of plans of ships built between 1900 and 1969. These are accompanied with at least one photograph of the ship, a full specification, brief history, and notes on essential constructional details, including colour scheme. Readers will recognise the authoritative yet approachable style John has brought to several ship modelling titles, which will appeal to both beginners and more experienced modellers. A companion volume to the highly successful Miniature Merchant Ships, More Miniature Merchant Ships includes 30 1/1200 scale plans of liners, cargo ships and passenger cargo ships, each supplied with comprehensive modelling notes. More than 60 photographs of the prototype ships underway supply detailed pictorial references. This book, like Miniature Merchant Ships, is an essential addition to the library of any ship modeller.John Bowen is the author of several acclaimed titles for Conway Maritime Press, including Miniature Merchant Ships, published in 1997. Building waterline models has always been his favourite form of modelling and this book is a culmination of his continuing achievements inthis area of ship modelling. John was deputy editor of Conway's quarterly journal Model Shipwright when it was launched in 1972 and has been its editor since 1974. He contributes a plan and instructions for a miniature merchant ship to each issue. John is a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.