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Teeny-Tiny TREK

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Teeny-Tiny TREK
Posted by gregbale on Saturday, October 29, 2016 4:23 PM

Aged TREK-heads (like myself) may recall the 1970's Lou Zocchi/GAMESCIENCE Star Trek gaming miniatures, issued in the oh-so-common 1/3788 scale. (These pieces were based on the famed designs of artist Franz Joseph Schnaubelt, from his Paramount-authorized 1975 publication Star Fleet Technical Manual: designs meant to retroactively 'flesh out' the Star Trek universe by providing additional Federation ship designs deriving from more-or-less logical (and clever) extensions of the posited technology. Though eventually declared 'non canon' by the 'official' franchise-holders. these designs remain fan-favorites to this day---frequently modeled and modified in a bewildering variety of refits, updates, and inspiredly-insane configurations.)
Despite their tiny size, the Gamescience pieces were among the most detailed models of TREK ship issued up to that point---and they still hold up surprisingly well, detail-wise.
I confess myself an unabashed Franz Joseph fan---I always particularly liked his designs for destroyers, scouts, and cargo tugs---and I had a modest collection of these pieces when they were new, painstakingly detail-painted and hand-lettered. Those originals long ago went to the 'big yard sale in the sky,' but a few years ago I discovered that not only were those pieces still available...but that a company called Mark's Models and Toys, through their Starfighter Decals line, did sets of decals specifically for them. I was hooked---again---and picked up a few of the ships, and some sets of the decals.
Here's the recently-completed 'task group':
First, the Constitution-class cruiser USS Lexington. (Even non-Star-Trek fans will recognize the familiar shape...the same as TOS's Enterprise....)

Next the name-ship of the Saladin destroyer class...looking a bit hard-used and ready for a refit.


And the slightly-fresher Hermes-class scout vessel USS Bridger---basically the same lines as the destroyers, but with lighter armament (a difference which is authentically replicated in the molding of the game-pieces):


And last...the cargo tug Al Rashid, with its tandem load of cargo pods.


"The Wingnut Wings Sopwith Camel having finally been released...Stardate 4329.7...the Fleet Transport Al Rashid conveys an emergency supply to the desperately kit-hungry, Tenax-breathing amphibian modelers of Eminiar XII...."


And the 'penny' shots, just for reference.


The decal sheets aren't entirely 'accurate' (so to speak, for fictional craft), but they were lovely to work with, and soooo much easier than trying to carve tiny hair-width strips of decal stock, or hand-lettering with a technical pen (even back when the vision was still something close to 20/20).
All in all great fun, and a nice nostalgia trip. It's also whetted my appetite to break out one of the larger-scale kits I have long had resting in the 'stash.' (Maybe it's time to take on the 22" 'cutaway'....)
Hope you enjoy the shots.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Saturday, October 29, 2016 7:21 PM

Nice job, I've got the Constitution, Dreadnaught, destroyer, tug and a couple of Klingon cruisers as well as a decal sheet somewhere in the stash.

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Saturday, October 29, 2016 7:48 PM

Those are neat.

Thanks for posting the size reference pic, adds to a good thread.

  • Member since
    February 2007
Posted by mitsdude on Sunday, October 30, 2016 1:04 AM

So that's where these came from!!! I have several of these that were in a box of stuff I won at a gaming convention many many years ago.

I thought they were connected with Task Force Games

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Sunday, October 30, 2016 1:17 AM

Those are very nice, did you paint those up at all or just add the decals.

Thanks for shareing.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, October 30, 2016 2:53 AM

YesYes

Was this game related to "Star Fleet Battles", or whatever it was called from that same timeframe?

 

 

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Sunday, October 30, 2016 7:22 AM

Thanks, guys.

"Star Fleet Battles" was indeed the game for which they were apparently created, although there were several other popular versions around. Oddly---although I was into wargames then, being an S&T subscriber---I never played any of the Trek games: the Western Desert and the Eastern Front were the more popular venues among the gamers I hung out with.

I just liked the Trek ships as models.

Bish

Those are very nice, did you paint those up at all or just add the decals.

Thanks for shareing.

I should have specified. Each ship came in pieces---saucer, nacelles, and main body part, plus separate sensor dish---with the usual seams to clean up and some particularly annoying mold release pin marks (2 each) on each of the nacelles. The plastic was an assortment of translucent gray and tan colors---except for the Cruiser, which was the same transparent plastic as the bases (apparently there was an option in the game for 'cloaked' ships), so everything had to be painted, washed and weathered like normal.

The parts were designed to be 'snap fit,' but I ran into trouble gluing them. Because of either the age and brittleness of the plastic, or the 'quality' of plastic used, most of my glue joints cracked and split about 2 days after being assembled...and base-coat applied. Had to go back and sand, then re-paint...but you can probably see on some of the shots above (particularly the base of the pylons on the cruiser) that 'cleanup' was less than 100% effective.

Thanks again for the interest.

 

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Sunday, October 30, 2016 8:11 AM

Greg: Those are awesome, thanks for posting! I'd seen the slightly later pewter ships from FASA back in the '80s and heard of 'SFB' but have never heard of these till now. Look like pretty nice models and you did beautiful paint jobs on them.  Yes

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 7:17 AM

Gamera

Greg: Those are awesome, thanks for posting! I'd seen the slightly later pewter ships from FASA back in the '80s and heard of 'SFB' but have never heard of these till now. Look like pretty nice models and you did beautiful paint jobs on them.  Yes

Thanks. I figured it was a little 'light-weight' a project for the ongoing Trek GB---which I've been following with great interest---but pretty much any Trek is good Trek, so I thought I'd throw them out here for general viewing.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: AandF in the Badger State
Posted by checkmateking02 on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 8:53 PM

Really nice and well-done.  Thanks for posting the photos.

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Friday, November 11, 2016 8:24 AM

Gamera

Greg: Those are awesome, thanks for posting! I'd seen the slightly later pewter ships from FASA back in the '80s and heard of 'SFB' but have never heard of these till now. Look like pretty nice models and you did beautiful paint jobs on them.  Yes

 

My Klingon battle cruisers are in pewter/white metal. The Star Fleet ships are very well done in plastic. I did find my small sheet of Mark's Models decals. Mine have a LHS price tag of $10, but I usually get a 10% discount at that shop.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Friday, November 11, 2016 4:24 PM

Thanks, guys.

I've heard/read about the later white metal/pewter ships, but never had the chance to see them. Is it an extensive line, or just a few designs?

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Friday, November 11, 2016 5:18 PM

I assume they are part of the same game line. Just made in white metal. I think the bases are identical.

http://www.tacticalstarshipcombat.com/FASA/TheFasaListing/index7.html#miniatures

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Friday, November 11, 2016 5:34 PM

Thanks for posting that link. Wow---I didn't realize it was that extensive. Lots and lots of cool designs....

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Friday, November 11, 2016 6:07 PM

Thanks Rob for the link. I had a few of the flyers that came with the RPG but never bought any of the ships.

Gee friggin' whiz- just looked around on Ebay, people are asking over thirty bucks for those! I believe they sold for about four-five bucks when new!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, November 13, 2016 10:16 PM
Back in the day, the lesser known ships were dying in the clearance bins for $5 and not selling. I was not into table top gaming, but for a while I liked building the small miniatures. I think the only non-Trek miniatures I have left is an armed land speeder and sand people on Bantas from West End Games Star Wars collection.
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