Aftermarket products for merchant ships?

Gold Medal Models offers several sets of photo-etched metal parts for merchant ships on various scales.  Here's a link:  http://www.goldmm.com/  The parts on these sheets include railings, ladders, life preservers, and some pretty nice shroud-and-ratline assemblies.  (On 1/600 scale or smaller, to my eye at least, the latter look pretty good.  I have reservations about them on largers scales.) 

Take a look at some of the other Gold Medal products.  The sets designed for the Titanic (on various scales) have all sorts of amazing detail parts that would work on other vessels of the period (and, in many cases, later).  And many of the parts designed for warships are perfectly appropriate for merchantmen as well.

Several other companies make etched metal and resin ship accessories.  A good way to start is by browsing the Steel Navy website:  www.steelnavy.com

Hope that helps a little.  Good luck.

Hasse,

In addition to the above,  Tom's Modelworks has some useful things. They have a PE set for the Trumpeter Liberty in 1/350 that includes plenty of cargo gear blocks. I think you could use that for up to 1/400 scale.

I am building the old APL liner President Cleveland/Wilson. ( old Pyro-Life-Like-Lindburg kit ) The scale comes out to 1/411. I noticed that most of the railings were 5-bar, so I ordered Tom's 1/400 Titanic detail set, which includes 5 bar railings. I was pleasantly surprised to get a decal sheet along with the PE, which includes draft marks and lifeboat decals in 1/400. I don't intend to build any Titanics, but some of these decals might be adaptable.

Fred

Hi again, jtilley and Fred,

 thank´s for the link´s and your help. This is tricky, i still have lots of Photoetc. and decals left from my time building naval ships, most of them from Loren Perry´s Gold Models in various scales.Have the carrier plane det.set from T.M. in 1/350 scale. But it´s difficult to know what´s the best to use of them. Some of them are the old G.M. standard and as you said Fred, mayby Tom´s  Modelworks or someone´s else is better to use.And the draft marks sounds good. And on the link´s you show me jtilley there where some review´s about photoetc. that was great to read.It´s rather difficult, when working with this odd scales. I have the 1/700 anchors and chains from G.M. and mayby the large anchors is ok for 1/400-1/550? Well i am going to use all i can of my old photoetc.for what ever i can use them to on my shipmodels for details.

It´s nice to try to build and detail merchant ships in odd scales, it´s a challenge.

Hasse.

I'm like you, Hasse - I've got lots of civilian and military photoetch in 1/700 scale, from Tom's Modelworks, Gold Medal Models and White Ensign Models ... and I still run out of some things. Which is why my latest project, a 1/700 US Liberty ship, has watertight doors that are a mix of "Japanese IJN" and "Royal Navy" styles. I figure at that scale, you need a magnifying glass to tell if it's more than just a door.

The point is, if it looks OK to you, does anyone else's opinion really matter? You're supposed to be doing this for fun - remember? 

Hello mfsob, yes that´s true this hobby is for fun. I hade been away i while from building ship models, i been sick for some years and had not beeing able to do some buildings. Back again now still not well, but enough to try start again. The problem for me is that i´m not updated yet, of the best choise for me of aftermarket products to my current buildings. I have no White Ensign Models p.etc. at all, and no railings from Tom´s Modelworks and no Gold Medal Models new type p.etc. I remember back then when Lorren Perry where on Scale Ship Modeler and the p.etc. where new. I think i was some of the first in Sweden to order p.etc for ships. In this days suddently whole of my models get out of date. Most of my old models been given away, some of them i lost in a move. Now i building for a nostalgia a new line of ships to my self. Thank´s for that you remined me that this is for fun msfob, sometimes my thinking´s takes over my building.

Hasse.

Hi again,

FLAGSHIP MODELS got 1/350and 1/400 scales propellers 4,3 and2 blades. And WW 2, rails and ladders in 1/400 scale. Mayby useful to merchant ships in this scales.

Hasse

  Hi; Hasse,

I had a roomate called Hasse when I spent a month working on a tv show,"Norde majik"(I think thats right?.). He lived in Salem Centrum so we both would commute to Stockholm. are you familiar w/a chant on public transport, "Hudinga tulinga tumba"?. I admit it's probably very American to assume Swedes must all be from Stockholm, but forgive me.  Just had to reach out to relive my swedish adventure. cha, Anthony.

Hi Anthony!

Yes i know about Huddinge,Tullinge, tumba, it´s  subway stations from  the town Södertälje a couple miles outside Stockholm to Stockholm city. Long time ago i lived in Södertälje after i moved from my home town the beautifully Stockholm, and every day i get on the subway to Stockholm. I can´t recall what show you men, but it´s great to spend times in other country's, i´m an old sailor and i have been to your country to, San Pedro, San Francisco  and some more places, even visit Canada, Hawaii and bouth sides of South America. Nice to hear from you Anthony have a nice day and best to you. Hasse.