Regarding T2 tankers

Greetings guys,

I took a little vacation to Florida the last week.

Bondo, IMO it would be a good move to put thin wire vent lines back on the deck. It would make it look busier.

Speaking of sea stories and wet decks, I heard more than one story of people being washed overboard from a loaded tanker's deck, and at least one tale of a guy going overboard from the foredeck, and washing back aboard back aft.

Fred 

bondoman wrote:

Thats the question. First of all, I cannot find WW2 T2 pics where there's a boot stripe, except for maybe Measure 22 the graded system, But here's the rub: I'm modeling a Mission series, which were civilian until 1946. Anti fouling for sure, but no boot stripe. The freeboard on a T2 is drawn at 15 feet on the Smithsonian elevation I have, and I would suppose that is maximum load. However, looking at pics, I've seen less, and often enough to make me believe that 9-12 feet is a realistic freeboard. I posted that pic and have a couple of others, just to show that the T2 had a wet deck. Now I'm not salty, and I really respect those of you who are. My plan is to model the tanker at 9 feet freeboard, and the Oiler at 18 feet, just so that I can show off the camo.

The freighters I've seen don't have bootstripes either and I'm around them almost all the time. And most of the time I've seen fully loaded ships with the freeboard just about 8 feet and an overloaded ship could be 6 feet freeboard

Gentlemen, an update. I received two drawings from the National Museum of American History this week. Each is a general arrangement drawing, one of a T3-S-A1 tanker, in this case hull no. 4390 which is the Duquesne. She looks like this:

The hull is similar in shape to the Revell T2 fore and aft, however the superstructures are flat across the front, for which I don't know the terminology, and the hull is about 23 feet shorter. Otherwise very similar to a T2. However the need to replace all of the superstructures, plus a general lack of interest on my part, abandons this design.

The second drawing is of a T3-S2-A3 converted AO Auxiliary Fleet Oiler, in this case either the AO-63 Cimarron or the AO-64 Tolovana. They look like this:

Here the problem is the entire forecastle and bow. It would seem that the Revell kit would serve this ship well, although it would have to be lengthed, but the recreation of the bow is beyond my interest. So I think two T2's are in the works, rather than any conversions.

Good news gentlemen! Frank Gerhardt's US Maritime Commission website is back online:

http://www.usmaritimecommission.de/

When I get time I'll go back and edit all my links so they work.

Fred

LIFE IS GOOOOOOD!!!!!!

Thanks, Fred, you're my HERO!

See my PM

I've just received my paints fron WEM and am ready to go forward. There's a BBQ at Marinship that we are going to this weekend. I am planning to go forward with two models; one the Mission Carmel tanker and the other TBD fleet oiler in a measure camo, this summer.

I'll put a paper together on improvements to the kit.

BTW look at my latest a/c model in "aircraft" a PBY

just ordered some L'Arsenal 3"/50 deck guns from Pacificfront Hobbies yesterday should be in sometime next week. and ordered some stuff from Sprue Brothers but that was for the Graf Zeppelin and a M2 Bradley I was thinking about working on in the near future.

Well I pretty much have everything I need except for the railing (that would get in the way anyways and could always be added last) so should I just fill in the portholes and sand them smooth then add the PE portholes and drill out the centers?

Back on the deck of a good old tanker! Thanks TB this thread needs life. I've been occupied graduating a daughter from HS, but I am back in the game. I agree with your color selections. Have you looked at that german maritime site? It's way cool.

Was your line an Onassis co.?

The Mission Carmel is back on the ways. I've given up the idea of a parallel build, so the second kit will get salted away for now.

Here's the hull as modified so far, and the original part in the background.

Added the fillets at the forward, midship and stern structures. I think this really is the single most important mod and makes it look right.

Cut down to laden freeboard, around 12 feet,

Cleared off the "half capstans" the cast railings, and the boat deck structure. 

Cleared off an "impressive" part of the kit, which is the vent pipe system that was cast into the deck piece and ran from the access hatches to a central collector main. On the ship, this was a fairly small diameter pipe, but on the kit is a big pipe with unions , flanges etc, While it looked "busy" it made no sense, Fred correct me if I'm wrong.

It's removal can be seen by the white areas, and I'll replace the lines with thin wire.

I will build up the distribution system piping that runs fore/aft and end it in the pump room trunk structures. More on that later.

Glued a piece of stretched sprue up the sternpost, filled and sanded it in to get the correct pointed profile.

Good progress.  Yes, the pipes you took off were supposed to be venting pipes which in reality would be about 4" diameter. The kit shows them as big as the main cargo piping.

Fred

Hello Bondoman

I served aboard the USS Taluga AO-62 during Vietnam.  Your freeboard is almost anything you want to make it.  When we left Subic Bay, we were riding low in the water.  FULL.  As we refueled ships off the coast of Vietnam, we started riding higher in the water.  As we left the Gulf of Tonkin (after refueling the carriers) we had 30+ feet of freeboard.  EMPTY.

The USS Taluga AO-62 served in the Pacific WW II, Korea and Vietnam. 

Hey good to hear from you, and thank you for your service. Fred built a very nice revell T2 in civilian lines using the hull the way it comes, and that looks fine too. I like the full look, although if I do another one I'd probably let her sit at about 20 ft freeboard just to show off a camouflage paint job.

If you have any pictures we'd love to see them. I'll look up your ship too.

onyxman wrote:

Good progress.  Yes, the pipes you took off were supposed to be venting pipes which in reality would be about 4" diameter. The kit shows them as big as the main cargo piping. Fred

bondoman wrote:

onyxman wrote: Good progress.  Yes, the pipes you took off were supposed to be venting pipes which in reality would be about 4" diameter. The kit shows them as big as the main cargo piping. Fred I picked up a bunch of 0.010 wire which I think is about right. I do need a rear gun. Thoughts?

I thought it had a 5"/25 gun and a 3" gun Veteran models makes a decent 5"/25 and L'arsenal makes the 3" guns that you used on your USS San Fransisco a while back. And are if you want some 20mm's there is L'arsenal and LionRoar.

Thanks for that info TB. Photos of the engine room skylight are none to nonexistant and would be most welcome. The Revell greenhouse has to go, for reasons I showed a while ago in a post with sketches. It's too big, too far forward and will be replaced along with the boat deck and gun deck. It's also open lites which I know are wrong- the hatchie things you describe are correct.

I am in possession of drawings of T2 and T3 ships. The T3 drawings show four square openings in the skylight on each side. The T2 does not show a detail.

As for guns, the T2 drawings, which are from marinship and therefore are at least very similar to the Mission Carmel, indicate a 3"/50 at the bow and a 5"/38 at the stern. Both Revell cannons closely represent a big LeBlond lathe without a tailstock. The 3" would seem to be the same as a sub deck gun.

Hi Bondoman,

I'm new to (serious) model making and to this forum.   I understand this is an lod post, but; My Dad sailed on tankers starting late in the 30s through the mid-50s.  He began on the Lakes (born in Parry Sound ONT) and began sailing overseas very soon after.  I have many photos (some in color) of T2s he sailed on.  And I have a diagram that appears to be some sort of worksheet used when loading (as First Mate I beleive he oversaw much of the loading and unloading).  Also have some weather logs, which, while they're interesting, probably not much help for modeling.

If you're interested in seeing any of this, I'd be happy to share it.  Please contact me here if there's any interest and we can arrange to communicate directly.

Some of the ships Dad sailed on were:

Seneca Castle

Warrior Point

Thanks,

JDM 

Yes I would be, very much. i'll start a "conversation" this weekend

After finishing the San Francisco, I'm on a bit of a ship kick so I've gotten this back out to work on.

I originally planned to build this OOB (hah!) as a T2 tanker, but one thing as they say has led to another and I have made a few mods. Now we're aiming for an AO, in the Pacific 1944. Carved off the deck piping which was all wrong and replaced it with wire and rod. Added fillets fore and aft of the islands, the forecastle and the stern house to make the graceful curves of the real things sides, not the abrupt steps of the model.
I've rebuilt the stern house, the front of the bridge, the stern and added gun tubs and director stations. Next are catwalks, masts, booms, rigging, guns, boats, and a full Measure 32 pattern 3AO. After working on this on and off for a couple of years I've got a huge pile of drawings and photos. Here tis:

Lookin' good, bondo. Nice to see you back on it.

Three things:

1) What is the diff between a T-2 and an AO?

2) Where is your crusier thread?

3) Last patrol I sank 96,000 tons of shipping, including 3 T-2's, 1 T-3 and a Troop Ship...... 

Herr Kapitan:

1) That's classified. But you don't want to come across an AO Fleet Oiler because that would mean there are larger surface units like DD's nearby. And anyways they are mostly in the Pacific putting the business to your Ally.

2) Sadly, already on page 5. CA-38 finished.

3) Congratulations! For every U boat lost, the Kreigsmarine sank about 15,000 tons of shipping so you are way ahead of the game.

Looking good Bondo,

Is this still going to be the Mission Carmel, or another vessel?

Fred

One of the series AO-80 through -88, maybe Sebec.

http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/id485.htm

I opened the morning bird cage liner the other day, and lo and behold:

She's been moved across to the City. I'm going down this week to get pictures, but it's hard to get too close.