Algoma Strongfield - present day - 1:250 by TJCampbell [COMPLETED BUILD]

Here is my second lake freighter in progress before I found this site. The following is taken from boaternerd.com and gives a brief run down on this new class of bulk carrier. Picture is actually taken along the Detroit River where I live 2 blocks from.

The Algoma Central Corporation has been engaged in an ambitious fleet renewal program. The fleet has ordered five new ships capable of Great Lakes service and will manage two others of this Equinox Class for the Canadian Wheat Board. All are being built overseas in China.

Algoma Equinox is the first of the new Equinox Class of Great Lakes freighters built for the Algoma Central Corporation. It was constructed by Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries Stock Co. of Nantong City, China. The 740 foot long by 78 foot wide gearless bulk carrier was launched on December 24, 2012, and sailed for Canada on October 1, 2013.

This vessel, and its sister-ships, operate with a 45 percent improved energy efficiency and can carry 20 percent more cargo. It also has a much lower fuel consumption with the benefit of a 97 percent removal of sulphur oxide emissions. Highly automated, the ship can operate with as few as 18 sailors.

After crossing the Pacific and passing through the Panama Canal, Algoma Equinox loaded iron ore while inbound at Port Cartier, Quebec. The ship was upbound through the Seaway for the first time on December 3, 2013, and headed to Hamilton to unload at Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco). It then sailed to Superior, and loaded ore for Cliffs Natural Resources in Quebec City.

The ship spent its initial winter in Toronto and then received the top hat in a ceremony at Lock 3, St. Catharines, Ont., as the first ship of the 2014 navigation season to use the Welland Canal. After being part of the battle with late winter ice, Algoma Equinox headed to Lake Superior in convoy and with ice-breaker assistance. But as the ice melted, the ship soon settled in on the Seaway ore and grain trades and will hopefully be a regular trader on the inland seas for many years to come.

Here is the actual ship and am hoping to come up with a reasonable scale model...
Hallo @TJCampbell
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
How is your project going? Any update you could show?
 
I redid the lettering at the stern. First attempt was just too sloppy looking.

The final small details are tedious but coming along. Hatch crane is half done I'd guess....probably 3rd try at it to make it look right. Finishing up ladders and handrails as well as front mast and small parts like winches and fairleads. Still a bit to go but overall I'm happy. I am sourcing parts as much as I can and other parts are handmade. Still waiting on a couple more parts to arrive and hopefully that is it.

One thing that is kind of wearing on my mind, and purely for the pursuit of excellence/perfection/accuracy is thinking how I am going to create all the appropriate radars, masts, antennae that are both on top of the wheelhouse and also at the front mast. Lots of really small (at this scale) lights, and probably 2 smaller radars along with the main one, and then the different radio antennae....... trying to keep in mind that this is my first true, hardcore build, and those little nuances will come with experience.

I've got my Port Colborne fairleads ready to be attached, so just placed them to see how they look - they need to be moved and secured to the right place on the deck. The correct winches for this type of ship are not available in the fittings market, so went to BlueJacket and got what I figure is the closest to the real deal.

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Sorry folks......got totally side tracked on this build log and haven't updated. I only did this in 1:200 scale, and have totally scrapped the slightly smaller build of the same ship.

I am in fact done with this model now. It is completed, and was actually entered in a local scale model show thanks to a good sell job of the local hobby shop I frequent. Placed 3rd in the ship category.

From the last set of photos, it was basically all small details, including the handrails, which are photoetched from BlueJacket. Freefall lifeboat was built by hand, as was the davit holding it. Front mast was scratch built as well (aside from the nav lights which are part of a 3d printed part purchased online). Radars are purchased parts as well. Handrails/ladders on superstructure are Plastruct parts that I found worked perfect for sizing for this, as there are no commercially available parts for Great Lakes freighters......such a small, niche market I suppose for us boatnerds.

Overall, I am happy with how it turned out, despite there being flaws that I see that I know I can improve on in future builds.

Also....because I have cats....I had to build the acrylic display case to protect my model, as the time/effort/care/etc put into building this is worth protecting from a curious pet, plus it will help keep it dust and dirt free!

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decks.JPG

Front.JPG

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top.JPG

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Congratulations for finishing this model - very well done
 
Very interesting project., very nicely done. I love to watch the freighters pass through the Soo locks.
 
Very interesting project., very nicely done. I love to watch the freighters pass through the Soo locks.

I try to make a trip to St. Catharines, ON every year to check out the Welland Canal (lock 3 has a great viewing platform and museum). Plus, I live only a couple blocks from the Detroit River, so the big freighters have always been a part of my life.
 
Here is my second lake freighter in progress before I found this site. The following is taken from boaternerd.com and gives a brief run down on this new class of bulk carrier. Picture is actually taken along the Detroit River where I live 2 blocks from.

The Algoma Central Corporation has been engaged in an ambitious fleet renewal program. The fleet has ordered five new ships capable of Great Lakes service and will manage two others of this Equinox Class for the Canadian Wheat Board. All are being built overseas in China.

Algoma Equinox is the first of the new Equinox Class of Great Lakes freighters built for the Algoma Central Corporation. It was constructed by Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries Stock Co. of Nantong City, China. The 740 foot long by 78 foot wide gearless bulk carrier was launched on December 24, 2012, and sailed for Canada on October 1, 2013.

This vessel, and its sister-ships, operate with a 45 percent improved energy efficiency and can carry 20 percent more cargo. It also has a much lower fuel consumption with the benefit of a 97 percent removal of sulphur oxide emissions. Highly automated, the ship can operate with as few as 18 sailors.

After crossing the Pacific and passing through the Panama Canal, Algoma Equinox loaded iron ore while inbound at Port Cartier, Quebec. The ship was upbound through the Seaway for the first time on December 3, 2013, and headed to Hamilton to unload at Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco). It then sailed to Superior, and loaded ore for Cliffs Natural Resources in Quebec City.

The ship spent its initial winter in Toronto and then received the top hat in a ceremony at Lock 3, St. Catharines, Ont., as the first ship of the 2014 navigation season to use the Welland Canal. After being part of the battle with late winter ice, Algoma Equinox headed to Lake Superior in convoy and with ice-breaker assistance. But as the ice melted, the ship soon settled in on the Seaway ore and grain trades and will hopefully be a regular trader on the inland seas for many years to come.

Here is the actual ship and am hoping to come up with a reasonable scale model...
Hallo @TJCampbell
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
Here is my second lake freighter in progress before I found this site. The following is taken from boaternerd.com and gives a brief run down on this new class of bulk carrier. Picture is actually taken along the Detroit River where I live 2 blocks from.

The Algoma Central Corporation has been engaged in an ambitious fleet renewal program. The fleet has ordered five new ships capable of Great Lakes service and will manage two others of this Equinox Class for the Canadian Wheat Board. All are being built overseas in China.

Algoma Equinox is the first of the new Equinox Class of Great Lakes freighters built for the Algoma Central Corporation. It was constructed by Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries Stock Co. of Nantong City, China. The 740 foot long by 78 foot wide gearless bulk carrier was launched on December 24, 2012, and sailed for Canada on October 1, 2013.

This vessel, and its sister-ships, operate with a 45 percent improved energy efficiency and can carry 20 percent more cargo. It also has a much lower fuel consumption with the benefit of a 97 percent removal of sulphur oxide emissions. Highly automated, the ship can operate with as few as 18 sailors.

After crossing the Pacific and passing through the Panama Canal, Algoma Equinox loaded iron ore while inbound at Port Cartier, Quebec. The ship was upbound through the Seaway for the first time on December 3, 2013, and headed to Hamilton to unload at Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco). It then sailed to Superior, and loaded ore for Cliffs Natural Resources in Quebec City.

The ship spent its initial winter in Toronto and then received the top hat in a ceremony at Lock 3, St. Catharines, Ont., as the first ship of the 2014 navigation season to use the Welland Canal. After being part of the battle with late winter ice, Algoma Equinox headed to Lake Superior in convoy and with ice-breaker assistance. But as the ice melted, the ship soon settled in on the Seaway ore and grain trades and will hopefully be a regular trader on the inland seas for many years to come.

Here is the actual ship and am hoping to come up with a reasonable scale model...
Hallo @TJCampbell
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
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