You are a great story teller with good photos to support that. I’m really impressed with your work, the details… excellent! You’ve given me a new perspective for my boat. I’m particularly interested in the details of the shells of the 32mm Starboard bow gun. That alone brings this boat way up on the impressive meter. Did you scratch build the entire boat or is it from a kit? Are the gun mounts resin or?? I just looked at the Bofors gun more closely and saw how detailed it is, the spring, the gun sight, the gun barrel. I don’t want to be a glutton but I’d love to see a photo of the whole boat. Was there any mention in your research about the deck planking? When I looked for aftermarket wooden decks I came across some info that they were covered in plywood. Was that your understanding or you found different info?
The 80' ELCO decks from 103 to 383 were planked. From 486 on, they were plywood.
Interesting group of pictures. I notice that PT109 would have had only 1 torpedo tube installed by Elco on each side.
No, she had four tubes originally. Keep in mind that ELCO was a yacht company and their joinery was top notch. In reality, at 1/48 scale, any plank lines would be pretty much invisible. This is a blow-up of the aft deck of 109 being shipped to the Pacific.
I’m impressed! You’re absolutely correct on the planking. I can see what you mean about being barely visible. What is the other ship in the photo…looks like a seagoing tug? I noticed that there’s a couple of series that have radomes, that must have been a relatively new concept? Many years ago I shot a story on about the QE2 getting a new radar system installed close to where the Intrepid is docked. They airlifted it and lowered it to the top deck. That was a pretty cool sight.
I just noticed the fire nozzles…I’ve got my answer.
Hallo @HPeterBI’m currently working on an Elco PT Boat in 1:48 scale from IHobby. It’s a nice size for me and my shaky hands but the PE parts are still a bit of a challenge and require those wonderful bending tools and a whole lotta patience! I’ve actually learned a bit from my previous build using CA glue and … toothpicks! Who said you can’t teach this dog new tricks (I’m not old…just numerically wisened).
The Elco boats are a bit of nostalgia for me. They were built in my hometown of Bayonne, NJ. During WW2 my Dad worked next door to Elco in a warplant called General Cable and he would tell me stories about Elco and working in the plant. In the 1950’s there was an horrific train accident on the RR bridge that went from Bayonne to Elizabeth. The bridge was of the lift bridge style, the span was up and it was tragic error, the train went off the bridge, engine first followed by several passenger cars, multiple fatalities. When we heard about the disaster my father and I went to see the scene and the only place that had a view was Elco. So…they let us go on their property to see the wreckage. I’ve never forgotten that.
Bayonne had a few firsts to it’s credit: longest single span bridge, Bayonne to Staten Island, ultimately replaced in the record books by the Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia. More appropriately for this site, Bayonne had the largest dry dock on the east coast at the Bayonne Naval Base, also home of the WW2 Mothball fleet until they were moved to Kearny, NJ for breakup or up the Hudson River an anchorage. The third thing that Bayonne was noted for was the largest hub of petroleum refineries in the country. That record was broken by Houston, Tx after the big companies like Standard Oil, Flying A, etc…found better tax breaks in Texas. Just a bit of history from a kid from Joisey.
Thank you, the cake was amazing! How’d you all know that chocolate is my favorite? Elco… it’s been almost 3 months since I’ve been able to work on the Elco PT boat. The move to our new apartment was in a word I never realized how much stuff one picks up along the way. I’m intent on finishing the boat before the next century! Or…sooner whichever comes first. Thanks again for my cake…I highly recommend chocolate!
That is one heck of model. I'd love to build it myself. Where is it located and what boat is it?
Hallo @HPeterBI’m currently working on an Elco PT Boat in 1:48 scale from I
The Elco boats are a bit of nostalgia for me. They were built in my hometown of Bayonne, NJ. During WW2 my Dad worked next door to Elco in a warplant called General Cable and he would tell me stories about Elco and working in the plant. In the 1950’s there was an horrific train accident on the RR bridge that went from Bayonne to Elizabeth. The bridge was of the lift bridge style, the span was up and it was tragic error, the train went off the bridge, engine first followed by several passenger cars, multiple fatalities. When we heard about the disaster my father and I went to see the scene and the only place that had a view was Elco. So…they let us go on their property to see the wreckage. I’ve never forgotten that.
Bayonne had a few firsts to it’s credit: longest single span bridge, Bayonne to Staten Island, ultimately replaced in the record books by the Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia. More appropriately for this site, Bayonne had the largest dry dock on the east coast at the Bayonne Naval Base, also home of the WW2 Mothball fleet until they were moved to Kearny, NJ for breakup or up the Hudson River an anchorage. The third thing that Bayonne was noted for was the largest hub of petroleum refineries in the country. That record was broken by Houston, Tx after the big companies like Standard Oil, Flying A, etc…found better tax breaks in Texas. Just a bit of history from a kid from Joisey.
