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Terror and Erebus builds (OCCRE kits)

Kuba91nt, I'm not sure if you're asking about differences from the actual ship to the model or in the build instructions. If it's the first my answer is, yes there are plenty as ones an actual working ship and the other is just a model. If it's the latter, I would say yes, but I'm just adding together everything I can find and doing the best that I can. As this is my first ship model build I can't really compare but so far I'm quite pleased with everything.
Thanks for the question, I hope this helps.
 
Yeap. I know you're working hard on this model, and i appreciate it. Keep it up.
Don't mislead yourself into following instructions Thumbsup
 
Kuba91nt, I'm not sure if you're asking about differences from the actual ship to the model or in the build instructions. If it's the first my answer is, yes there are plenty as ones an actual working ship and the other is just a model. If it's the latter, I would say yes, but I'm just adding together everything I can find and doing the best that I can. As this is my first ship model build I can't really compare but so far I'm quite pleased with everything.
Thanks for the question, I hope this helps.
OP2 Owens_Terror build.jpg
 
I am curious.....what details can't we discuss?
Thanks
Allan
To what extent was the ship actually adapted for the expedition?
Documentation includes information that the upper deck received additional transverse reinforcement and insulation between it. This is included on the ship's occre, but it's not visible on the wreck.
The same applies to reinforcements, which are not recorded in the documents. It's possible that the workers added additional beams "on their own," without any documentation, which was not uncommon at the time.
I recommend delving deeper into the history of the ship and the falsification of documents by the Admiralty. This was too exclusive an expedition, it had to succeed.
The ship sank, but the documents remained...
 
I had previously built the OcCre HMS Terror. Great kit and good instructions. Read alot beforehand and researched it before building.
I've bee toying with the idea of building the Erebus, but shared many of the hesitations mentioned.
The Terror was a Vesuvius class bomb ship at 325 tons, 102 feet in length and with a 27 foot beam.
The Erebus was a Hecla class bomb ship at 372 tons, 105 feet in length and with a 29 foot beam.
They were both similar rigged. The hull and bow profiles were very close. The deck plans varied. I used Becks' book on Terror for details.
Building the Erebus from the kit might take some "Kentucky windage" to get close to the authentic differences.

terror.jpeg
 
Very nice looking build Peso Pete. I'm afraid I've been sidetracked a bit for the last while. My wife decided that it was time to go through all of our decorations and stuff stored in the crawlspace as we got out our Christmas decorations. We found 5 very nice drawings at the bottom of a box my mother in law bought back in the 80's. I decided to frame them as they're really well done and are of wonderful old limestone buildings built long ago in a small local town that we both have connections to. It was a challenge, and involved quite a bit of woodwork (so it kind of fit's here). I managed to do a pretty good job for just over $100 altogether. The drawings are now saved and hung up and I'm back at my ship building.

IMG_3221.jpg
 
To what extent was the ship actually adapted for the expedition?
Documentation includes information that the upper deck received additional transverse reinforcement and insulation between it. This is included on the ship's occre, but it's not visible on the wreck.
The same applies to reinforcements, which are not recorded in the documents. It's possible that the workers added additional beams "on their own," without any documentation, which was not uncommon at the time.
I recommend delving deeper into the history of the ship and the falsification of documents by the Admiralty. This was too exclusive an expedition, it had to succeed.
The ship sank, but the documents remained...
They is much speculative documentation regarding the modifications to Erebus and Terror. But Erebus has less online than Terror.
Prior to the ill fated voyage, both ships had extensive remodeling for the stern/rudder area to accommodate the new retractable propeller. The decks were re re-enforced originally ( as these were "bomb" ships with heavy mortars on deck., but double planked prior to the voyage. The ship was a bomb vessel, with an extremely strong hull, built to withstand the impact of explosions. Iron plating was added fore and aft* on the ships' hulls to make them more resistant to pack ice, and their decks were cross-planked to distribute impact forces. For the Franklin Expedition, water tight bulkheads were installed, and a double lining of copper sheathing was fitted around the keel. ( if you have watched the Parks Canada footage, some details of the decking can be seen on Erebus )
In Scott Cookmans book, ICE BLINK, ( Really great book to read) he refers to Barrow and mandating other modifications. These included: " the ships sides which were 3" of English oak, were doubled with two layers of African oak, each 1 1/2 inches thick wrought diagonally against each other. In turn this weas overlayed with with two layers of Canadian elm, each 2 inches thick, again wrought diagonally.
By the way, the Terror OcCre kit did not include the stern water closets and curved davits as confirmed bt the underwater photos of Terror.( I fabricated those and added to my build)
Some remaining questions are: did the iron plating extend along the sides just below the ice channel? Were all hatches "doubled" Did Terror have 9 ships boats or 6.
Matthew Betts book, THE TERROR gives much good building information.
Haul away matey, I'm anxious to see the new Terror builds

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Yes, they're signed and dated by Colin Mcquirk, 4 of them are from 1977 and 1 is from 1980. I didn't find out much about him online except that the city of St. Mary's (ON Canada) has some of the same drawings in their archives. I don't know how it worked back then as far as prints and stuff. These are not numbered as copy's and are on very thick paper. They are what they are. At least they're saved and appreciated now.
 
They is much speculative documentation regarding the modifications to Erebus and Terror. But Erebus has less online than Terror.
Prior to the ill fated voyage, both ships had extensive remodeling for the stern/rudder area to accommodate the new retractable propeller. The decks were re re-enforced originally ( as these were "bomb" ships with heavy mortars on deck., but double planked prior to the voyage. The ship was a bomb vessel, with an extremely strong hull, built to withstand the impact of explosions. Iron plating was added fore and aft* on the ships' hulls to make them more resistant to pack ice, and their decks were cross-planked to distribute impact forces. For the Franklin Expedition, water tight bulkheads were installed, and a double lining of copper sheathing was fitted around the keel. ( if you have watched the Parks Canada footage, some details of the decking can be seen on Erebus )
In Scott Cookmans book, ICE BLINK, ( Really great book to read) he refers to Barrow and mandating other modifications. These included: " the ships sides which were 3" of English oak, were doubled with two layers of African oak, each 1 1/2 inches thick wrought diagonally against each other. In turn this weas overlayed with with two layers of Canadian elm, each 2 inches thick, again wrought diagonally.
By the way, the Terror OcCre kit did not include the stern water closets and curved davits as confirmed bt the underwater photos of Terror.( I fabricated those and added to my build)
Some remaining questions are: did the iron plating extend along the sides just below the ice channel? Were all hatches "doubled" Did Terror have 9 ships boats or 6.
Matthew Betts book, THE TERROR gives much good building information.
Haul away matey, I'm anxious to see the new Terror builds

 
In 1845, the hulls of the Erebus and Terror were painted black with a continuous white stripe along the outside, and the inside bulwarks were painted yellow.
Contemporary paintings and sketches from the time of the expedition, such as those by Owen Stanley, confirm these colors.
  • Hull: Black
  • Trim: A single white stripe along the hull's "weather works" (the part of the ship above the waterline) that extended around the bow and up the exterior stern frames. The ice channels show in many illustrations as white
  • Inside Bulwarks: Yellow.
  • The Erebus OcCre kit illustration depicts inaccurate colors, ref attached photo
The underwater part of the hull would have been covered in copper sheathing,

s-l1600.jpg
 
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One interesting FYI note, a structure called "the ice plank" was located just forward of the mizzen mast. The ice masters would climb up on this and scout for dangerous ice conditions ahead and advise of safe passage to the helmsman. (its included in the kits and noted in the instructions)
Also, the water-closet structures at the stern were built with roofs and sliding doors opening to the sides. These are not included in the kit and can be easily fabricated for more historical accuracy.

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En 1845, los cascos del Erebus y del Terror fueron pintados de negro con una franja blanca continua a lo largo del exterior, y los baluartes interiores fueron pintados de amarillo
Pinturas y bocetos contemporáneos de la época de la expedición, como los de Owen Stanley, confirman estos colores.
  • Casco: Negro
  • Revestimiento: Una sola franja blanca a lo largo de la cubierta del casco (la parte del barco por encima de la línea de flotación) que se extendía alrededor de la proa y subía por las cuadernas exteriores de popa. Los canales de hielo se muestran en muchas ilustraciones como blancos.
  • Baluartes interiores: amarillo.
  • La ilustración del kit Erebus OcCre muestra colores inexactos, consulte la foto adjunta.
La parte submarina del casco habría estado cubierta con un revestimiento de cobre,

View attachment 563733
Buenos días, negativo, el revestimiento de cobre en estos casos, Erebus y Terror se retiraron por ser necesario debido a las bajas temperaturas de las aguas por las que navegarían, el forrado solo es para aguas cálidas donde prolifera la broma. Aconsejo seguir o por lo menos leer el hilo de Matt
hew Betts de su estudio y construcción del Terror, en el cual se basaron, copiando literalmente su modelo, los de Ocre.
Así voy con mi modelo, con muchas mejoras y siguiendo los planos originales y los de Matthew, un saludo


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Not agree.
Kit bashing was when the company massively banned people for making unfavorable comments about this situation, and they still do. Now it's wallet bashing at best.
"Wallet Bashing" - A very realistic statement. My 'mind- wandering' the other day brought me to comparing prices thru the last half century:- in 1972 I bought a new Triumph Toledo for £945 - in 2001 a new Saab 9-3 cost me with p/ex £10k - in 2022 I sold it for £800, then in 2025 I bought Caldercraft's HMS Victory £951.01. It's sad mind boggling, what inflation does - it blows everything out of proportion. Look what happened to the Deutschmark after 1918! Banknote-POUNDS :eek:;)Exclamation-Mark
 



My decision to order from Occre turned out to be a good one. They were very easy and actually quick to deal with. Given the fact that they’re in Spain and I’m not it worked out well. That is except for the shipping. Sure there were import charges and two week delivery’s. Both boxes (Terror and Erebus) arrived full of the scattered contents of the tiny parts that were once inside of the plastic parts container. A real mess. The smallest pieces I’ve ever seen all over. Hundreds of them. I knew it was bad so I took a couple jpgs and sent them to Occre. I asked for new parts and they showed up in two weeks. Along with new import charges, but I have to give Occre credit. They stood up and fixed it. Not too many company’s do that any more. In hindsight, I don’t think tiny parts should be shipped in plastic above 30,000 feet.
The online videos don’t match up with the instructions, but once you get used to it and look around for direction, take it all in and work with it. I’m not one who takes direction well anyways... so I’m making mistakes and learning from them.
Blunder number one was deciding to use permanent black Sharpie markers to outline the decking planks instead of pencil lead. It worked well, was quick and easy but turned blue a few weeks after I finished the deck with Minwax Polycrylic clear topcoat.
Number two was the armor. I dyed and finished it above the glue line hoping that it could be bent into place. It’s plywood and I’m new and I was wrong. Even thin plywood doesn’t bend much.
I've tried to suggest to OcCre that they use a poly based plastic small parts box instead of the fragile acrylic ones they insist on using. Maybe, one day when they realize the error of their ways, they'll condescend to change. Even packed & sealed in ziplock bags (as per Caldercraft kits).
 
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