A collection of over 2000 scale model ships – diecast metal, plastic, scratch built – to the same scale 1:1200
Since the late 1950s Steve has been collecting and making ship models to this scale (1 inch to 100 feet!). The largest model is around 33 cm long and the shortest around 1 cm.
The collection includes over 50 models from Triang Minic from the 1950s and 1960s, over 70 plastic kits from Eagle Ships also from the 1960s and plastic Revell kits (warships, civilian) current today, from the 1990s onwards.
Most of the earlier kits were of warships, particularly WW2 vintage, though the minic ships are ‘modern’ warships representative of the 1950s and 1960s.
Steve intends to donate the whole collection to the Williamson Museum and Art Gallery, Birkenhead with which he is working on a model of Birkenhead docks to the 1:1200 scale and will continue to expand the collection.
To help the modeller Steve has put together some ideas with illustrations to demonstrate how a modeller might create a 1:1200 scale model. This is a model of the Dutch cruiser Tromp from 1937 but the ideas apply equally well for all manner of models.
With civilian ships it is often useful to use the paper from magazines to create white upperworks (on a base of wood or plastic) and coloured paper can be useful when making funnels and other coloured objects, particularly if they are small (eg the symbols on the funnels of merchant ships).
Click below to view the different parts of the collection:
- Triang Minic ships (1950s, 1960s)
- Revell plastic kits – warships (2000s)
- Revell plastic kits – civilian (2000s)
- Eagle Ships (1950s, 1960s)
- Warship Displays – Williamson 2019
- Warships built from scratch – section 9
- Warships built from scratch – section 8
- Warships built from scratch – section 7
- Warships built from scratch – section 6
- Warships built from scratch – section 5
- Warships built from scratch – section 4
- Warships built from scratch – section 3
- Warships built from scratch – section 2
- Warships built from scratch – section 1
- The ADLER tender assembly and ADLER completion from 3 May 2025
- The ADLER engine assembly from 20 April 2025
- The ROCKET tender assembly from 11 April 2025
- The ROCKET kit from 6 April 2025
- Ships scale 1:1200 built from scratch November 2024 onwards
- German Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen fitting out from 1 September 2024
- German Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen superstructure from 10 July 2024
- German Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen hull construction from June 2024
- German Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen preparation from 14 April 2024
- Iron Battle Ship “Warrior 1860” Masts and rigging from 25 March 2024
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Information on ships, lighters, tugs, barges – 19 May 2022
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Final additions
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Crane construction
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Lock gate construction
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Trains and rolling stock construction
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – Accessory construction plan
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale – base construction 1
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale section 3
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale section 2
- Birkenhead Docks model 1:1200 scale section 1