Log in

• Remember Me?
  Register Help

First some background. Apologies to those who have already read this under my F16C Falcon posting. I have been looking to do a static model of an Aberdeen Steam Trawler for some time now, and scanning the internet I found that the Caldercraft Milford Star was actually built in Aberdeen by Hall, Russell and Co. Ltd and launched in 1942 as the Sir Gareth for the admiralty for minesweeping duties. This design of Trawler was based on Hall Russell's 1936 Round Table Class Trawler. In 1946 she was bought over by the Walker Steam Trawler Co. Ltd converted back to trawling and renamed 'Star of the East'. In 1958 she was taken over by the Milford Steam Trawler Co. Ltd. and renamed the 'Milford Star'. In 1964 she was bought by Westward Trawlers Ltd, Milford and renamed 'Radilais'. She was eventually scrapped in 1967 and broken up in Cork.

My late father was a Trawl Skipper for much of his working life from around the early 1920's to the 1950's when life at sea was really tough (not like the recent 'Trawler' T.V. program), so although he didn't serve on this particular Trawler it is as close as I am going to get to a ship of his era.

Many Trawlers were sunk by Mines both during and after both wars, and quite a few by U-Boats, they didn't waste a torpedo but sunk them by gunfire. I remember going onboard many Trawlers in the 1950's and going out into Aberdeen Bay where the Trawlers did speed trials and adjusted their compasses after being in dry dock.

I have obtained a drawing from the Aberdeen Maritime Museam of the Sir Gareth, and plan to convert the Kit to the Star of Orkney A421 built 1936.

Right, back to the review. The kit comes in a fairly large box 8" deep x 14.1/2" wide x 37" long.
K1.jpgK2.jpgK3.jpg

The model comes with a GRP Hull which can accommodate all the equipment needed to sail the Trawler if desired.
K4.jpg

The kit has all the necessary strips of wood, stern tube and two printed sheets of ply wood and two sheets already CNC cut, presumably water jet.
K5.jpgK6.jpgK7.jpg

Also included are 8 bags of white metal fittings and a Funnel and Lifeboat.
K8.jpgK9.jpg

Included is a semi detailed Instruction Manual and a Drawing which is slightly out of scale to the model.
K10.jpgK11.jpg

What is not included is Rigging Thread and any Decals for the Vessel Name, Number or Funnel Flag.

The white metal pieces seem to be of a reasonable quality with the exception of the Trawl Winch Barrel which has been badly cast and cleaned up.

K12.jpg

For me the Winch Barrels is not a problem as I planned to replace it with wooden dowels and fit real wire rope. Below is the Wire Rope and Black rigging thread I purchased as extra to the kit. I have also purchased stripes of Lime Wood to make the decking as I do not like printed decks.
K13.jpg

Once I am finished my EE Lightning I will make a start on this kit and post it in the 'Under Construction' section of the Forum.

Cheers Derek

Hi Brian, great stuff, looks as if we will have a mini group build going. Don't suppose you have any photos of the original ship you can share?? Cheers Derek