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Old 04-04-2021, 12:54 PM
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ccoyle ccoyle is offline
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1:250 Steam Harbor Tug WARATAH 1902

1:250 Steam Harbor Tug WARATAH 1902
HMV
Available from Fentens Papermodels €8.99
Photo courtesy of HMV
(All photos by the author except where noted.)
The steam tug Waratah was built in 1902 for service in Sydney Harbor, Australia. She is presently part of the Sydney Heritage Fleet and is used for harbor excursions. You can read more of her history at the Sydney Heritage Fleet website. Fresh off the presses and designed by Carsten Horn, Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag (HMV) now offer this eye-pleasing vessel as a card model in their usual 1/250 scale. At that scale, the finished model is a mere 133 mm in length (5.23 in.), which may not seem all that small until the kit is actually seen in person! The kit consists of only 246 parts on two sheets, but because of the many tiny pieces, the kit is marked schwierig (difficult), so some prior experience in card modeling is desirable.

The printing is up to the usual high standards of HMV, with sharp colors, excellent registration, and a good amount of detail. Reverse-side printing has been done on parts that will be visible on two sides. Parts marked with an "A" indicate alternate parts to provide additional detail, such as doubling doors. An "L" indicates that the part can be replaced with an optional laser-cut piece (available separately). Longtime builders of HMV models will notice that fold lines, which used to be printed right on the part to be folded, are now printed adjacent to the part instead, which is a nice improvement.



Directions for construction consist in the main of a series of 13 diagrams. A very brief description of how to interpret the various markings on the diagrams is provided in six languages (German, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian). The diagrams appear to be very thorough; part numbers are plainly marked, and alternate and laser-cut optional parts are indicated as well. Also included is a rigging diagram, which, for such a small model, is thankfully very simple.



The hull is built in HMV's usual "egg-crate" style, based on a longitudinal hull profile piece and a number of transverse bulkheads. Hull sides are attached to tabs that fold up or down from the base plate and deck.



With an MSRP of only €8.99, this nice little model won't make a big dent in anyone's budget. The laser-cut detail set, at €12.99, costs a bit more, but in my opinion it is money well-spent, since the set includes nearly all of the "fiddly bits" pre-cut in colored card stock. This spares the modeler a lot of time and nerve-wracking effort spent cutting out tiny and delicate parts, and also greatly enhances the look of the finished model. Waratah's detail set includes a whopping 11 frets of variously-colored parts.





With or without the detail set, Waratah should build into a very detailed and attractive small model, one that satisfactorily captures the certain elegance that workboats of a bygone era possessed. This kit is thus a welcome addition to HMV's fleet of civilian vessels.

Thanks are due to Fentens Papermodels for sending out this review example. If you enjoyed this review, you can show your appreciation to Fentens by visiting their website. If you make a purchase, be sure to mention that Paper Modelers sent you!


Photo courtesy of Fentens Papermodels
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  #2  
Old 10-01-2021, 10:48 AM
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ccoyle ccoyle is offline
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Here's my completed version of Waratah. Plenty of challenges in a model so small! The foremast rigging proved to be too much for my skills or patience. There are more pictures in the gallery at Model Ship World.


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Old 10-02-2021, 02:48 AM
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Kevin WS Kevin WS is offline
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Great job!
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Old 10-02-2021, 12:17 PM
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Don Boose Don Boose is offline
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Outstanding! That is a beautiful little tug, and your model is superb.

Ships of the 1890-1950 period are the best looking of powered watercraft and ships to my eye. This is a real classic.

Don
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Old 10-04-2021, 02:52 AM
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JohnMGD JohnMGD is offline
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Beautiful little model of this tug, pity though it has no underwater hull !!
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Old 10-04-2021, 05:26 AM
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I agree with Don and the others, out standing.
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