SS Rotterdam

[Hanseat]

My current model is the SS Rotterdam. I built the same model but with underwater body some ten years ago but was not satified with the scale of details. Besides, the colors of some parts have discolored considerably. All in all, I have decided to build it anew as a waterline model. What a challenge! In my opinion this JSC model has some severe construcion flaws. So, for anybody wishing to create a nice model out of this kit bear the following hints in mind....

[Hanseat]

A) The shell plate: the usual JSC thinkness in nice for the shell as it does not show many uneven parts below but is totally uncontrollable for the stem and stern. Why does JSC not include stem or stern parts of lighter paper to finish the hull off nicely? The copy shop did not manage the correct color and all my efforts to recreate the exact color have failed so far. I postposed the major repair job of the stem for later. The bow parts 148 not not show the correct angle of the hull.
B) Side windows of promenade decks and front (216,218,220). My advice: copy the original part and modify it slightly so that the window configuaration matches. Also you have some milimeters of tolerance gained to hide some other incorrections. You will need theses additions, I can tell you.
C) Under part 177: the walls are too short at the base of the cargo hatch. A copy of the original part gives you the extra length here too.
D) All the decks up from Lower Promenade Deck are too short in length and breadth. Add at least 4 mm to the breadth, otherwise you will not get any overhang with the Promenade Deck. I hoped that the problem with the length could somehow be mended in the course of my build but unfortunately I had to change every deck up to the Signal Deck Level. Even here I had to expand the deck by 5 mms. The Boat Deck needed an extra of 8 mms. Not very nice! With most decks I managed to hide the extension in some remote parts. Only Deck 177 shows the joint unyieldingly. Maybe I have to add some ladders and rope coils there later to hide it a bit.
E) The stairways below the bridge wings. Check out the general arrangement plans and you will see that some stairs are missing with the model. But to add them correctly is not always possible as there is not enough space. I had to place the stairs from the Boat Deck to the Sun Deck a bit forward next to the endings of 231. There are also some more stairs at Lower and Upper Boat Deck and on the After Decks. Unfortunately some walls have to be shifted some milimeters to construct the suitable staircase with its surrounding walls. But this is possible and should not discourage you. Before I attach a deck I check the stairs, the rope stays (if there are any) and so on anyway.
F) The window configuration of the bridge is nonsense. The pictures available show an additional window at the slightly slanted level (JSC is blind here), a sliding wooden door entrance, and an additional square window aft of it (JSC shows only one here).

As usual I built the entire Promenade Decks as far as they are open or half-open. But the GA plans helped me a lot here. I did not build the deck chairs as I did wit Wihelm Gustloff, Cap Arcona and Hamburg because you can hardly see them through the windows of the Promenade Deck. I opted for a stacks of folded deck chairs for this part of the model: six stacks of 10 folded chairs for each level, nicely packed in the corners. Only the open decks will get real deck chairs this time.

[Hanseat]

here are some pics of the details mentioned: 1) the parts 214/218 between posts and the U-shaped deck extension, 2) deck 177 3) the stairs at Sun Deck level and the addtional 4 mm of deck space here in front of the bridge, the remaining 4 mms are intergrated into the deck 4) the additional navigation lights and the correction of the ungaily joint 216 which is round in reality and nicely shaped. JSC shows a sharp bent here

[Hanseat]

after all these complaints now two pics just for enjoyment. I am already thinking about the next model:
a) MS Schwabenstein - I have nice pics of two Schwabenstein-class models form Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum and Deutsches Technisches Museum. Combined they should yield a nice build with Wilhelmshavener Model
b) Andrea Doria - a difficult model as to precision as some builders have alluded to, but I have nices pics from a suberb model from Genova Maritime Museum. But maybe I need a JSC break first
c) Santa Ines - a superb kit by Passat, with no additions or alterations necessary
d) Queen Mary - Corona destroyed that plan as I had planned to visit the original liner in July. This stay was cancelled by Queen Mary Museum & Hotels as they plan to use the ship as some kind of treatment facilty

[JohnMGD]

Hello Hanseat,

For the Queen Mary, there are some nice Walk arounds, you can find here:

SVSM Gallery :: RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA, by Vladimir Yakubov

So need not to travel

[JohnMGD]

And...there is an "Anatomy of the Ship" published about the RMS Queen Mary !!!!

[herky]

Originally Posted by Hanseat

after all these complaints now two pics just for enjoyment. I am already thinking about the next model:
a) MS Schwabenstein - I have nice pics of two Schwabenstein-class models form Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum and Deutsches Technisches Museum. Combined they should yield a nice build with Wilhelmshavener Model
b) Andrea Doria - a difficult model as to precision as some builders have alluded to, but I have nices pics from a suberb model from Genova Maritime Museum. But maybe I need a JSC break first
c) Santa Ines - a superb kit by Passat, with no additions or alterations necessary
d) Queen Mary - Corona destroyed that plan as I had planned to visit the original liner in July. This stay was cancelled by Queen Mary Museum & Hotels as they plan to use the ship as some kind of treatment facilty

strange we have heard no mention of queen mary news on liners sites

[herky]

i am confused , i have this model of rotterdam from JSC that can also be rembrant and with option of full hull.,This does not look like the model you are building??This model was only released in 2017 by JSC

[LarsW]

Hi Hanseat,

if it is the model 1:400 from JSC, published in 2017 (which i'm currently building)... i didn't have those issues you're describing.
I had to "flex" a bit at the stern of the frame structure to fit the hull but that was not so much of a problem.
Usually, i build models in scale 1:250, so i don't mind that much, if some details are left out or are eased in models 1:400; that's just natural.
The "Rotterdam" (later named "Rembrandt", which i'm building right now) has undergone many many changes in detail until it finally came ashore as the hotel ship "Rotterdam".
For example, the pool... sooo many changes there and almost no one can say for sure, how it was designed each year.
I hope you still have fun building the "Rotterdam"; it's such a beautiful liner

[herky]

Originally Posted by LarsW

Hi Hanseat,

if it is the model 1:400 from JSC, published in 2017 (which i'm currently building)... i didn't have those issues you're describing.
I had to "flex" a bit at the stern of the frame structure to fit the hull but that was not so much of a problem.
Usually, i build models in scale 1:250, so i don't mind that much, if some details are left out or are eased in models 1:400; that's just natural.
The "Rotterdam" (later named "Rembrandt", which i'm building right now) has undergone many many changes in detail until it finally came ashore as the hotel ship "Rotterdam".
For example, the pool... sooo many changes there and almost no one can say for sure, how it was designed each year.
I hope you still have fun building the "Rotterdam"; it's such a beautiful liner

yers thats the one i have also great model