Kiel-Canal ferry ARLAU, 1:250 Scale

[Heiner]

After 50-something years of service, the old ferries across the Kiel-Kanal are now being retired. PASSAT made a very good model of them, and as the gentlemen there are planning their retirement, You have to order this model until 12.15.2024, or search for a used one...
Since November last year, the new generation has started to replace them. These are enviromentally friendly ships, driven by a hybrid diesel-electric Voith-Schneider drive, that are expected to use about 25 % less fuel than the old ones, by usage of batteries. The Diesel-engine will only be run to charge these batteries, so there will be not idling. The ferries will be kept and fixed at port by a new set of arrestor-claws, locking into purpose-built dolphins, thus eliminating running machines to keep position. Finally, beginning with this summer, the dolphins are to be equipped with electric connectors, to charge the batteries from port completely without running the engine. Once installed, the engines are just kept for emergencies and the vessel runs without (local) emissions at all. Given, the electricity once will be generated by wind-turbines, You spare up to 100 % of fuel.



The new vessels are named for small rivers in Northern Germany, the first one named after the ARLAU. I like the concept, and the new look is interesting as well, so I decided to make a model out of it.

[Heiner]

The following pictures are already a few weeks old, but will give You an impression. The hull will be rather conventionally built with a double-layer floor plate. As one of the defining details, of course the arrestor claws have to be integrated as well. The ramps at both shoresides are meant to overlap the hull, so bow and stern (seperatly built) are meant to go down to the waterline. After this, the main deck is inserted, and the hull already is done (more or less).

[Heiner]

As "cornerstones", the position lamps are glued to the main deck. Above them, the bollards´fundaments are placed, with the bollards on top of them. As the hullsides are to be attached there, make sure to glue the lamps tight to the right spot. Afterwards, on the port side six emergency exits will be placed, together with windpipes on port and starboard. The gatekeepers housing somes next; these are really delicate parts that I recomment to strengthen with superglue before cutting out. As this ist only some proof of concept, I didn´t do this and put no glasses into the windows (which would have added a lot of stability).

[Heiner]

The hull sides come along seperatly, beginning with starboard. The framework for the upper deck is best to be attached to the hullside, before glueing this to the hull. Next, the fireboxes and live preservers have to be attached, before the upper deck covers this area. This upper deck should be glued to the inner "face" of the island, before, to stabilize the very narrow decksides. After fitting in the upper sidewalls, the island will be closed with the bridge deck.

[Siwi]

I very much approve of the concept of this vessel, and the electric power will make a much smoother experience for the passengers as well as protecting the environment. How did you find plans for the vessel?

[Heiner]

Hi Siwi!
Yes, You are right, the electric power makes for a much smoother experinece – for the crew as well! I recommend two videos at YouTube, one showing a canal crossing on the bridge of the old type, and one, being published by the canal authority, showing a prowd captain taking her out for a ride (and showing lots of hidden parts (of the vessel!!) to the camera. He emphasizes, that she handles like a sportscar and reacts at once, compared to the wirecontrolled mechanical steering of the old generation. Comparing the videos, I do believe him.
And the plans – well actually, I really didn´t have any. Still, at wikipedia there was a link to lecture, the canal authority held in 2019 about the new type, providing lots of information and some nicely detailled drawings. Some things of course were changed after that, the bridge for instance has another shape today, but with scaled photos underlying my redrawn plans and comparing lots of further pictures, I came close enough to call this a model (instead of „A fantasy of…“, as a colleage once called another model he didn´t like too much) .
And – of course: now, that I am mostly done – the canal authority told me, that I might come to Brunsbüttel to watch the plans and even take photos of them, but that they don´t give scans away. I´m not sure, yet, if I will attend to that invitation, Warsaw in Poland is closer to my place than Brunsbüttel. Still, I hope to find a local colleage instead. We will see.
Release of the model (hopefully) is in November.