SLEEPING CAR of the 1929 ORIENT EXPRESS – Super Detailed Kit

Agatha Christie / Poirot fans take note!

It may not be a ship model, but this new kit from Amati looks pretty awesome. I imagine just about any modeler would enjoy taking on this 1/32-scale model of a 1930s luxury sleeping car. I’m told that this monster of a multimedia kit comes in at about 30 pounds, shipping weight!

Ages of Sail

Amati Model has outdone themselves with the release of this new kit. It is a 1/32-scale model kit of the Sleeping Car of the famed Orient Express, known for luxurious accomodations and international travel across Europe, connecting locations as far as Calais, Istanbul, and Athens.

The new Amati kit measures over 28″ in length and features multimedia construction, using high quality wood, parts of photo-etched brass and nickel-silver, highly detail metal casting, and more.

The model features a super detailed interior and a removable roof top, so you can access it all.

The kit, which will be in stock very soon, is a very high-end kit and lists for $1199, but we will have a special introductory sale price of $999.

While your waiting to purchase yours, check out this teaser video posted by Amati

As soon as our shipment of the new kit comes in, which should be in…

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Building a Gozabune (Kobaya) from Paris Plans – Part 8

The latest on Le Petit Galère from Paris’ Le Souvenirs de Marine. The major hull detail are wrapped up here as I’m getting closer to laying down some paint on the model.

Wasen Mokei 和船模型

So, I drilled out the rogui on which the ro, or sculling oars, pivot. I used a sharp point to start the hole and finished up using a small drill in a Dremel rotary tool. Because I’m starting to consider painting the model, I’m going to hold off on adding the pins to the rogui until some later time.

Also, I found more structural work to complete before I have to deal with the rails, so I’m putting that assembly off for the moment.

Finishing Mortises

Today, I finished the remaining mortises. I did these the same way as the ones done earlier, laying out strips of tape to maintain even spacing, but the mortises at the todate (transom) and the miyoshi (stem), were a little smaller and slightly closer together. 

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Kumanogawa Hayabune (熊野川の早舟)- Model by Kouichi Ohata

Here’s a nice large scale model of a traditional Japanese boat used in a local festival built by ship modeler Kouichi Ohata. Ohata-san provided me with photos and information and I hope to try building one soon, but it will be hard to match the beauty and detail of his model.

Wasen Mokei 和船模型

1/10-scale Kumanogawa Hayabune model by Kouichi Ohata

Kouichi Ohata is a Japanese model builder who lives in the southern end of Mie prefecture, near the Pacific Coast. He runs the family orange orchards, and in his spare time, creates some magnificent works including a large 1/35-scale RC model of the Flower-class corvette H.M.S. Compass Rose, from the film and the book The Cruel Sea.

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New and Bigger Longboat Kit from Model Shipways

I just saw a post on Model Ship World announcing this new kit from Model Shipways. This is basically a larger, armed version of the Chuck Passaro-designed 18th Century English Longboat kit. The original kit was a 1/4″ scale, or 1:48 scale, model that measured just under 12″ long. The new kit is produced at 1/2″ scale, or 1:24 scale.

The new kit is then just about 2′ long, which should make it an easier build for beginners. I’d add that while many people call the original kit a “beginner” kit, having built it, I would never recommend it for beginners. The only thing that might be okay for beginners in that kit was the simple rigging and the low price. However, this kit’s size should make it much easier to work on, still retaining the simple rig and relatively low price of $119.99.

The price of this kit includes the new cast metal cannons and other fittings, all basswood strips and laser-cut parts with no plywood used (still a cheap wood), and photo-etched brass decorative scroll work, rather than the printed paper ones from the smaller kit. It also boasts a full 48-page instruction booklet.

To check out the listing, click here: http://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-MS1460-18th-Century-Armed-Longboat–Laser-Cut-Wood-Metal-Photo-etched-Brass-Kit_p_3218.html

The smaller kit appears to be available still, and it still makes a nice, small display model. The new kit matches the scale of the 21ft English Pinnace kit, and should make a nice addition to any ship modeler’s collection. Ω