H.G. Watkins USS Houston question

[paperboy]

Hi All

Does anyone here know of the old HG Watkins model of the USS Houston? I 'd love to find one because I'v been thinking of building a model of the cruiser in the Cavite blue/lt grey color scheme that it fought in early in 1942. I'm looking into plans from the University of Houston of the ship and thought that either the Pensacola hull or the Portland that were made by Modelcard and Flymodel might help me get started.

Then tonite I found out that HG Watkins had made a model of the Houston some time ago.

Heres 2 pics of the ship that I've found to show it coloration in 1941-2.


Vernon

 

[Jim Krauzlis]

Do you mean this one:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/ca/ca-30/350-ph/ca-index.html

Sure would be great if someone would duplicate some of those earlier models that are difficult, if not impossible, to find these days....

Cheers!
Jim

 

[paperboy]

Hey Jim

That is the very one I was thinking about. There aren't any Profile Morskie books about Houston to use as patterns. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to use my brain and read plans again arggh.


Vernon

 

[eibwarrior]

Hey guys, great thread.

Since the copyright on the HG Watkins models has "likely" passed into the public domain. Most were designed pre-1977, a swap-o-rama of sorts may need to be in order. I have three Watkins models in my possession. The BB's - Tennessee, Oklahoma, & West Virginia.

I would be more than willing to be one of the "spokes" in the hub of a Watkins' ship swap-o-rama. Now the only problem is to locate a Houston for Paperboy. I keep my eyes out all the time for them. They are as Jim said, very difficult to find.

These models need to be preserved as the antiques that they are. I think Watkins would have wanted that.

 

[paperboy]

Thanks for that
I look all the time on ebay and the internet. I dont even find a reference for Watkins card models. Who would be the best resource. I was thinking of the gentleman that ran the huge mail order PM business of of Washington.
Also I emailed the gentleman who posted on modelship gallery to see if he by chance scanned a copy of the Houston.


Vernon

 

[gkcooper]

I have been looking the world over for a BB-60 USS Alabama. Any ideas?

 

[paperboy]

Alabama was a South Dakota class BB. Halinski makes a South Dakota class battleship in 1:300. I have it and there are no hull numbers or stern name.

Vernon

 

[sdk2knbk]

The Watkins Houston has options to build several other ships in the class as well. Unfortunately it's not properly colored (all light gray), so scanning and repainting are a must. Here's a pic of my in-progress build. I somehow missed repainting one deck, but as I was out of ink at the time, I used the white piece anyway (I'll replace it eventually).

Scott K.

 

[paperboy]

Paul Helfrich emailed me that he unfortunately built his Houston from the original. However, he has an Omaha class cruiser, a USS Oklahoma and a Japanese cruiser. I invited hime to come to Zealot so maybe the circle will gain more. He has posted alot of model shipbuilds online, several are card models.

Vernon

 

[eibwarrior]

Scott K....

Did you happen to scan your Houston, or did you work on the original prints? I'd be willing to swap you (electronically) a fully colorized Tennessee for your Houston... Or if you'd prefer, a black/white line Oklahoma or West Virginia...

Paperboy...

If we could get Paul to scan his other models, we could begin to do some swapping. Between his, mine and yours we could get a pretty good fleet of Watkins' ships together...

Attached is a picture of my colorized Tennessee. I scratch built a lot of little details to enhance it.

 

[paperboy]

Your Tennessee is awesome.

Vernon

 

[eibwarrior]

Thanks Paperboy. Here is a couple more shots of her.

The float plane on the catapult is actually a sized-down Digital Navy plane instead of the one that Watkins drew. It was too fiddly, I couldn't build it well.

 

[RyanShort1]

Very interesting models. Does anyone have a list of these models, and would it be possible to either get a copy of some of the files, or to some sort of trade or swap?

Ryan

 

[sdk2knbk]

I scanned the originals, but had problems getting everything to fit, so there are many duplications on the scans. I also made the mistake of modifying most of the original scans, without saving them as backups. So, the bottom line is that there's a lot of work to be done with them. (No planking detail, questionable colors, etc...

Ryan, seems to me that I did make a list of the few models I knew about before, but Search didn't turn it up for me. So I just made up a new one; BC Renown, DD Allan Sumner, "US DE Type 1", DD Marksman, CL Dido, Gunboat Erie, BB Oklahoma, CL Natori, CA Houston, CA Mogami, CA Wichita, BB New York, BB Nelson, Unidentified British destroyer, CVL Independance, BB North Carolina, US DD Blue, and CA San Francisco. Quite a variety, and I'm sure that's nowhere near all of them.

You can see a nicely built Houston here; http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/ca/ca-30/350-ph/ca-index.html

Scott K.

 

[RyanShort1]

Ryan, seems to me that I did make a list of the few models I knew about before, but Search didn't turn it up for me. So I just made up a new one; BC Renown, DD Allan Sumner, "US DE Type 1", DD Marksman, CL Dido, Gunboat Erie, BB Oklahoma, CL Natori, CA Houston, CA Mogami, CA Wichita, BB New York, BB Nelson, Unidentified British destroyer, CVL Independance, BB North Carolina, US DD Blue, and CA San Francisco. Quite a variety, and I'm sure that's nowhere near all of them.

Interesting list. Which ones do we know of that there are copies that could be scanned... I'd particularly like to see the BC Renown and CVL Independence kits.

Ryan

 

[patriot missile]

i dont know if this helps, but if u have a model of the JSC USS Indianapolis you could use her as a start and do some modifications. they were basically the same USS Portland class cruiser with modifications to each ship in the class

 

[paperboy]

Thats exactly what I've been doing but I have a Flymodel USS Portland and a Modelcard USS Pensacola that i scanned and am comparing to photos and when they come the DreADED PLANS. Actually looking at plans is not all that bad. I just would rather cut out the bridge structures and deckhouses and put them together than spend time which I have precious little of READING PLANS. Why am I shouting when I think of PLANS. Hmmm.. Its interesting how my brain does that. Well i've been up now for about 15 hours so Ithink that I'll go to sleep and dream of long out of print cruisers that are finally coming home to port..Asiatic flagship arriving...zzz..zzz.zzz.

 

[eibwarrior]

PM me Paperboy... I've got the Houston....

Anyone else looking for Watkins models to trade, PM me. We're starting to get things together.

 

[paperboy]

Hey
I've got the Houston too thanks to you guys. I'm going this weekend to an antique shop that has alot of paper models,dolls & etc. The owner thinks that he has a Watkins model. Fingers crossed XX

Vernon

 

[Darwin]

I'm glad to see the amount of interest out there in the old Watkins line. I have the USS Erie (gunboat), IJN Fubuki, IJN Mogami, IJN Natori, IJN Yugumo, USS Pensacola, USS Houston, USS Helena, USS Blue, and Submarines Surcouf, Growler, and Regent. Eibwarrior, I have a suspicion I was the competing bidder on the BBs....the air in my workroom took on a blue tinge when that auction exceeded my budget. Would love to make an electronic trade with you. One of my passions has been making 1:250 scale kits based on the original Watkins designs. So far I have completed the Helena and Blue (some of you veterans might remember my build strings (long lost from the postings) posted at least two hosts ago. The Mogami is in progress....I am going all out with it, making it into a full-hull version, which explains the snail-pace progress even not taking the hobby shop construction into account. Vernon, hope you don't mind the hijack of your thread to post a few of the build pics of the Helena and Blue. Fortunately, my build pics (and redesign kit files) have managed to survive through a couple of hard drive crashes and computer upgrades. Anyone interested in swapping Watkins kits are welcome to pm me. I've made a couple of attempts to investigate the copyright issue on these kits, but haven't gotten anywhere with them. It does appear that they have passed into the public domain....at least I've never found anything indicating otherwise. These models are definitely too good to let slide into the dustbin of time, and desperately need preservation.