07/02/13 SCRATCH BUILT CAR FERRY FINISHED

Here is option 2 for the car ferry.  This would leave me with an aisle of only a foot wide when the ferry is in the dock, not sure if I want to do that.

 

Good Lord Alex, that's big enough to row to Lanai from here. Don

Great job!!! It's great getting to see the progress.

It has been great following this project. Can't wait to see the rest! The work, simply fantastic! Terry

Thanks Don, Pete, and EastonO for the kind and funny words. !!!!!

 

 

Alex

 

Hey everyone.  Here is a link to a great article on Great Lakes Car Ferry operations. 

 

Enjoy.

 

Lake Michigan Car Ferries

Jim...thanks for the link.  Really interesting story.  You have me wanting to have some kind of ferry service on the layout....now I have to figure out how to do it and where it will go.  Darned you!!

 

Alan

very cool project - I am from Manitowoc WI, where a carferry travels to/from Michigan.

 

Ferry service seems to be popular on HO and N scale layouts but I never seen one in O except the one Alex is building me.  The ones on HO and N are usually car floats.  More like barges that go across a river or bay.  

 

There is one full O scale model of a car ferry at P&D hobbies, but it is not on a layout.  

Jim....do you have a picture of the one at P&D Hobbies?  It must be a monster!!

 

Alan

I will look for them.  I had sent a ton of them to Alex when he was planning out the project.  He wanted to study them for the build. 

Thanks Jim....I am now really seriously thinking about this.  I would have to go with something much smaller than your ferry and perhaps just two tracks in width.  I may go with a design that is something between the barge idea and a ferry.  Seems to me I remember a design where the deck was like a barge with an upper deck that had the control tower, etc....sort of in the middle of the upper deck.  Quite a bit smaller than the ferrys on the great lakes if I recall correctly.  I will have to do some research...

 

Alan

Alan

 

Something like this might work great for you.

 

YES!!...that is it.  I have been looking on Google.  I need to find more pictures of that design....

 

Thanks Jim!

Alan

 

Search for Detroit River Car Ferry.   That ferry ran across the detroit river from the D to Windsor Canada 

Alex,

 

The car ferry is kinda cool,

but I think you can do better.

 

I am thinking of a G scale statue for the front of my new station.

Can you do something like this for next Saturday?

 

Thanks again Jim...I have a new project!

 

Alan

Does he have to be anatomically correct?

Alan

 

I look forward to your progress.  

 

Jim

Is that from around Zug Island? There was another launch from Grosse Isle(South of the D) to Amherstburg, Canada. too. In fact on a clear day using google maps you can see the pilings in the water from the failed Grosse Isle to Ca. rail bridge of the 1800's destroyed by ice flow in the spring. Failing here is what got us a tunnel I think. Its straight across and out from the Grosse Isle free bridge & Gross Isle road to Stoney Island(unlabeled) to Crystal Isle to Amherstburg Canada. The ferries/barges started on Stoney Island then floated down steam to Amherstburg too. 

Here is a neat video from Youtube about car ferry operations.  

 

Car Ferry operation

Hello everyone,

 

        Well after many many month's working on this project on and off, she's finally finished. Only thing left to do is make one more life raft add a few more life ring's, and do a couple of touch ups.

 

          It's was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about car ferries. I'm going to hate seeing her sail off to Jim's house in Michigan. LOL.

 

          Thanks to all for the input, and the kind comment's

 

Alex

 

 

        

It really looks great Alex!  It's been fun watching this take shape, and it certainly qualifies as one of the more unusual layout items I've seen here!

Alex....I have enjoyed following this build.  I think it is your best effort to date even though all of your work is fantastic!  You have made me want one of these OR a container ship. 

 

I too hate to see it sail off to Jim's place....too bad it isn't sailing this direction!!

 

Alan

All I can say is WOW!   Excellent Alex!

Nice job, Alex.

Nice Job Alex,

 

Think we need an updated video, since it will already have sailed by August 3rd!

Hi Alex:

 

This is an absolutely astounding project. Love the smoke. Details over the top.

 

Since Jim said he was going to have it "sail," did you guys think of maybe adding sounds to it? I have never done it, but I remembered that you could buy custom sounds from this company: http://www.ittproducts.com. (For instance, listen to the ocean/seagulls/foghorn one.) Hardly a criticism, but I would think it wouldn't be too awful to add the sounds to the project at a later time (or with future iterations of watercraft)?

 

I would love one, but I have used all the space on my current layout. When I finally am allowed to retire, I am hoping to build a train room with an attached RV barn (ha ha), big enough for barges, ferries and bridges!

 

Congrats on a truly marvelous piece!

 

Bruce

Wow!   Amazing work Alex!  I can not wait until I see it next week.  By far your best work yet. Thank you for your work on the project.

Fantastic Alex. You are very talented. I might have a job for you in the future to build a tug to put in the Long Island Sound on my layout. 

 

Andy

This is truly a masterpiece. Jim will certainly have a show piece for his layout.

Hi Guy's,

 

Thanks, John, Alan, Charlie, Vulcan, Dennis, Bruce, Jim, Andy, and Brian for the nice comment's.

 

        Bruce, that's a great idea, now it's up to Jim. I think he will add sound someday

        Andy, any time just let me know.

        Dennis, I'll try to shoot a quick video tomorrow.

        Alan, Maybe you can intercept the ferry before it get's to Jim's house. LOL

 

Thanks again to all,

Alex

       

OMG!!!

WOW!!!

OUTLANDISH!!!

I'M FLABBERGASTED!!!

Seriously, that looks like it should be crossing the Atlantic!!

Terrific job!

Mike R

Alex,

 

What a great project to follow. You workmanship is utterly fantastic. Not only is this unique, I think the attention to details are superb. Thank you for sharing your skills and project with us. Terry

Thanks Mike R , and Terry for the very kind comment's

 

 

Thanks, Alex

Beautiful! Especially lit up. But I noticed something missing with the lights on..

Navigation lights on the sides and decks! (red left starb/ green right port/white to rear & abaft)(couldn't see the bow tip. Are they there?) Oh.. Old Glory is missing! And a Maple Leaf if she's gonna "float to Canada". International waters require flags. Anchored? 

 

Lovely job Alex. I can hardly wait to see photographs of it in place on the layout. 

It will be about two weeks but the week after I pick it up from Alex's house I will be going full bore on the construction of the expansion to get it installed.   

Looks wonderful - really impressive

 

David

Alex,

 

The finished project is a true work of art. Fantastic job.