# BP Tanker R/C



## fishcake (Jan 29, 2007)

I am interested in building a r/c model of one of the river class BP Tankers (old type - 70's). However finding plans or kits of any tanker seems like trying to find rocking horse dung. Can anyone shed some light. thanks


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

there are very few plans on the open market for modellers,fishcake.I can think of only 2, and those are for "nonesuch" models which sort of conglomerate all aspects of such ships into one, and don't give a true representation of the one you want.
In such cases when trying to get hold of plans for vacarious ships | have gone through the Lloyds register of shipping for the ship I have wanted to model and then tried first with the owners, of the ship, next with the builders, and thirdly with the museum closest to it's building site, ie, if built at Cammel Llaird, try Liverpool maritime, or vickers, Barrow, etc. sorry I couldn't be more help, but those are the avenues that I have tried before now. Also put in a request to the "Sea Breezes" mag. it is amazing who has what stashed away, and who reads that magazine.cheers,neil.


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## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

Try National Maritime Museum for real plans and then scale them


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

What ship are you looking for plans of? Most plans have survived, but unfortunately, a lot have fallen into the hands of the national Maritime Museum. A full set of tanker plans from them would be well over £100! Cammell Laird plans are at Birkenhead Town Hall & very reasonably priced. Lots more plans are at Glasgow City Archives or the Mitchell Library Glasgow. Lots more at Tyne & Wear Archives also reasonably priced.


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

gents, why does ther National Maritime Museum charge so much. It has put me off several times when wanting to buy a set for a specific classic lifeboat. you'd think they would want to encourage model ship building in this maritime nation of ours. after all, it's not as though they are all "lost" in the cellars and not accessable.or are they?


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

It probably just comes down to GREED. The plans were, in most cases, left to them without conditions & in good faith that they would be for the Nation & and any serious researchers. Whoever sets the prices at NMM does not seem bright enough to realise that if they charged a reasonable fee, they would sell more. I have been complaining to them on & off since 1968, but the usual reply is "Our plans are reoasnably priced because we have enormous overheads." Possibly true about the overheads, but why not sell the whole lot off to businesmen who have the intelligence to sell copies at reasonable cost. Even the conditions that they impose are pretty awful. Cannot lend, sell, show to anyone else, change, reduce, enlarge & (heaven fobid) that you want to build a model to SELL, just let us know so that we can double the price! I have a vast private store of plans & other maritime records & one thing is certain, - I have made sure that they will NEVER fall into the hands of the NMM! They want teens of pounds for a digital copy of a 5" by 7" photograh - they load on "handling charge" & "postal charges" etc. They often claim copyright that they do not actually hold. When will they ever learn - when will they ever learn? The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind!


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## fishcake (Jan 29, 2007)

Thanks to all who replied. I think I might just make my own from photos


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

Hello Fishcake 
I feel your pain - I recently spent almost five years tracking down plans of older Shell tankers. 
Neil makes some good points - a couple of the ships you are looking for were only scrapped in the early 2000's so it might be worth contacting BP about the Tamar and Esk. 
Maritime museums also a good source check out the Swedish and Belgian museums on the internet and send an e-mail you may be pleasantly surprised - I actually got free plans from a museum in Amsterdam twice !!

Glasgow University Archives Service (GUAS) do have some records from Scotts. Note you are domiciled in Scotland so if you contact GUAS you should get a hold of George Gardner - he is ex merch - engineer and very helpful. 
One more long shot - the River class tankers were time chartered by the MOD during the Falklands war so it's possible MOD would have information (including plans) in their posession. I've no idea how you would approach them.

FYG my current project is a fictional Shell Tanker "Dilysia" in 1/150 scale from plans by Vic Smeed. This is a practice run for the real thing - a Shell tanker "Davila" 12,000 DWT which I sailed on in the 1960's - I purchased the plans from NMM (at great expense as the guys point out). Intent is to R/C both ships. 
Would be happy to share info any time. 
Good luck with the plans hunt 
Cheers 
Jim MacIntyre


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## fishcake (Jan 29, 2007)

Thanks Jim
These suggestions are a great help. Had already started to draw up my own plans, which I had decided on 1/50th scale - but as the ships were approx 177m in lenght, this would have meant the model would be over 3m long. (Can you imagine it strapped to the roofrack). Also at this scale I suppose scale speed would be difficult if not slightly boring.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

But what ship do you want plans for, & approximate year of build?
Bob


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## fishcake (Jan 29, 2007)

Hi Bob
Would be particularly interested in Br Forth, but any of the River class as they were more or less the same. I served on the Forth, Wye and Mokran (Neath). When joining the ship I didn't need to be shown round as all the machinery and valves were in the same place, even on ships built in differant yards.

British Forth
Built 1973 Scotts Yard 
25147 DWT


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

The plans of Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering are now held at the University Archives & Business Records Centre, University of Glasgow, 13 Thurso Street, Glasgow G11 6PE. Tel 0141 330 5515. The plans they hold are listed as 1874 to 1973, so the BRITISH FORTH may just be amongst them. If you give them a ring, they can usually tell you within a few minutes. The plans are reasonably priced & generally to a large scale. Best of luck
Bob


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## barnsey (Apr 19, 2007)

For one excellent tanker model try www.deansmarine.co.uk and look for the Imperial Transport which has a history and is in the old but tradition midship accommodation. There is also a modern Coastal tanker. I am building the steam collier Hudson River which is great .. takes a fair bit of extrapolation but all the fiddly bits are there . and its for Radio Control.

Barnsey


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

fishcake said:


> Thanks Jim
> These suggestions are a great help. Had already started to draw up my own plans, which I had decided on 1/50th scale - but as the ships were approx 177m in lenght, this would have meant the model would be over 3m long. (Can you imagine it strapped to the roofrack). Also at this scale I suppose scale speed would be difficult if not slightly boring.


Fishcake 
Well laddie - you wouldn't be building that one on the kitchen table !!!
You'd also need an army to help launch and retrieve.. but I have to admit it would draw a crowd at any pond..
Seriously - Definitely try to contact George Gardner at Glasgow University Archives - he'll be able to tell you right away if he has anything in the Scott's records.
By the way do you have the Norman L Middlemiss book 'The British Tankers'? 
There are good photos of about ten of the River class in it. 
It is available for less than 30 dollars through abebooks.com
Would like to keep in touch on your progress with the project. 
Cheers 
Jim MacIntyre


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

Fishcake 
check out 'brodosplit' on the 'net. It appears they are still active in shipbuilding. They list the British Humber in their references as no 109. 
Like I said earlier send and e-mail and see what happens. 
Cheers 
Jim Mac


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## fishcake (Jan 29, 2007)

Once again , thanks to all who replied - will keep in touch with progress


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

Fishcake 
Some good news and some bad news.. 
The 'British Forth' is still afloat - that's the good news. 
The bad news is she is owned by North Korea and runs under the name "Ann". 
I happened to be talking to some ex coworkers recently and mentioned the ship which set some wheels in motion resulting in the information.
In view of their enthusiasm I asked if the Shipowning Group in the company had any contact with the Croatian yard Brodosplit to see if the "Humber" plans might be available - more later. 
Jim Mac


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