HIKAWA MARU |
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Japanese Pacific Ocean Liner |
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Hasegawa no. 503 Scale 1:700 Water Line Series Click on the pictures to enlarge. |
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History of HIKAWA MARU The
11,622 She
was launched on Amazingly
Hikawa Maru and other N.Y.K. passenger ships were involved in
assisting Jewish refugees escape from the Holocaust. There were
those who escaped via Late
1941 Hikawa Maru became a hospital ship. For this role her hull and
funnel was painted all white with a wide green band along her hull,
as well as two red crosses on each side and on the superstructure
and funnel. On
As passenger numbers dwindled, it was decided to end her service in 1960. Soon another role was found for her. In 1961 Hikawa Maru was fitted out to become a floating youth hostel and museum. Sadly some of her engine spaces and lower accommodation decks were gutted to facilitate dormitories. As the years passed visitors to the hostel declined and it closed in 1973. She remained at her berth to continue as a museum, but also as a restaurant and banquet facility. During the summer a beer garden was operated out on her open decks. Then, late 2002, the restaurant closed. Having only a museum and the summer beer garden numbers of visitor’s to the ship dramatically dropped, bringing the future of the Hikawa Maru in crisis. Hikawa Maru continues to be promoted on Kanagawa Now - Yokohama
“In
front of
Technical specification: Length 163.3m (536ft) Beam 20.1m (66ft) Gross tonnage 11,622 tons Engine Burmeister & Wain diesel Copenhagen, DENMARK Propulsion Twin screws Service speed 17 knots (max 18.5) Accommodations 339 passengers – (75 first, 70 tourist, 186 third) Maiden voyage 1930 Final voyage 1960 She had carried 25,000 passengers in 238 trans-Pacific voyages
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Building
the model:
This is my second liner from the days before WWII, and this was also an appealing project for me. I was looking forward to start on the kit when it arrived from Germany. The ship is a nice break from the all gray warships in my collection and will fit fine with my first liner of N.Y.K. KASUGA MARU. The building process was expected by me to be a "walk in the park" as the well enjoyment of the former build. But here I was wrong ! The kit it self is beautiful crafted by Hasegawa (special when you think of it's ages) there was only minor difficulties regarding the fit of the rear super structure to the hull. The most challenge was the black plastic section of the hull. The ships black hull sides is extruding up to the bridge-deck level. This "feature" was the most concerning of my building, because the "technique" of not paint the white color was here sat aside (Read how on the KASUGA MARU section) -The black color was painted white with 3 thin layers of HUMBROL, Eamel, this was itself not a problem, but it was harder to perfect paint all the windows blue after (without the process of using a rubber to remove the not needed blue) If you buy the Hospital version of the ship, you will find a all white hull. (But I don't know if the decals to the liner version will be included) And it's much easier to paint the needed section black!. I have used a combination of stretched spur and invisible tread to resemble the wires on the cranes and rigging - Not a easy task, but rewarding at the end as usual. I have used all the parts from the kit without the plastic accommodation ladder. The most fancy "extra parts" made by me was more yellow mast booms and the numerous crane wheels atop for the booms, fog-horns, as well as more ladders and a few small davits etc. It has not been my intension to scare others from building the beautiful model, I surely hope that my little ship will inspire others to go out and build the "Queen of the Pacific". |
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PE-sets I used: GMM 1/700 IJN Merchant Ship Lion-Roar IJN Hanging ladders 1/700 Tom's Model Works IJN 3 bar railing Eduard 17 505 Japan Naval Figures 1/700
Reference: From the net: Photo Album of Museum ship and N.Y.K. Models by Tounnkai: http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/tounnkai/Hikawamaru HIKAWA MARU Museum ship in Yokohama harbor: http://www.ssmaritime.com/hikawamaru2.htm
The building time was approx 3.5 weeks. July.
2008.
If you have any questions, remarks or things you will share, please don't hesitate to contact me. Aeronautic. |
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