all photographs copyright Brett Gallant

 

 

The steam box and boiler are visible in this shot. The ships siding is loaded into the long braced box then steam is pumped in making the wood pliable. Now it can be bent around the ships hull. Simple yet elegant! An electric blower under the table saw blows the sawdust in front of the firebox so it can be shoveled into the boiler for cheap and easy fuel. Scraps from the yard are also consumed. This is a wonderful detail that brings a tremendous amount of authentic character and flavor to the diorama.

 

The large barge derrick sits ready on the side wharf to unload heavy equipment and supplies into the main yard area. The derrick includes realistic blocks and rigging along with a detailed geared hand crank mechanism. This level of detail would be right at home in any larger scale... Be sure and look for all of the tiny hand tools scattered about the diorama. They create a natural depth to the level of realism exhibited here...

 

The sales and business office provides a wonderful contrast to the rest of the structure.
The bright awnings and signage creates a neat scene at the rear of the building. I love to detail all four sides of my kits since I never know just how a diorama may be situated on a layout. This is a great little scene just waiting to be discovered by the observant viewer. The wooden stairway leads up to a small apartment but it sits next to the wood working shop - must have been pretty noisy in there!

 

The table saw and upper yard storage shed sit at the rear of the diorama. Both provide great opportunities for lots of fine detail and realistic clutter. Working with individual components rather than large cluster type castings allows for more freedom in design placement and ultimately realistic appearance. No compromises need to be made for casting tolerances and mold releases. Individual castings paint and weather better with more prototypical variations and groupings. The cumulative effect is quite obvious when viewing the entire diorama - it is outstanding!

 

A large piece of equipment and new supplies await unloading on the covered dock. The track servicing this dock continues onto the large wharf. The classic scene of trains and water always captivates me and I just love the combination. I model Northern California around Lake Tahoe so my water is brown and quite still. No waves or ripples in the Foss' cove to disrupt the construction crew.

 

The large main wharf is a busy place. The yardmasters office sits at the end of the wharf and is surrounded by supplies and materials. The large rolled canvas rack is a beautiful detail tucked in the corner against the warehouse. It looks like the plans for the ship are sitting on a crate stack next to the canvas rack.

 

The back of the yardmasters office and warehouse is lined with discarded old bits of machinery and tools. The fine detail is really evident in the photograph. There is even an old pump behind the barrels. The tank on the roof is used to store pitch. Pitch is important in ship construction and the yard would have gone through a lot of it. A small feed pipe runs at the back of the tank for filling and delivery. One comment about the scenery that is important. The wharf sits in the scenery base itself and the rock castings actually support the wharf and buildings rather than just sitting underneath them. A subtle but important distinction. This is just one more way the detail level is increased with the Shipyard.

 

 

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