Tour Ship

[AF350]

The tug is owned by a construction company called Ames, in the magazine article it was pushing barges/work platforms to work on a bridge crossing the Missouri River for the BNSF railroad. May look up Ames construction to see if they have anymore pics of the Ruby Belle. From the pic in the magazine and the one online that I found it looks like the pilot house straddels an area that could hold a box car or even a container.

[Sumpter250]

It took a bit, but I did find this picture:
   
This is typical of the Mississippi river tugs, as I had thought it would be. This shot clearly shows there's no on-board space for cargo. Her bow, with the two vertical "beams", is designed specifically for pushing barges.

[AF350]

Yes that is a better pic showing the front, thanks Sumpter.

Looks like it would not be a bad first scratch build boat model may bump up the scale to O scale as I know where to get some figures with hard hats and vests in O scale.

Now to decide what materials or combination there of to start with I am thinking card stock, styrene and metal bits of wire. Let the fun begin.

[shortliner]

for HO there is a kit - second down this page <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bluejacketinc.com/honscale.htm">http://www.bluejacketinc.com/honscale.htm</a><!-- m --> - I used one on an earlier layout for "a layout in a shoebox" micro challenge on RRL forum

   

[Ralph]

Yes that is a better pic showing the front, thanks Sumpter.

Looks like it would not be a bad first scratch build boat model may bump up the scale to O scale as I know where to get some figures with hard hats and vests in O scale.

Now to decide what materials or combination there of to start with I am thinking card stock, styrene and metal bits of wire. Let the fun begin.

Guys with hard hats and vests that look like life jackets are available in HO as road work crews:

[Sumpter250]

The idea of setting the pilot house up on stilts is two fold. 1- allows the crew to see over the barge and load, 2- Does so without excessive extra weight ( also reduces the imbalance that could cause a roll over in the right conditions )

Looking to see this project go forward.

Guys with hard hats and vests that look like life jackets are available in HO as road work crews:

Ralph, that road crew would look good, as barge and tug crew members !

[AF350]

Short liner & Ralph, I mostly model in S and O scale. Easier to find figures in O than in S.

I rounded up some card stock(a box from an old computer graphics card) and have started a mock-up to see what the overall model size looks like. Based the size by guessing that the tallest man in the picture is maybe about 6' tall then marked that on a paper and used that as a measuring stick and looks like the boat haul is 42 ish feet long(most likely not the best method). I have a letter that I will send to the Ames company to see if they have any pictures and or measurements of the Ruby Belle that they would be willing to share(could not find any e-mail addresses on their website)I did find a couple company newsletters one with a story/history of the Ruby Belle. Ames bought it from down in New Orleans and renamed it Ruby Belle after Ruby Belle Ames. The mock up so far in O scale is 10" long and 6" wide for the hull. Will maybe work on the rest of the mock up this week some time.

I will more than likely take some artistic license but the goal is to make it recognizable as the Ruby Belle.

[shortliner]

AF350 - this may be useful <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.towboatgallery.com/The_Towboat_Gallery.php?pic=2572&tnc=1&mnu=#MAINIMAGE">http://www.towboatgallery.com/The_Towbo ... #MAINIMAGE</a><!-- m -->

[Sumpter250]

Looking at the photo of Ruby Belle, and assuming 6' as the height of a crew member, she comes out closer to 50', than 42'.
Considering her purpose, and the "required size" of her engine/s, I feel the 50' length is closer to correct. Just my guess, and, you have to look at how much space is available to "use her in".
She should be an interesting build.

[AF350]

Sumpter and Short liner,


Thanks for the help and the link.

She is 50' long and 20' wide(breadth)?

The website Short liner posted had a few stats about the Ruby Belle

It is a twin screw towboat, built in 1972 by Scully Bros. in Stephensville LA as the Dispatcher and renamed Ruby Belle in 2010 Repowered in 2004 Cummins diesels KTA19-M3

[AF350]

Here are 3 pics of a very, very, very crude mock up so I have a visuale idea of just what it looks like in 3D Not going to detail the mock up but will add the Pilot house latter.

Completed model will be 12.5" L x 5" W x 6.75"(aprox.)



   

   

   

[Sumpter250]

She is 50' long and 20' wide(breadth)?

It was an "educated guess", it's good to know that my eyes haven't gone too bad....... yet.

Breadth, is commonly used. I would have probably stated "20' of beam", but that's just me.
You are doing the research, and this mock-up, so I can still hope to see this tug built. May fortune favor you.

Once you decide to post this construction, start a new thread in "Scratchbuilding and Kitbashing".