Three Z Scale Towboats Now Available For Order

Three Z Scale US River Towboats Available for Order

80′ US River Sytem Towboat
This 80′ by 30′ towboat is a faithful model of many of the medium-size and -power towboats in the US. The design is drawn from many photos of actual boats, and can be easily modified to represent any of a class of towboat that served from pre WWII to today.

Powered by twin diesels often derived from locomotive engines, supplying about 2000 hp, these boats can be seen along the entire length of the Mississippi River system.  It is the median size of towboats on the system: half are longer and half are shorter.
While a small gem, the model has all the features and details of the bigger towboats such as custom railings and stairways, precision cut styrene parts that allow interior views, and all the small precise details that N Scale Ships has become known for.

This small gem is a perfect complement to the 195′ Standard River Barges and their covers. They are often seen on the vast Mississippi River system pushing one to six barges, depending on current, or handling barges between docking facilities and their final destinations.
Precisely cut styrene and the boxy style make them easier to construct than ocean-going ships, and are an ideal introduction to building ships. Shipped in a flat envelope for economy.
Specfications
80′ long x 30′ beam = 4.5″ x 1.75″ or 115 mm x 43 mm
River Clearance 41.25′ = 2.25″ or 60 mm
Price
Kit: US $69. plus shipping.           Built-up: Inquire
110′ US River System Towboat
This 110′ by 34′ towboat represents the smaller end of the short- and medium-line haul towboats in the US. The design is drawn from many photos of actual boats by various manufacturers, and can be easily modified to represent any of a class of towboat that served from pre WWII to today.

Powered by twin diesels often derived from locomotive engines, supplying about 3000 hp, these boats can be seen along the entire length of the Mississippi River system.  It is at the smaller end of towboats that can handle a 15-barge lashup on the upper Mississippi river system, and had crew accommodations for a small, short-term crew.
The model has all the features and details of the bigger towboats such as custom railings and stairways, precision cut styrene parts that allow interior views, and all the small precise details that N Scale Ships has become known for.

This medium-sized towboat is a perfect complement to the 195′ Standard River Barges and their covers. They are often seen on the vast Mississippi River system pushing one to a full lashup of fifteen barges, depending on current, or handling barges between docking facilities and their final destinations.
Precisely cut styrene and the boxy style make them easier to construct than ocean-going ships, and are an ideal introduction to building ships. Shipped in a flat envelope for economy.
Specfications
110′ long x 34′ beam = 6.25″ x 1.9″ or 156 mm x 48 mm
River Clearance 41.25′ = 2.25″ or 60 mm
Price
Kit: US $85. plus shipping.           Built-up: Inquire
145′ US River Towboat
This 145′ by 48′ towboat represents the heyday of the long haul line towboats in the US. The design is drawn from many photos of actual boats by various manufacturers, but is principally based on the famous Jeffboats, and can be easily modified to represent any of a class of towboat that served from pre WWII to today. The larger towboats have from about 6000 HP from twin diesels and screws to about 11000 HP from triple or quad diesels and screws.

These towboats can be seen along the entire length of the Mississippi River system.  They often feature crew accommodations that are modern and luxurious. Many of them serve (and are owned by) US power companies such as AEP, which has an extensive network of coal-fired power plants along US rivers..
The model has all the features and details such as custom railings and stairways, precision cut styrene parts that allow interior views, and all the small precise details that N Scale Ships has become known for. There is plenty of deck space to add your own details to personalize your model.

This large towboat is a perfect complement to the 195′ Standard River Barges and their covers. They are often seen on the upper Mississippi River system pushing full lashups of fifteen barges, depending on current, or on the lower Mississippi handling even larger lashups..
Precisely cut styrene and the boxy style make them easier to construct than ocean-going ships, and are an ideal introduction to building ships. Shipped in a flat envelope for economy.
Specfications
145′ long x 48′ beam =8.125″ x 2.625″ or 252 mm x 67 mm
River Clearance 50.4′ = 2.75″ or 70 mm
Price
Kit: US $99. plus shipping.           Built-up: Inquire

I've seen absolutely no interest in these. Is there something wrong with them? I've also seen no interest in the barges or barge covers. I'm thinking of discontinuing all of these, for lack of interest. I was urged to do some inland waterway vessels in Z and N scale, but have received few inquiries and no sales. Have I misjudged the market? My big ships in Z are selling well. But these smaller, simpler kits have been a dud.

Pete,
I did the same with the Pusher boat I did and some one urged me to get it to pass to print but I think the price was just to high. I even shorten it and thinned the walls and did one in "N" scale but still no buyers at all. I designed two barges also and the same I think at this time the price is just to high Maybe the materials might drop in price so they won't cost so much! I had to buyers but no sale! but sooner or later I will buy one my self just to see how they will come out. I have the one that is only 128' long in Z scale I have been thinking real hard about printing! I guess more people here are interested in trains right now I don't have a port to put any boats or ships right now my new one I started will have a small port. I think that Fred is the only one that has ship. and a lot of tugs. My pusher that is 128' is selling for 166.99 in one piece. The N scale 128' pusher is running at about $424.00 in just FD, FUD $616.00 that's pretty steep in price for a boat that does nothing but float. and since one piece it would be a challenge to paint. But we tried!
www.shapeways.com/model/1748192/pusher-boat-and-barge-3.html?li=aeTabs
this is the barge and pusher 128' on pusher and 165' on Barge and look at the price!!!!!!

Its a shame too, considering that Märklin cars are going for that price. If I had a river to display, I would need a good bridge, and all the tracks that go to it. I would need some kind of loader, either a rotary loader or, like in one of my books showing the C&EI loader , just a girder kind of bridge with a cover over it with a barge parked underneath. It would be a pretty exciting and spectacular thing to model.

I'm offering the towboats as kits from $69 to $99. No interest. I haven't even bothered to kit up the N scale versions.

Kelley,
Have any photo's of the loader you are thinking of!

The loader using the bridge (and wooden trestles) are in a book I cant find right now. I found a thumbnail picture of the same one, but it was at the site Train Orders, which is a paid site. I googled C&EI, loader, barge, Joppa, and I got the thumbnail.

A rotary loader would be interesting to have, as they could be made with 3 D printing, and laser cutting. There are several in N and HO and other scales. The advantage of these are, you could use them for actual operations. Scale coal could be loaded into the cars from the mines (Karin is coming out with a flood loader), they travel down the line to the rotary loader, uncoupling will be the tricky part) they rotate and dump the coal into the barges. One could fully automate the thing or like some Germans did install a small RC car into the barges and move them over the "water"

Here is some grain being loaded on a barge, on the Ohio river (barges are not just on the Mississippi)


A LOT of stuff is dumped from trains onto barges. Trains have to take things from A to B. The trouble with modeling this stuff is you need space and money and skills. Most people are content with cute trains going round and round. Truthfully I think a lot of people who do model railroading, do not have a concept of what real railroads do (moving things from A to B to C)and I am afraid in Z it is worse. West Coast Z guys do really good moving shipping containers, cars and lumber. Unfortunately there is a lack of Midwestern modelers, who could do moving coal, grain, sand, limestone, ect onto barges, which was the purpose of a lot of the real railroads being built their in the first place.
I absolutely do not agree that there is no need for them, and they have nothing to do with railroads. They would be the reason for the railroad.

If you are not in a hurry barges are far cheaper than trains and even more cheaper than trucks. The multiples are like 40X or more, IIRC. And the percentage of bulk goods shipped by barge is large. It's an overlooked part of the nation's transportation system.

I get to see barge traffic on the Ohio River not too far from Oxford, Ohio, and on the Tennessee River virtually out my front door in Decatur, AL.

Barge traffic is generally divided into two categories: the lower Mississippi, where barge loads may be five wide and (I think) up to nine long; and the rest of the US river system, including the upper Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and other major tributaries, where the maximum load is usually three barges wide by five long, due to lock sizes, and probably currents. You can find the same smaller configurations on some western rivers as well.

I see the 80-footers (or even smaller) pushing single barges all the time.

I created a 2x4 layout with two 438' docks.

I originally intended to do a WW II layout with Liberty Ships, delivering mixed loads to very primitive facility. And then, while on a cruise, I saw a very small, container ship, so it could be an island, intermodal terminal. And now with barges, it could be a bulk terminal. The second dock track is optional, and I'm not very happy with the interchange tracks.




Chaz

Chaz,

438' docks or 238' docks?

Barges are often docked two and three or four deep for unloading. A 438' dock would easily handle two barges lengthwise, but however many you wanted to go deep. The 238' dock would handle one 195' standard barge each, perhaps two or three deep. I watched operations on the Tennessee River where the innermost barge is unloaded, then dragged out by a small towboat (about 80 feet long), and the next innermost barge was unloaded after being winched to the dock.

Also watched barges being unloaded by a large backhoe. That must have been murder on the barge.

Sorry, 238'. Busy fingers on the keyboard.

The inspiration came from this 1943 map.