The Drachenfels on the Rhine

 Well, in 30 degree heat, we've slowly explored just a few parts of Königswinter.

The great Rhine separating it from the city of Bonn provides an idyllic setting for boats, barges and ferries.

But it wasn't the Rhine that drew us in. It was the Drachenfels mountain railway, a cogwheel set-up begun well over a century ago. The green carriages really are quite beautiful.

Once at the top we did what has to be done. Sat on the summit cafe terrace and drank Kaffee and ate pommes!

From there we discovered

Drachenfels, the mystical ruined tower beloved of Wagner, Byron, Turner

Schloß Drachenberg

Distant Bonn city, its tall Telephone Building and the UN Centre

St.Petersburg where Adenauer entertained Presidents and the Queen

And another of the many highlights was a Goodyear zeppelin passing over the mountain cafe terraces.

I waited for the Skyship 1 shot, where it's stuck on the tower! 

All in all a fabulous day in an historic setting. 

With one last glimpse of the Drachenfels and the castle from the town

We're Back in our hotel now cooling off!

Will's Tin Boat

Hi Woodsy

Following Ed's pictures of his Hess lithoe'd tin battleship, here's the sail version.

Enjoy.

Will O.

Ed's Antique Hess Battleship

Woodsy,

There are more boats out in The Cave than you can shake a stick at and not all of them have been photographed yet - especially the larger ones!

So, I thought you would be interested in the oldest boat (and the oldest toy) in The Hoard: a tin-litho 'Battleship' from the firm of Hess in Germany. 

The boat was sold from 1890-1910 and features a very early form of friction motor. Reportedly, it was also offered by Carrette.

From the Las Vegas Shipyard

Ed

Monogram's Final Countdown Model Set by Paul A

Hi Woodsy,

On Max's Models Livestream 199, the film The Final Countdown (1980) came up. Which reminded me of the Monogram Final Countdown set.

'On maneuvers in the Pacific in 1980, the nuclear carrier USS Nimitz disappears...and reappears December 7, 1941...off Pearl Harbor'. The Nimitz, and her Air Wing, travel back in time to the day before the Pearl Harbor attack...and prepare to launch a strike against the Japanese fleet.

Modern Tomcat jets do battle with WW2 Zero fighters (guess who wins that one), but the ship returns to the present day before she can change history. Actually filmed aboard the Nimitz, there is plenty of air action in the film.

As a tie-in to the movie, Monogram Models put two of their existing kits in to a box, and labelled it as 'From the movie The Final Countdown'. The kits were the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in 1/825th scale; and the Grumman F-14 Tomcat naval fighter in 1/72nd.

The box art is based on the movie poster, and shows a Tomcat launching from one of the bow catapults. According to Monogram Models by Thomas Graham, the original poster was by Revell artist Jack Leynnwood.

Stills from the movie run down the right side of the box, in a film strip. In the lower left-hand corner is a photograph of the two models.

The set was Monogram kit number 6032. It was released in 1980, but it was not available for very long.

Two photographs from Worthpoint.

Do you like it?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Ed's Tiny Boat Fleet

Woodsy,

Lately I've been photographing my small fleet of tiny boats. Most of these little guys were the result of impulse buys, as they reminded me of the few I had as a kid. 

My memory isn't good enough to remember exactly which small boats I had, but I'm almost certain they were breakfast cereal premiums.

Have you any tiny boats?

From Vegas Shipyard

Ed

Wooden it be Nice

 I loved model yachts as a kid.

In fact any toy boats would do.

I'm adulthood I carried on having a few around the house like this wooden yacht on a stand.

Did you or do you have any wooden yachts readers? 

THE HOT WHEELS H2GO BOAT

One of MC's posts mentioned the Matchbox Seafire boat model from the 1970s. Hot Wheels do a rather similar model, called H2GO.

This is a twin-hull, twin-engined, twin-seat racing speedboat. Very low and sleek.

Only the white upper hull is metal. The black lower hull is plastic, with chromed engines and interior, and smoke-tinted windscreens.

Red and blue tampo-printed graphics. The model actually runs on four small wheels, hidden under the model.

The model dates back to 2008, and has © 2008, '16 Mattel on the underside. Made in Malaysia.

Four photographs

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Homeward Voyage

We're onboard at Rotterdam Europoort.

15 hour overnight voyage to come.

Next stop Hull tomorrow morning.

Sleep tight!

WW2 Recognition Training Models

During WW2 Recognition models were made to teach aircraft, ship, and tank identification to military and civilian personnel. 

Being three-dimensional, they could be studied from any angle, and would look just like the real thing, when seen at a distance.

Some were made of wood, plastic, metal, or even cardboard. This very interesting short video from You Tube shows a pair of WW2 recognition models of the Brewster SB2A Buccaneer dive bomber, British name Bermuda.

The usual solid black plastic type - with a surprising amount of surface detail for such a model, and a cardboard outline only type, made from heavy black card. A great look at such rare models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us2wIPtDln8

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Kevin's Boats

 Kevin has kindly sent me pics of his fleet. 

Enjoy.

Barging In

I do like the Rhine. It's full of boats and barges.

Here's some footage of a river barge I took yesterday evening on the bridge in Bonn.

Is there a busy river near you?

Anyone got any toy or model ships and boats?

Little Rot Tractor

 Waiting for the Rhine ferry to Mondorf I couldn't help but film this little red tractor chugging aboard!

Your short cute and odd transport videos welcomed readers. Any space flights?

BUSTLIN' IN BARTON ON HUMBER

Yesterday the Missus and me visited the picturesque river town of Barton on Humber in North Lincolnshire, England.

A lovely place, it lies in the lee of the colossal Humber Bridge and nestles on the shores of the wide Humber estuary.

As there were boats, a big bridge and a few old toys in the old school museum I took a few snaps for the blog!

Incidentally, perhaps Barton's most famous son is Ted Lewis, author of the classic gangster novel Get Carter!