¹⁄700

IJN Special Cargo Ship ‘KASHINO’

"MSW Crew-mate Jim C. Smith (Freighter) sends in his first submission, a very interesting "WIP" IJN diorama, in this "On Display" feature!"

Resin model kit from Pit Road Models, 1/700 scale. A great model of an unusual subject, but the Yamato gun turret is not supplied with the kit (see my note on the forum). Therefore I’ve used a bit of artistic license in showing a large hatch cover which would have been feasible following the builds of Yamato/Musashi. I also had to make the ‘forms’ for the gun barrels from Evergreen Plastic stock.

The models are hand painted using Humbrol enamels. Rigging is 0,055mm fly tying line purchased locally. As it’s ‘clear’ I use black marker pen to colour it before use. This also has the effect of giving it a ‘metallic black’ finish – not always apparent on the photos.

Photo etch:- GMM Auxillary ships set (cranes, railings, mast crosstrees & gun fittings); GMM IJN watertight doors & hatches, Eduard (crew figures), LionRoar (cable reels).

Dock fittings are from Hasegawa Dock set (crane and warehouses) and Dockyard Mateys, notably the Bedford trucks and rail wagons, plus some items from the ‘spares box’ and Evergreen Plastics. Tarpaulin loads on the dockside are masking tape painted grey

The other ship in the diorama is the HP Models’ IJN Munitions ship ‘SOYA’ which I built some years ago. This has been enhanced with GMM rails and Eduard figures.

In all, the Kashino took about 3 weeks to make. The dockyard was a small section of a diorama I’ve been making (on and off) for about 2 years – still a long way from completion!