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1⁄48US Coast Guard 36' Motor Life Boat
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Mike Maynard shares a blast form the past with his rendition of ITC's US Coast Guard 36' Motor Life Boat.
ITC (Ideal Toy Corporation) released this plastic kit in 1959. Many of the Glencoe kits are re-releases of the old ITC models and they are well molded and packaged. Sadly, these kits are state-of-the-art 1950’s kits and can’t hold a candle to today’s hi tech products. But the span of kits offered by Glencoe is wonderful considering they are unusual and few of today’s manufacturers attempt to produce something different.
I built one of these Coast Guard motor lifeboat kits when they were first released in 1959 and I’m sure it was a “glue bomb”. But these days with a little research and scratch built modification, l took a few Glencoe kits and turned them into the evolution of the shore based lifeboat pictured here.
The TYPE “E” boat was the first gasoline powered lifeboat in the world. Still it carried oars and sails as auxiliary power. TYPE “H” was an improvement putting the motor amidships and lengthening the forward air case to accommodate survivors. TYPE “T” was a further improvement with a spray shield to protect the helmsman. Like the other boats it carried a sail as a back up propulsion. The TYPE “TRS” had an improved motor, radio, and no sails. The Canadian CG built their version of the TRS 36’ MLB (under license) and carried modern electronics as well as a heated cabin for the coxswain. The USCG modified a few 36 footers to be carried on WWII icebreakers, the self righting ability was replaced with heated cabins.
So with a little effort, one can modify this early kit into a decent representation of the USCG’s most famous rescue boat. Oh, by the way, my 36535 model represents the last 36’MLB in service. It was retired in 1987, pretty good design that started with the TYPE “E” in 1905!
Model Shipwrights would like to thank Michael Maynard for sharing photos of his US Coast Guard 36' Motor Life Boat
ITC (Ideal Toy Corporation) released this plastic kit in 1959. Many of the Glencoe kits are re-releases of the old ITC models and they are well molded and packaged. Sadly, these kits are state-of-the-art 1950’s kits and can’t hold a candle to today’s hi tech products. But the span of kits offered by Glencoe is wonderful considering they are unusual and few of today’s manufacturers attempt to produce something different.
I built one of these Coast Guard motor lifeboat kits when they were first released in 1959 and I’m sure it was a “glue bomb”. But these days with a little research and scratch built modification, l took a few Glencoe kits and turned them into the evolution of the shore based lifeboat pictured here.
The TYPE “E” boat was the first gasoline powered lifeboat in the world. Still it carried oars and sails as auxiliary power. TYPE “H” was an improvement putting the motor amidships and lengthening the forward air case to accommodate survivors. TYPE “T” was a further improvement with a spray shield to protect the helmsman. Like the other boats it carried a sail as a back up propulsion. The TYPE “TRS” had an improved motor, radio, and no sails. The Canadian CG built their version of the TRS 36’ MLB (under license) and carried modern electronics as well as a heated cabin for the coxswain. The USCG modified a few 36 footers to be carried on WWII icebreakers, the self righting ability was replaced with heated cabins.
So with a little effort, one can modify this early kit into a decent representation of the USCG’s most famous rescue boat. Oh, by the way, my 36535 model represents the last 36’MLB in service. It was retired in 1987, pretty good design that started with the TYPE “E” in 1905!
Model Shipwrights would like to thank Michael Maynard for sharing photos of his US Coast Guard 36' Motor Life Boat
About the Author
FROM: RHODE ISLAND, UNITED STATES
Retired Coast Guard, ship model builder, former train nut, lost in New England.
Comments
That's a really nice little fleet you've got there, Mike. Very classy.
JUL 27, 2015 - 08:59 AM
Excellent job on that old classic, Mike. Thanks for sharing it with us!
JUL 28, 2015 - 12:27 AM
Thank you Leo, the Canadian Coast Guard has one of these boats on display as a museum piece, the Bamfield Lifeboat.
JUL 28, 2015 - 10:16 PM
Tim, thanks for the nice comment. Your build of the Revell USCGC TANEY is the gold standard for that model. I served on the Secretary class cutters BIBB, DUANE, and CAMPBELL in my CG career. I've got 5 of the Revell Taney/Campbell kits, I've got to build them one of these days and attempt to build them like yours. Cheers!
JUL 28, 2015 - 10:21 PM
Copyright ©2021 by Mike Maynard. _OPINIONS Model Shipwrights, KitMaker Network, or Silver Star Enterrpises. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Model Shipwrights. All rights reserved. Originally published on: 2015-07-27 16:57:42. Unique Reads: 8313
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