100ft 'Titanic'

[wonwinglo]

Richard,it looks as if it was built in that hollow ? but looking at the pictures the inclemant weather is already taking its toll on the woodwork especially as water seeps in and causes all sorts of problems.

I know that Duncan has problems keeping his carrier under cover so this one will not last long if kept where it is now ?

I think that it would be better to loan it to some museum,at least until he gets sorted out with his own project.

[Guest]

I noticed the planking sufferring on the hull and I suspect that extensive repairs are already required. I agree that it needs to be under cover to be in with a chance of survival but I think that trying to move it is going to be the end of it.

[Guest]

Well I`ve seen this model up close and it realy is more of a film-prop type of structure. A crane couldnt lift it. Made from random scrap wood it does aproximate the Titanic in that the shape is basicaly correct but pretty crude detailing. I`d like some wood firm to support him with some sheets of ply and new timber that would allow it to be finished properly. Stan is more of an artist than a technician, using basic material that comes to hand . There is a couple of caravans in there somewhere. It would not dismantle very easily.He should be applauded for creativity not hounded by the Council. The banking behind is the Caledonian Canal. His house is an interesting ex Toll House that is situated where the City boundary used to be on the Great Road to the North (A9) The interior is decorated like salons on the Titanic. Re housing a large model my Invincible is only(?!) 31ft long and I could not find space under cover near me so it ended up 20 miles away on a farm sharing with sheep and migrating Starlings, previous years it was Pigeons. The droppings are.....well I wont go describe it.

[wonwinglo]

'There are a couple of caravans in there somewhere' LOL that sounds so funny Duncan !!

Yes I get the picture now,more of a structure than a complete model,it would probably be better to treat this one as a prototype and start again when the right time comes to set up his museum.

He certainly sounds a real character Duncan.

[Guest]

ww

[Guest]

'There are a couple of caravans in there somewhere'

Maybe thats his plan.... Hitch it onto the back of his car!!!!

Had a look at it last night, it's looking pretty rough and overgrown. I didn't take any pics ( No-one was about and didn't fancy wandering about uninvited )

[wonwinglo]

People do some strange things,a Mexican modeller once informed me that he was building his own aeroplane 'From old Fosters beer cans' there was a picture published in 'Flight' magazine of the project,it must have taken him ages to screw them all together.

It does seem such a pity when someone spends hours building something like this Titanic only to just let it rot away,it is almost as if,thats it,I have built it,now lets move onto the next project ? these things do happen,still it is better than that chap who grafted a fibreglass whale to his rooftop and then wondered why he could not get planning permisdsion ?!

[Guest]

It's built around 3 or 4 caravans in a line.

2. Quite Quite, exentric.

There are only two caravans both at about the middle of my dad's model.

He is not exentric.

And so everyone understands, the model is not finished and will take about six years to finish. It has taken him about six years to build what he has already. He does not work on it all day only a little at a time.

If you want to find out more please visit our website at www.titanicinverness.com. If you have any questions please ask.

[Guest]

Welcome Stan`s Son. Eccentric was a term of endearment I`m sure, not in any way meant to be insulting. ALL modellers are a bit daffy in any case and all will agree. I`m glad you leapt to your Dad`s defence, most kids nowadays don't seem to care too much about their parent`s interests. I`ll be delighted to show you (and Stan) my Invincible anytime, it is only 15miles down the A9 at Tomatin. Why don't you feed us some more info on your Titanic here on this Forum so we don't have to rely on the press reports which always seem to for the "Man Bites Dog" type headlines ? Might be some useful help or information forthcoming from our knowledgeable members.

[Guest]

Eccentric was meant in the great british tradition of inventiveness.

[Guest]

About the planning permission... My dad has been told that if he can prove the model has been there for quite a while then he won't need to have planning permission. My dad has to find some evidence to show it was built a few years ago. He has found evidence so only time will tell what will happen. Will my dad get to keep his model and finish it or will he have to tear it down. I shall answer this question as soon as i know the answer.

If he gets to keep the model then he hopes to finish the model and open a museum with the model being the main part. All of this will take quite some time to do and my dad would like to open the museum before 2012( 100 years after the ship's maiden voyage).

Personally i think the museum would atract alot of tourists which in turn would benefit the highland council and british waterways.

We have the news and the public on our side and if the model got knocked down i don't know what would happen. Hopefully all will be fine and we will have a museum by 2012.

The website.. The website is not much to look at but it is only a start. Once we get the right software the website will start taking shape.

I will update here when the website is more like a website and i will also update when i know what is happening with the titanic model.

Bye for now,

Scott Fraser.

[Guest]

I saw the item when it was featured on Yahoo news, They used a stock image or a rather nice large scale museum quality model of the titanic to illustrate the article, at first I was pretty worried hearing about the possibility of scrapping the thing.

The actual 88ft long model is pretty crude but is a fair representation of the ship, probably as close as you are going to get from old caravans and fence panels, donated ply etc!

It did say that there haven't been any complaints from neighbours though, I imagine it could prove to be a bit of a habitat for local wildlife.

Doesn't seem to be doing anyone any harm though, and it's certainly too true that the world needs a few more characters like this with crazy schemes to do something unique and fun.

[Guest]

Scott, I think your Dad has his work cut out trying to preserve what he has achieved so far as weathering is obviously already taking its toll.

Even the best in yacht varnished will suffer from continual exposure to the elements and surrounded by undergrowth like that is about as challenging as it can get.

I hope your Dad manages to keep his model and gets it completed by 2012 and maybe receives some more positive support from the local council.

Maybe he should apply for a roofing grant!!

[wonwinglo]

Hello Stans son,we really admire your wonderful dad and his work here,it takes dogged determination to build a model to that proportions,I can assure you on behalf of everyone here that we all mean well in such typically English terms,we are all slightly eccentric here anyway ! give me someone like your dad any day who does something different with is life like building this model,if you have any build pictures to show us then we would love to see them,how about it ? and thank you for getting in touch.

[Guest]

And I can only agree with Barry above,

Us Model Makers are Eccentric but without that where would the best British Inventions come from..?? Between all the countries of the U.K. We invented Radar, TV, Telephones, The HoverCraft and The Harrier Jumpjet which even the newly built U.S J-35 has to beat yet. Had it not been for Labour in 1965 we would probably still be looking at the TSR-2 as well, it was well ahead of it's time then but got scrapped because of so called over-run on production costs.....How much has the Euro-Fighter exceeded that by now ..???

Anyway, I do hope all works out well with the planning side for this model as it is a delight to look at, yes it is weathering a bit but nothing that cannot be sorted. If anything, I am intrigued as to exactly when the local councils had a right to slap planning permission on scale models....fit it with an engine and make it move a bit and they are knackered lol.

Mark.