ModelWarships reveiw

Trumpeter 1/350 John W. Brown

Reviewed by Timothy Dike

Laid down in July 1942, the John W Brown is one of only two examples of the World War 2 Liberty ships preserved today. These cargo carriers were the work horses of the war transporting men and materials to the front. The John Brown served on the Atlantic side with cruises to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. She was there at Anzio and the invasion of Southern France. After the war she helped bring home the troops. Today she serves as a museum ship that actually gets out and sails on living history cruises. You can find out more at the Project Liberty Ship website.

Length:	441 feet, 7 inches
Beam:	57 feet
Draft:	27 feet, 9 inches
Displacement:	14,245 tons
Armament:	one 5-inch/38 caliber gun two 3-inch/50 caliber guns eight 20mm antiaircraft guns

A follow up release to the Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty ship is this version representing the John W. Brown. This is basically the same kit with the exception of Sprue C which has had an a couple of extra guns added and the addition of sprue E. The instrutions and art work are also changed.

Rather than include duplicate photos of the same parts, I have used many images from the Jeremiah O'Brien kit in the review below.

HULL

This one is another example of a nicely engineered kit with really fine detailing. The hull is cast as a waterline type with an open bow and stern.

Click images
to enlarge

The kit has a waterline flat bottom or full hull option. Both bottom parts are molded in red.

SPRUE A

The bow and stern inserts are nicely molded with the slots for water drainage molded open. Cap stands are molded on and the port holes are also molded open.

SPRUE B

Superstructure parts are very well done with with nice door and hatch detailing. The splinter shields are as thin as I have seen on a plastic kit, very nice. The cargo hatches are molded with separate sides.

SPRUE C

The masts on this kit are really nice as are the structures below them. The doors have latches, hinges and even the rain gutters are molded above them. The 5" deck gun is a little plain for my taste but is made up of several parts and looks ripe for super detailing. The 3" deck guns are pretty good. There are three of them on the retooled version of the Jerimah O'Brien kit.

SPRUE D

There are two of these sprues in the kit, with weapons and deck winches and other accessories. The deck winches are really nice and are made up of several parts. The 20 mm guns are pretty nice but lack shields.

SPRUE E

This sprue include many of the gun tubs and bridge platforms.

DECALS

The decal sheet has markings for the John Brown. Salad bar and funnel art graphics are included as well.

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions are 16 pages of step by step views. The drawings are well done and leave nothing to the imagination. Painting guides for the ship are included on the last page of instructions and on the box art. This kit can be used to build many of the liberty ships so camouflage will vary.

REFERENCES

So far there are two photo etch sets available for this kit. They are:

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions:

A well designed kit that will build into a nice ship. The super detailing possibilities are endless. This kit retails for $45.95 a great value for a ship this size.

Thanks to Stevens International for the review sample. They are the exclusive importer for Trumpeter kits in the US. If your hobby shop does not carry Trumpeter kits have them contact Stevens International or try their Hobby Shop Locator to find one.