by Philip LaVoie
1/87 Edna G (Lindberg Kitbash)
This is the Edna G Tugboat. Built in 1896 and owned by the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range railroad, she was the last coal-fed, steam-powered tugboat in operation on the Great Lakes. She served at Two Harbors, MN except when sent to the East coast during WW1 where she guided naval vessels and hauled supplies. In 1974 she was designated a National Historic Site, retired in 1981 and fully restored in 1994.
Being from northern Minnesota and a fan of the DM&IR RR, I’ve always wanted to build the Edna G. The project began with the Diesel Tug kit by Lindberg, with the finished model about 40% converted and 60% scratch built. I used the hull and the first cabin section from the kit, although the cabin had to be lengthened and all the port holes and doors filled and new ones created and relocated. Everything above that was scratch built. The stack came from the kit, but it was too wide, so I cut a section from the middle and thinned it out a bit. If the bow was another half inch longer it would have scaled out almost perfect I think. The figures are HO scale by Preiser. She normally carried a crew of four, but I liked the figures so much I added a couple extra. All I did to them was a little clean up and applied a black wash to bring out the details.
I wanted to display the Edna G as heading out through early morning ice on its way into the open harbor during a typical Minnesota winter. A crew member stands on the bow guiding her to starboard past channel marker number nine. The buoy was made from the parts box.
I never tried modeling winter before, but I think it turned out pretty decent. The ice is wax, melted over a low heat in a Teflon coated pot and poured over a couple layers of wax paper. The water is Realistic Water by Woodland Scenics, and the snow from Woodland Scenics as well. Icicles and other ice effects were made with clear acrylic caulk.
