The experimental lifeboat "Bremen"
The ship was originally built as a motor lifeboat in Bremen-Vegesack and put into service in 1931 under the name „Konsul Kleyenstüber“. De-commissioned in 1949, it was extensively modified in 1953. The target was to find out whether or how far the new concept of a large lifeboat with a piggyback tender (small motor lifeboat) was feasible, which explains the designation "experimental lifeboat". The concept worked out very well and became the base for a new generation of “cruiser” lifeboats. Current plans are to re-convert the boat, as far as possible, to its 1953 to 1964 status and to make it accessible as a museum ship. For details of this project see the
project website.
The card model of the "Bremen"
The designer of this model is unknown; it is certain that it was not Hubert Siegmund, who later became a legend as chief designer for the publisher J. F. Schreiber. Die original size of the 3 model sheets was 36,0 x 43,0 cm, the scale is given as 1:60. While building the model it turned out that this scale is correct as far as the hull is concerned, but not for the deckhouse and deck installations; their scale is closer to 1:50. The model design has some difficult or flawed points. You can find a complete building report in vol. 2/2019 of the
"
ModellWerft" magazine which also gives more detailed information about the original ship. You can read this
article from "ModellWerft" here. We thank the editors of the "ModellWerft" magazine for their kind permission to make this article available to us.
The model sheets of this model have been digitized as early as 2009 because a reprint was planned. However, the scale and size turned out to be impractical measured by today’s expectations, but it was decided to make this model, as an exemplary representative of its time, available for download. Mr. Thomas Gauger of Aue-Verlag gave his kind permission to make the model available here. We sincerely thank him for that.
kartonmodellbau.org)