Hercules Tug 1907

Steam tug Hercules from 1907

The Hercules is an ocean-going tugboat built in 1907. Built at the John H. Dialogue and Sons shipyard, the steam tug was used primarily in San Francisco, where it still sails as a museum ship. The shipyard, John H. Dialogue and Sons of Camden, New Jersey, built the tug in 1907 for the Shipowners' and Merchants' Tugboat Company of San Francisco along with a sister ship named Goliah. Upon completion, the Hercules towed her sister ship, the Goliah, through the Straits of Magellan to San Francisco. Both ships were oil burners, the Goliah carrying fuel, water and supplies for her sister.
The Hercules towed barges, sailing ships, and wooden rafts between Pacific ports. Because prevailing northwest winds generally made travel along the coast by sea difficult and cumbersome, tugs often towed large sailing vessels to points north of San Francisco. On return trips along the coast, the Hercules often towed huge rafts carrying millions of planks from the northwest to mills in southern California. At other times, the Hercules towed barges of bulk cargo between other West Coast ports and to Hawaii. During construction of the Panama Canal, she towed a huge floating caisson (a steel structure used to close the lock entrance) into the canal zone.
In her ocean-going days, the Hercules usually had a crew of fifteen aboard - enough personnel for the engine department to provide three watches while underway. The deep, narrow hull made life uncomfortable at times, as the ship was low in the water and the main deck was often flooded. However, the rations were good and the work was easily manageable for an experienced hand. Tugboat captains were usually well paid and highly respected, as it took a lot of experience to bring a tug and heavy tow through high seas in bad weather - and good judgment to navigate the shallow bars and narrow entrances of West Coast ports.
The Hercules was eventually acquired by the Western Pacific Railroad Company. Her career changed dramatically. She no longer served as an ocean-going tug, but instead carried rail cars back and forth in San Francisco Bay. She operated until 1962, when changing transportation patterns (the decline of railroads) and the introduction of diesel-powered tugs sealed her fate. The Hercules was able to avoid the scrap yard when the California State Park Foundation acquired her for the San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park in 1975. The National Park Service took on the task of restoring her in 1977, and she was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Today, after thirty years of decommissioning, the ship is once again operational and regularly cruises the bay with a well-trained volunteer crew.

The kit contains all the necessary parts to build the model. Only selected woods are used for the double planking. The basic framework is to be built up in chipboard construction. All frames are laser cut and fit perfectly. Nothing has to be sawn out by hand, only the planks have to be adjusted. All fittings and attachments are prefabricated in high quality and are included in the set. The step by step instructions are in German and provided with many construction stage photos.

The conversion to an RC model is already prepared. However, it makes sense to deviate from the instructions, to move the engine or to use a longer shaft. The tugboat becomes really beautiful with a nice brass propeller instead of the black plastic prop.

Technical data:
Scale: M 1:30
Length: 915mm
Height: 420mm
Width: 163mm