USS Houston
Steve's Shipyard
MY SHIPS
Well, I've finally built enough ships, that I'm starting to lose track of them all. Here is the list of ships built by Steve Reichenbach for the hobby of model warship combat:
The USS Houston CL81 is now under construction at the Reichenbach shipyards. This ship is a Cleveland class light cruiser! The hull is being scratch built starting on June 3, 2008. Click here for construction photos!
German Fleet Auxiliary Nordmark
The Nordmark was built in just 2 weeks, just prior to 2007 NATS! She was commissioned in the Royal Navy after WW2, so she can be played as a convoy ship for the Axis or Allies. I'll be bringing her to NATS in Houston as an axis convoy ship, with a deck full of Panzer tanks! Click here for construction photos!
The Sea Tiger was my smallest ship so far. As a scratch built Gato class sub, this was a fun (albeit not very effective) convoy ship. Cary Grant's USS Sea Tiger is the leading lady of "Operation Petticoat"! Click here for construction photos!
The mighty Gneisenau is back! Yes, the ship that helped me earn the nick-name "Sir Ramsalot" is once again a part of the Reichenbach shipyard. This Gneisenau features scratch built all wood hull construction. Click here to see construction photos!
The USS San Jacinto was built during WWII as a part of the USS Houston campaign in 1942 to raise funds to replace the famous lost cruiser. In addition to funding a new Cleveland class cruiser, the 2nd USS Houston, the city raised enough funds to build an Independence class aircraft carrier, to be named the USS San Jacinto. This carrier went on to serve with distinction during the war, and is best known as the ship that George Bush served on, as an Avenger torpedo bomber pilot. The San Jacinto was built on a modified Brooklyn hull, and served as a convoy ship along with 2 other light carriers during 2003 NATS!
The USS Maryland was built as it appeared on December 7th, 1941, complete with forward and main cage masts. This was my first ship with a stern sidemount. Click here to take a tour of this very cool battleship!
The Alabama was my NATS 2002 ship! My Alabama and Kevin Bray's USS Massechusetts were built together, as sister ships. Click here for more photos of the Mighty Bama!
Portland was my primary ship for NATS 2001 and NATS 2006! She may also make a guest appearance at NATS 2007 in Houston! Click here for more info about the USS Portland.
I turned allied in 2001, due mostly to my wanting to scratch build this fleet carrier, CV5, the USS Yorktown. This is my favorite boat, and has been in my shipyard for quite a while now! Click here to see photos of Yorktown during construction!
The USS Houston is my favorite ship, and got me into this hobby. This ship is now retired to my mantle in the library. The Houston has been a lot of fun, and has won "best of scale" at a number of regional events. I refit Houston with flexible magazines, and then later went back to copper. Check out photos while building the new Houston here.
Since I was driving to Georgia to sell the Gneisenau, I felt compelled to build a ship for the battle. After building a superstructure for Charley, I got a Z-boat hull as part of my payment. In 10 days, while in seminary, I finished this, my newest ship. Click here to tour my new z-boat!
The rebuilt Gneisenau is the ship that gave me my identity in the hobby as "Sir Ramsalot". The ship was totally rebuilt, with a much nicer superstructure, and very powerful working guns. She was sold to Noel Cook, in Georgia, who brought the Gneisenau to NATS in Houston in 2007. Click here for a some pictures of the Gneisenau after Noel made some improvements. As you saw above, I scratch built another Gneisenau after selling my rebuilt one! ;-)
Built using a Swampy Lutzow kit, all my friends had a Lutzow, so I felt compelled to take my swing at this popular ship. This was also the last boat I ever built for somebody else. Last I saw her, the shafts needed to be reset closer to the hull, and the stern guns needed some work to become more awesome. Best part of this ship was the good looks, and the fine radio box. This ship was last spotted somewhere in Texas.
I built this "for looks only" model of a Swampy Bismark for Tim Slocum, who lives in Missouri. This was the first boat I ever built specifically for somebody else. This model has been detailed nicely, and keeps winning 2nd place each fall at the Union Station model boat show in St. Louis.
This was my first swing at the Charley Stephens Scharnhorst kit, and after 3 weeks of work, it was not quite the ship it should have been. Still, at my first NATS, the ship was very reliable, making every sortie.
The Houston was my first model boat, and was the boat I brought to my first battle, the first Fray at Brays in 1999. The Houston was sold to a gentleman in Texarkana, Texas after only a few battles. It was the subject of my first article, published in a model boat magazine. I've later built another Houston (my second).
Here are some ships I started, but have never put into the water for one reason or another...
The "Yummyato" was built on November 1, 2002, and was eaten on November 2, 2002, at Bryan & Trista Finster's wedding. This was my first ship to feature a tasty superstructure. Note the brownie turrets and the candy guns!
USS Midway
The USS Midway is one of the last fleet carriers commissioned before the end of World War 2, and was extensively modernized several times before being decommissioned in the 1990's. Midway served with distinction in "Operation Desert Storm" and other recent conflicts. After building a small Gato sub, I've gone to the other extreme and started construction on what will be the largest ship I've ever built. Oh, and be sure I'll be playing Kenny Loggins "Highway to the Danger Zone" at NATS when this baby hits the water with a deck filled with F-14 tomcats and F-18 hornets!
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