In June 2005, BIRDON MARINE Pty Ltd of Port Macquarie contacted DMG about the construction of a model of a vessel they had been constructing for the Australian Army Corps of Engineers. The vessel known as a BEPB or Bridge Erection Propulsion Boat was a seven metre long, highly powered “tug” which is used to push and pull floating bridge sections around to construct temporary bridges suitable for tanks and military vehicles to pass over.
The vessel consists of a barge type hull surrounded by heavy metal fenders. A slightly tapered bow is edged by heavy metal piping and two large vertical fenders used for pushing the bridge sections around. Around the edge of the hull are large bollards and two large capstans midships. Close to the bow is the covered two-man cockpit with the controls for the two high powered diesel engines which are mounted in the middle, which in turn drive two inductor propulsion jets at the stern. With this drive system the vessel can operate in less than 60cm of water.
The model was constructed to a scale of 1:16 making it approximately 480mm in length and was built entirely of Evergreen Styrene sheet and shapes. The model included highly detailed cockpit controls including seat belts for the crew, rifle racks, seats and esky bracket. The model was painted in Olive Drab green and serial numbers and name decals made produced on our laser printer. The model was sprayed overall with a dull coat varnish and placed on brass pedestals inside a acrylic display case manufactured by City West Plastics in Sydney.
The model was presented to the Corps of Engineers based at Steele Barracks at Moorebank at a ceremony to celebrate the hand over of the last of almost 20 BEPB’s constructed by BIRDON MARINE on Friday the 5th of August 2005.
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