As opposed to freight liners, Tramp Steamers do not have a fixed itinerary or published ports of call and trade on the spot market. The term Tramp for Tramp Steamer came from the British meaning of ‘tramp’ as a vagrant and was first documented in the 1880s.
Tramp Steamers appear in a lot of Pulp movies including the film, China Seas, which is attacked by pirates while carrying gold from Hong Kong to Singapore.
Even this still from the film has that Pulp look and feel!
The film was a huge hit when released in 1935, restoring blonde bombshell Jean Harlow’s status as a box-office attraction after a series of low-grossing movies. It was of course full of clichés, stereotypes and things that stretch the imagination.
The South China sea was a real hot spot for Pulp Movies (the “Uncharted” saga shows that not much has changed) with a number of films and serials using it as their exotic setting.
With Tramp Steamer and other vessels crews appearing in lots of movies it is no surprise that 7TV Pulp has included them as “extras”.
Ships crew appear as “neutral extras” meaning they can be villainous pirates, or a nefarious U-Boat or Seebattallion crew, or maybe even good Samaritans assisting the hero and heroine in their virtuous deeds.
Captain and First Mate
Crew with hand weapons
Crew with rifles
Crew with Machine Guns
Hopefully I will complete their container ship soon so they have some work to do rather than hanging around idle. And we all know that “idle hands are the devil’s plaything”!
Great looking crew Dave, wouldn’t wait too long to get their steamer ready, as you know what they say about sailors in port too long ! LOL
Don’t know about sailors in port but I know what I am like when I get into the port!
Quite a cool looking set of pulpy sea dogs you’ve got there, and the terrain in the background is nice and evocative as well.
Thanks Az I am please with the sailors. The terrain is a combination of the Kongo kickstarter and a great idol fountain that I often have working on the tabletop.
Pulpy sea dogs for the win! An Azazel is quite right, excellent terrain. I really need to do a tramp steamer and crew at some point. I picked up a cool Reaper Bones ship captain and have been eyeing some MDF ships but I already have so many projects and never enough time. I look forward to seeing your sailors in future adventures.
Thanks Grumps. There are some great mdf models out their, but none look as good as the resin ones. I was looking at the Sarissa PT boat and ended up with the Old Glory resin one despite the price.
Superb stuff.
Cheers,
Pete.
Thanks Pete.
Reminds me of John Masefield’s short poem Cargoes: https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/cargoes/
Perfect! I was unaware of it:
Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.
Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rail, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
Cargoes
by John Masefield
I remember Arthur Catherall’s tugboat novels with fondness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Catherall
They started my desire to become a diver. Very disappointed that I never fought off a shark with my diver’s knife – I expected it to happen at least once per book!
Regards, Chris.
Was unaware of this very prolific writer. I will see if I can find one to have a look at. Beware what you wish for!