Federation Space Tug DS9 U.S.S. Atlas

[stevielewis]

I have been interested in this "starship" from DS9. I have wondered just what the main body of the ship was made from and why it looked the way it did. During the years I was researching the U.S.S. Centaur I had come across pictures of the tug. Well, recently, while looking for items for another kitbash I am working on, I came across some building toys from the mid 1980's called ROBOTIX. Low and behold I found what the main body and several other parts that were used to build-up the space tug. I have had the parts from other Star Trek kits that I found that were used on the space tug and have gotten them to the point of being able to do a mock-up of the U.S.S. Atlas. Here is where I am currently with this build.

Thank you for looking. Comments welcome.

 

[stevielewis]

In my haste to get this thread started yesterday, I forgot to add some pictures from the beginning. I'm getting a lot of views but no comments, and I'm thinking that no one either knows what this "starship" is or what the main body looks like without all the added on kit parts. Well, I got those pictures so that you all can see how this started. The first two pictures are of the studio model. The other photos are of the main body before everything was added to it, and to how it was orientated for the build.

Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed.

 

[Restart934]

I have been interested in this "starship" from DS9. I have wondered just what the main body of the ship was made from and why it looked the way it did. During the years I was researching the U.S.S. Centaur I had come across pictures of the tug. Well, recently, while looking for items for another kitbash I am working on, I came across some building toys from the mid 1980's called ROBOTIX. Low and behold I found what the main body and several other parts that were used to build-up the space tug. I have had the parts from other Star Trek kits that I found that were used on the space tug and have gotten them to the point of being able to do a mock-up of the U.S.S. Atlas. Here is where I am currently with this build.

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Thank you for looking. Comments welcome.

I just traded away a whole box of those, I never would have thought to use those for building! Can’t wait to see your end result!

 

[stevielewis]

I just traded away a whole box of those, I never would have thought to use those for building! Can’t wait to see your end result!

I never would have thought of those ROBOTIX toys as being something used in Star Trek kitbashes, but they were. You can still find them on eBay for a reasonable price. Now I just need to find out what those round parts are that they used on the "grabber arms". They look possibly like tank parts or metal covers, and maybe an RCA jack connector. In my pictures, the Orange object with the arrowheads is actually a ROBOTIX wheel axle.

 

[stevielewis]

Small update here - I found a front view picture of the studio model the other day that actually helped in figuring out a couple other parts used for this build. What looks to be the "deflector shield" on the front of the model is actually a "power tap" and one road wheel from the M2A2 Bradley is used to represent this. Also found the parts used to fill-in the openings on the red color "grabber arms". These are also from the Bradley and are the inside return roller wheels for the tank treads. I have purchased two sprew trees with these parts and should have them later this week. I have a few pics here of this build with the warp nacelle pylons mounted correctly. I also included a 7 inch ruler in two photos so you can see the size of this model.

Comments welcomed. Thanks for looking.

 

[EDGSW]

I love the tug! I snapped up the Eaglemoss model as soon as I saw it because it fits into and fills out my 1/1000 fleet so nicely. This is a great ID, and simple, tempted to build one now myself!

 

[stevielewis]

Thank you! It is an interesting ship that not many people find worthy to replicate. But, finding the parts from the kits they used to make the final studio prop, are not all that easy, and they are not always what they look like at first glance. I should have a new update later this week as I have ID'd a few parts and they are on the way to me now.

 

[stevielewis]

New update - received a few new greebles for this build. The tan colored items on the front, and on the red colored "grabbers" are from the Academy 1/35 scale M2A2 Bradley. The one part on the front is a road wheel. On the Tug it is referred to as a "power tap". The round, slotted, item on the red colored grabbers are the inside half of the return roller for the M2A2 tracks. Here are the photos with these parts in place:

I will have more greebles arriving early next week, so stay tuned for which kits those are from. Comments welcome.

 

[stevielewis]

Update - I received the new greebles for this build. These parts are from the Tamiya 1/35 scale German 8 Ton Semi Track 20mm Flakvierling kit 35050. These parts are a darker grey color in the photos. On the 'grabber arms that connect to the body, this part is part of the drive system. It looks to be dust cover for the disk breaks. I don't have the instructions for this kit so I'm not sure of what it's called. The other part is on the front "nose" and it is a spring unit for the rear drive axle. Here are the photos:

I also found two other items for this kitbash that are from the 8 Ton Flakvierling, they are located on the kitbash right behind the white sensor pod cover from the DS9 Runabout kit. I will be adding those in the near future. Thanks for looking. Comments welcome.

 

[Jedi Dade]

I have to admit - I don't remember that ship at all ... but Very cool find!

Jedi Dade

 

[stevielewis]

I have to admit - I don't remember that ship at all ... but Very cool find!

Jedi Dade

I'm not surprised you don't remember this ship, it had a total of 5 seconds of screen time at the beginning of DS9: "A Time to Stand" while towing the Starship USS Fredrickson. Doug Drexler had views of the studio model on his "Drex Files" online blog. These few pictures have been what I have been using to figure out how this studio model was built. It wasn't until about a week ago that I found a front view of this studio model online, and with that one picture, I was able to figure out these last few items and what kits they were from.

Thank you for your comment, and thank you for taking a look at my build.

 

[stevielewis]

Update # something - I actually did some scratch building on this that was not adding from a kit, I built-up the warp nacelles and added detail to the opening. Then I attached the pylons to the warp nacelles. Now I don't have all that blue painters tape blocking the view. I'm currently using some removable adhesive tack to hold the pylons to the main body. I also did a mock up of the upper rear area just behind the white Runabout part. This area will hold the two half barrel pieces from the 8 Ton Semi Track 20mm Flakvierling. In the third picture you will notice that the area where the orange item is. There is supposed to be something there, I just haven't figured out what kit it is from. I have ID'd two more items and I will make them known once I receive them early next week. Until then, here are three pictures of my latest work:

As always, comments welcome. Thank you for looking.

 

[stevielewis]

Another Update - Well, it took longer than I thought it would, but I finally got two more parts added to this build. The new parts come from a Revell 1/32 scale F-14A kit and they are the ejection seats that the pilots actually sit on, not the frame that surrounds the seat. In the pictures these parts are added to the rear of the tug on either side of the orange colored cylinder item. All I need to find now is the part that will fit between the seat backs and the orange cylinder sits on. It may take a while to find it but I will eventually. Here are the latest pics with the new parts added:

As always comments welcome. Thanks for looking.

 

[stevielewis]

Update long overdue - I finally got a grey primer coat painted on this build. I still have not figured out which kit the part I am missing is from yet. I'm not sure if it's from a tank/armor kit or from an aircraft kit. I wish there was a way to contact Judy Elkins about the original model. Anyway, here are a few pics....

Thanks for looking. I hope to get a white coat of paint on this soon.

 

[starks]

This is really well done. What an obscure build! And a very well detailed one at that.

It never fails to amaze what the studio model builders will use to create something. Looking forward to seeing her in paint.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[stevielewis]

Thank you starks. I should have some new pics posted soon. Was able to get some paint on this build.

 

[stevielewis]

Ok...I have a few pics of this build sprayed gloss White using a Testors rattle can. I hope you like.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Analyzer]

Excellent!

 

[stevielewis]

Excellent!

Thank you Analyzer.

 

[stevielewis]

I awaken this thread from it's slumber to say that I have discovered the final part I need for this build... it is a Robotix part that was not part of the early (1980's) Milton Bradley Robotix series but from the "Learning Curve Toys" series from the mid 1990's. The part is included in the Learning Curve Toys Robotix 3000 set. I accidentally ran across the part I need while scrolling through this series of building toys on eBay. I am attaching two pictures of what I am describing so you have a better idea of what I am talking about:

In the first picture I have drawn two Red circles around the part I needed to complete this build. In the second picture the part is located towards the upper left next to a grey wheel shaped cog and it partially covered by another part but you can see the shapes and details enough to know that this is the part that goes on the back of the model.

I have purchased this toy and should have it sometime before or after Christmas. Once I have it and can confirm it I will post pics of it attached to my build. Come Springtime and the weather is nice again for outside painting I will be able to get this build properly painted and finished.

Thank you for reading. Comments always appreciated.