Bucket ladder dredger

This breathtaking model depicts 'Bucket ladder dredger number one' built by the A.F. Smulders company in the small Dutch town of Slikkeveer. The ship was ordered for by the Russian government and played a keyrole in harbour construction works in the town of Vladiwostok. Builder of this dredger, August Smulders, was only 23 years old when he founded his construction factory and shipyard in the Dutch town of 's Hertogenbosch. The company started producing boilers, locomotives and construction parts of bridges but developed into a company that specialized in the production of dredgers, naval ships and - many years later - constructions for the offshore industry. Because of the lack of space in 's Hertogenbosch the company moved to Utrecht, but by then Smulders already realised the future possibilities in the vast growing port of Rotterdam. In 1894 he bought a shipyard in Slikkeveer, close to Rotterdam, where this dredger was built. In 1905 the company expanded to the town of Schiedam, located between Rotterdam and the North Sea and got the 'double name': A.F. Smulders/Gusto shipyard. Dutch shipbuilding flourished, but the tide turned around 1970. Dutch yards could not compete with the - much cheaper - yards in the far east and closed their business. In1978 Smulders/Gusto (IHC Gusto in those days) closed its doors forgood. Dimensions of the model (lxwxh): 290 x 95 x 100 cm.