Back Aft Models Accessory Review

Reviewed by Martin J Quinn
June 2022

Back Aft Models has sent in one of their accessory sets for review. It's a 1/350 Pontoon Wharf & Barge Set. Pontoons are hollow boxes of sheer steel, with triangle brackets welded onto each corner. Each bracket has a bolt hole with a nut welded inside of it. Sections of pontoons are made by bolting them togther. The instructions say that "Navy Lighterage Pontoons were used in many ways and in many different configurations and for different purposes. This set of different pontoons will allow the modelers to use their imagination in incorporating them into their diorama displays."

Click to enlarge images

USS CALIFORNIA BB-44 UPGRADE SET

The packaging is in a padded plastic envelope. All the parts are in smaller clear plastic bags box.

Included in the set are:

3 long pontoon sections
6 pontoon sections with "unfinished ends"
2 pontoon sections with "one finished end"
1 pontoon barge
2 causeway ramp sections
2 causeway finished end sections
2 causeway middle sections
1 causeway (long) with ramp

These are cast in light gray resin. There is some light over pour on the bottoms of the parts. That should easily sand off, or be hidden if you create a water display to put these into. The raised steel planking on the pontoons are a little overstated, in my opinion.

INSTRUCTIONS
The instructions are two double sided pieces of paper. They consist of a parts manifest, a photo showing the parts in various suggested positions and an archival photo of a ship tied up to pontoons. The last page has an interesting graphic from a February, 1946 edition of Popular Science, that explains how these were built and how they were used. A nice touch.

CONCLUSIONS

These pontoons are a sort of throwback to old school resin products. While they might not be state of the art, modelers can, with a bit of creativity, find a myriad of uses for these in dioramas. Recommended, mostly for diorama builders.

This is Back Aft Models 1/350 Pontoon Wharf & Barge Set. It retails for $42.00 USD, and is available through the CarlOmaha eBay store. Thank to Back Aft Models for this review sample.