William Tompkins built 307 different model ships at a scale of 1/600. Mr. Tompkins started building his massive collection when he was in his early teens, and he continued to make highly detailed models throughout his lifetime. The fleet of model ships includes a wide array of models that span several decades, if not more, so the collection offers an insightful view of naval evolution over time. A portion of William Tompkins’ fleet of 1/600 scale model ships is on display in the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad, CA.
This ship served as a revenue cutter from 1908–1919. It was refitted as a US Coast Guard ship from 1919 to 1936. In 1936, the Acushnet was retasked to the Navy to serve as an ocean tug during WWII. It was decommissioned in 1946.