Manufacturer: Aurfix
Scale: 1/72
Additional parts: scratch build parts
Model build: Oct - Nov 2016
Cologne Duck-Tour Dukw
Airfix / Scratchbuild
1/72
1/72
Ducks on the Rhine
The sunshine glinted off the Rhine, a mischievous glint mirroring the twinkle in Gertrude's eye. Today was the day for her Cologne Duck Tour, a dream she'd held since childhood. Unlike the sleek, modern amphibious vehicles she'd seen in travel brochures, Cologne's Duck Tour was a relic from a bygone era. A bright red World War II DUKW, emblazoned with the bold slogan "Kölle Alaaf" (Cologne Above All!), a leftover from Carnival season, rumbled to a stop.
Gertrude hopped in, joining a motley crew of tourists. The driver, Klaus, was a character straight out of a storybook. A shock of white hair escaped his captain's hat, and his handlebar mustache twitched with a permanent grin. "Welcome aboard, landlubbers!" he boomed, his voice seasoned with years of salty tales. "We're about to embark on a Rhine River rhumba, Cologne style!"
The tour rumbled through the city, Klaus peppering the journey with historical anecdotes and hilarious personal stories. They passed by the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, its spires reaching for the sky. Klaus regaled them with tales of its construction, spanning centuries, a testament to human perseverance. Then, with a flourish, he announced, "And now, for the grand splash!"
The DUKW lurched forward, the pavement giving way to a ramp, and with a hearty "Kölle Alaaf!" from the passengers, they plunged into the cool embrace of the Rhine. Laughter erupted as the once land vehicle transformed into a bobbing boat. Cologne unfolded from a new perspective. The majestic Hohenzollern Bridge loomed overhead, a steel sentinel guarding the city. Along the banks, colorful half-timbered houses watched with a timeless gaze.
Suddenly, the engine sputtered and died. A hush fell over the DUKW. But Klaus, unfazed, simply slapped the dashboard and winked. "Don't worry, folks. This old girl just needs a bit of Cologne cheer!" He led them in a rousing rendition of a local carnival song, their voices echoing across the water. As if by magic, the engine coughed back to life, and the tour continued.
The Cologne Duck Tour wasn't just a sightseeing trip; it was an experience. It was a journey through time, a celebration of resilience, and a testament to the enduring spirit of Cologne. And as Gertrude disembarked, a wide grin plastered on her face, she knew this was a memory she'd treasure forever.
You can find Duck-Tours all around the world. A mix land and sea city tour is almost fun to do and the drivers of those vehicles are very "special" all the time.
While some of the operators use modern amphibious vehicles (Miami Beach for example), most of them use old WW2 Dukw for it (like in Boston or Dublin).
Converted with passenger rows in the back (4 seates a row) and equipped with a roof, the vehicles look much more intersting than the more modern ones.
Sometimes local laws require that additional float chambers are added to the Dukw before they enter the water (like in Dublin) but in most cases, they are run in the same config as it was used back in the 1940s.
In Germany, none of this tours exist, propably because it would be almost impossible to get to all the burocratic traps to run such a business.
However, in my town of Cologne, such a tour would make sense - with the Rhine river you could do quite an intersting part of the sightseeing tour.
So this is how a Cologne Duck Tour might look like - the slogan "Kölle Alaaf" on its side is the slogan you need during the Cologne Carnival Season 
This is the old Airfix 1/76 sclae Dukw kit. The seats inside are taken form an Italieri Ju 52 kit, the 1-2 configuration makes it very comfortable to ride in it.
The roof and entry stairs are made from 0,5mm thick plastic sheets, the windscreen is made of some kind of food package. It was the first model to try to make own decals, so the "Kölle Alaaf", licence plate, the Cologne crest and the skyline are all printed on transparent decal paper and then added to the model.
The rollable side cover at the roof is a toothpick surrounded with a paper handkerchief, and a lot of glue.
Painted with Revell Aqua Color in the traditional red&white Cologne colours.
9 Images