by Bill Liebold
1/256 USS Monterey CG-61 (Allen Baker)
This Model was originally built by Allen Baker as the USS Ticonderoga for RCA in the late ‘70s. The model was heavily damaged and sat in the model closet for decades. Now the company is Lockheed Martin and there was a need for a CG-61 model. Converting the damaged Tico int o the Monterey was a better option than building a new one. Allen Baker’s models are much like what you get in kit form from Blue Jacket Models. The hull and superstructure are wood and the fittings are white metal with some photo etch in there as well. If you are familiar with Blue Jacket’s catalog Allen Baker may ring a bell. He was involved in the design of some of their kits. The bulk of the work was removing everything that made the model “Tico” and replacing it with stuff that made the model “Monterey”. Easier said than done, the masts alone took a week. I tried not to disturb the original look of the model too much as to keep the “Allen Baker look” out of respect for the guys who did this kind of work before me.
