We're back with another look at what's new in the wonderful world of 1/600th scale American Civil War naval wargaming. Last time I promised reviews of the USS Sacramento and how to convert a generic frigate to USS Minnesota. Well, Bay Area Yards (BAY) now produces a casting for USS Minnesota that renders my conversion notes moot. However, we can report on some other new castings from BAY, as well as a check of other manufacturers wares. But first, the figure review.

USS Sacramento was a steam driven screw propeller, wooden gunboat. Commissioned in 1863, Sacramento's most famous exploit was her blockade of CSS Stonewall at Ferrol, Spain. So, Sacramento is perfect for all you guys with a CSS Stonewall casting that's gathering dust. As sloops go, Sacremento is a tad undergunned with only 10 guns, but it's an impressive array of XI" and IX" Dahlgren's and lighter guns to boot.

The Bay Area Yards casting is a good basic hull of the ship. Like all other BAY castings, this one does not include masts, wind funnels or deck guns. Length and width of the casting scales at 100% to the dimensions listed in Silverstone's reference book. The funnel and other deck fittings (hatches, skylights) are all cast to the hull, so all you have to add are guns, masts and -- if you feel motivated -- boats.

Steve Taylor, owner/operator of Bay Area Yards, reports several new castings available. In addition to the USS Minnesota mentioned earlier, he also has the sidewheel frigate USS Mississippi and the screw sloops USS Monongahela and Ossipee. For ironclads, there is the CSS Mississippi and two late/post war Union ironclads -- USS Dunderberg and USS Kalamazoo. For the age of sail set, BAY now makes a hull of USS Ohio, a 74-gun ship of the line.

For ACW naval wargamers, the Bay Area Yards line provides a great deal of depth to the Union Navy's wooden walled steamships allowing us to field many ships previously unavailable.

I know most of you guys are asking "What about Thoroughbred or Peter Pig?" Well, as of press time, there is nothing new to report from either manufacturer. We'll see what the summer brings.