Even though this class already got covered in two previous videos, I didn't hesitate to click this because A: Your vids are a pleasure to listen to. and B: I knew there would be more fun details added as well. One thing I would imagine would get done over time with the Ptolemy class is it would get refit with additional hull to allow for a more powerful warp drive. With the size of the Federation increasing every few years, making sure these ships can get to Point B expeditiously would become increasingly important. I'd imagine the added hull would definitely make it appear even more as a sister ship to the Miranda class.
Well I appreciate the support :) And surprising, this class was never refit... I would imagine due to it's mission profile, it simply wasn't required...
Most wholeheartedly agree to point A I work as a tow truck driver…so when I have to drive to go rescue some poor bugger, obviously I can’t watch my screen…so I look for a new video to listen to whilst driving Hell, if they were to start doing Star Trek audiobooks more often, I’d submit TRI should get at least an audition for narrator
I ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ this video! I’ve watched it three times already and am saving it in my list. The Ptolemy Class is my favorite of the TOS era. As a child, I stared at the Franz Joseph pod designs and dreamed of the variety of adventures this unsung ship would have. Only a late era Miranda class variant modified to tug the original pods in the ignored “safer” rimward area of the Federation would make me happier. Well done and cheers!
My favorite of the Franz Joseph designs. I used to imagine Q-ship designs packed with phasers and torpedos, or carrier pods stuffed with shuttle craft, a launch bay, repair facilities, and crew quarters.
Thank you x1000 for this awesome video! The Ptolemy is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favourite ships partly thanks to your Franz Joseph designs series
Thank you for bringing this to us i have always loved this ship it deserved to be cannon how eles could people and products get moved around the Federation I mean you cant just use your capital ships for this you need these work horses to do the labor you always need a tugboat out there taking the little things and the big things that make a Federation run smoothly. Great job as always =)
I came up with additional specialty pods for the ST Tactical Combat game. 1 would be a mobile repair station pod with Spacedock facilities,Med pod-essentially a hospital ship, and a battlepod-which had it's own antimatter reactor,multiple phaser banks and photon torpedoes along with independant deflector shield generators. Some would have a hangar bay for fighters and such.
This was always one of my favorite designs (really all of them were) of that tech manual. Really did have shades of being a wagon trail which helped fill out some of the background of the Star Trek universe.
I remember that. I mentioned that in his last video about the 4 Starfleet classes. I was hoping for an honourable mention of the ship and game in this video. My friend and I thought it was the TOS Miranda Class initially.
Another great video on a cherished ship! I look forward to you hopefully doing a video on Franz Joseph's Starfleet HQ design from his Technical Manual.
I remember this from the Federation Technical Manual way back. Even then I wondered if it could have been turned into a weapons pod of some kind. It would certainly be a nasty surprise for any Raider who thought they had themselves a soft target,
Loved this design from when I had this book years ago (lost in a move across country). I could so easily imagine one of these ships carrying multiple pods to a new colony planet. Not only the people, equipment & supplies to get it started but also the containers left to be repurposed living space or materials themselves. Thanks for this.
I think the California class of Lower Decks was derived from a cargo tug design. basically the TNG era replacement for the Ptolemy class. My reasoning being this explains the California's rather utilitarian design, abnormally long warp nacelle struts, and powerful engines for its size.
In my head-canon I always imagined the Ptolemy class as the TOS version of the Miranda class. Thanks for showing a brief glimpse of my favourite class.
This whole, stardust filled history of this class was very well done! I love the ships from the Franz Joseph book and it great someone is giving them some attention. The idea that this was a multi-role ship instead of just a tug is interesting. However, if that were the case I would have expected there to be a greater variety of pods, like scientific, astronomy, manufacturing, search- and-rescue, fighter or shuttle carrier, even POW pods if necessary. The possibilities are endless.
Entertaining and informative, as always. It’s always fascinating to see aspects on the periphery of what we know about Starfleet fleshed out like this - thanks.
Star Fleet Battles added a fifth pod to the possible inventory available to the Ptolomey, in the form of the “battle pod.” It featured photon torpedo tubes and several additional phaser banks. If you ever update this video you might want to add this as another non-canon element.
You sir are a true Star Trek fan! These stories are so good to listen to while I work. Great job as always. Please keep such high quality Star Trek content coming. 😃😄
I wonder if there's a bit of design history linking the Ptolomy class and the California class? They're very similar primary hull & elongated pylon/nacelle designs.
Every Ship designed by Franz Joseph are just exceptional + very near to perfect. This, the Salamander, the Hermes, the Federation Dreadnought + last but not least the Ares are all just stunning TOS era ships.
Hello CR. I used to own a copy of the manual with all these ships types in it. I remember thinking that the designers missed a bet when dealing with the Ptolemy Class. So, using Starfleet Battles, I designed my own 'cargo' container for specialist usage. My design took a 'passenger' pod, stripped almost to the bone. Inside it, I placed a warp core and energy distribution network. I then added 'Cruiser' class shields to the fore and aft ends, giving the pod a spherical defensive field that would be hard to totally take down. I further added weaponry to the pod. A total of 12 phasers (in 6 pair arrays: 2 fore, 2 aft, 2 port, 2 starboard, 2 zenith, and 2 nadir) and 8 photon torpedo launchers (4 forwards, 4 aft). I also added heavy duty reaction control thrusters all over the outer surface to enable the pod to spin and twist to point it's weapons heavy ends at potential targets. In effect, I took a 'cargo pod' for the Ptolemy Class, and turned it into a portable mini battle station. One that could be towed to position and dropped off to defend a tactical or strategic target (I figured that 6 of these pods, placed around a planet, would easily deal with most threats. Since the pods were already in volume production, conversion to my design would have been fairly quick, and efficient. With tactics like moving a dozen of these pods into an enemy system, I could convert a few more to support them, as well as support a invading fleet. A further radical designed pod could thus be added. One that specialized in ship repairs (this was actually two pods that would build a 'cocoon', or support grid-work scaffold system, to house the ship under repair, and allow for the mounting of heavy construction units. The 'Repair Pods' would house the laborers, multiple industrial fabricators, and a large power source. And yes, they too would mount the dual-shield system of the 'Combat Pod'. In this manner, I could set up a 'forward command and control base' in any star system I chose. Even one without planets! This meant that my opponent had to carefully look at each and every star system in a given area, and not just those with planets in their system, since my new 'base' could be anywhere. All for the cost of between 12 and 20 'pods'. Since I would not need to move the pods at warp, any warp cores installed could be much smaller than those of a standard ship, which meant that all those cores from older mothballed ships could be put to use in far less time than what would be needed to construct new, larger cores. Eventually, a further upgrade to the Pods saw them with installed Impulse Drives (The drive's 'thrusters' mounted in a manner that allowed them to be deployed, locked into position and used, then unlocked, retrieved, and stowed behind armored panels). Just a few thoughts,
It's a great concept and ties into the California class well. And i like the concept of the California class too. But think both classes got beat with an ugly stick. I just don't like how low everything it slung. But also video as usual!
An excellent episode! Love your history take on this class. Am curious how you explained the cargo pod blocking the nacelles line of sight rule as establish by Gene. While I understand the real reason behind that unusual rule. My idea on that rule is while blocking the line of sight doesn’t dispute the warp bubble it does cause a decrease in its efficiency. Would say during TOS era the decrease in warp efficiency become profound at higher warp speed. By TNG or DS9 there was little deficiency as we can see the Defiant can travel at high warp speed.
There is no rule... It was something Gene said once, then broke so called rule himself many times, and hypocrisy doesnt = rules! Besides what we see in canon is all that matters, can again, canon shows us there is NO such rule!
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios yeah. When I started following StarTrek shows on TH-cam, I was confused for the longest time regarding the line of sight rule. In the end, I found it to be senseless and limiting when designing starships
Definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing ship in the world, but certainly utilitarian. Very practical. Looks like a hybrid of the Connie and Olympic to me.
It'd be fun if Strange New Worlds' production crew digibashed their new Constitution class model into some of these old Connie-based designs for background and guest star ships. They probably won't, though, since they already have the models for all those random Starfleet ships from Discovery available for that kind of stuff.
What I loved about the Ptolomey was that the Cylindrical Pods could also be used to construct orbital bases in frontier systems. The Starliner Pod combined with cargo pods would make it easy to transfer goods to and from the surface of a planet or asteroid to waiting freighters.
if they had put the deflector dish at the front edge of the saucer section, it would have allowed the cargo pod to be moved further forward better optimizing that warp field.
Exactly! Imagine if this had had a refit with a NX style saucer. 🤔 The transport pod could then be brought forward under the main hull. This would have resulted in a smaller warp field being needed, thus allowing a longer pod, or two standard length pods, to be towed without too much strain on the warp field and resulting in a higher safe cruising speed.
Thanks for that and I know you said you would do this. Maybe you could do one on the "Fleet Headquarters" as seen on page 01:01:30 of the Star Fleet Technical Manual. One question is registry number of USS Anaximander. You list this is NCC-304T but The Technical Manual has this as NCC-3804. Is this due to Star Fleet directive for disinformation?
Just a thought, could the newer ships come up through the galaxy class, have a heavy tractor beam added so they could tow one pod between the nacelles and above the secondary hull?
Of all the "design choices" made with this era's ships the explosed deflector dish is the one thing that aleays bugged me the most. Why the dish wasn't incorporated into the saucer section (until the NX class) seems like a missed opportunity to me.
I remember this as the ship on Star Trek 25th anniversary you have to board and save people from space pirate that took the crew hostage. It was either Star Trek 25th anniversary or judgment rights I'm not sure which one.
Man, I always love your beautiful shots of the ships. Oh, you left out the 'Seasonal' Pod. 😃 Ever since the TNG episode Relics, I've always wondered if Scottys' transporter buffer solution would ever be used as cargo storage as it would take up no more space than the computer core and subsequent buffers. Has anyone in Trek ever capitalized on it?
See: Spock's World by Diane Duane. Transporter Abeyance was used to store everything from negotiable documents to fresh coffee beans. Beam it up, lock it's pattern in a memory core, rematerialize it when you get it where it's going.
I believe in DSC, in the 32nd Century, they do :) But the whole transporter/ cargo storage thing makes no sense to me what so ever really... I mean we know that the Replicator reorganizes matter in to various objects and food... That means that matter has to be stored as energy or else your ship would be filled with random stuff waiting to be broken down and reprocessed in to your morning cup of coffee... So if they can do that, why CANT they use the same technique for storage? I mean you could have everything like backup warp cores, computer cores etc, all stored ready to be brought out when needed...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios - Yeah... That sounds about right. I know it's far from the same thing but I tend to download a LOT of things and print them with my 3D printer and am saving up for a grinder to recycle old prints to reform them back into filament for future prints. I can't see having transporter tech and not do the same thing on the atomic level.
On voyager they hid Tuvock and other crew members who where telepathic along with refuges from inspections while traveling through a region where Telepaths where outlawed in the transporter buffer.
I think the ship was probably more likely fully phased out because of the Oberth Class. If you look at the long section at the bottom. It probably has a very similar modular type system. But instead it used Transporters and containers. So the cargo could be more easily moved between any ship instead of dedicated storage.
This would seem like a perfect platform to add a "tactical pod" to; Give the pod its own fusion generators, or even a separate matter/antimatter reactor, a secondary set of shield emitters, and a buttload of phaser emitters and photon torpedo launchers. It could probably be smaller than the standard pods, too, to improve warp performance. Or, keep it the same size as standard pods, decorate it as such, keep its systems powered down when not needed, and you'd have a great surprise for any raiders!
I had actually forgotten about this class until your video. The design is very functional but I would like to have seen a "pod" design that would have been like a "carrier" of sorts with multiple shuttle bays, fighter launch tunes, etc.... And maybe some pods with a sexier shape.
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios Oh. For some reason I assumed you'd made the models yourself (don't know why; I sure as heck can't make them). That's actually a bit of a bummer since it means I'm unlikely to get my blueprint version of the U.S.S. Excelsior (well, actually the Intrepid, but you get what I mean). Still, these are fun to watch.
@@christalbot210 LOL Im not a 3d Modeler in the slightest, though I do add starship models to Space Engine for them to use, and I do reskin already created 3d models to make them look a best as possible!
I personally like to think the California class is basically a Dominion war period or post war version of the Ptolemy class. A good solid proven design that can use minimal existing parts and tech to handle the mundane jobs that always exist, while the shipyards develop and build new designs with the lessons learned from the recent war.
I'm getting caught up on your videos. I have to say that, while I disagree with some of the content of your videos, I enjoy seeing the POV of someone else's head canon, even if they don't always jibe with mine. Those of us who rely on beta canon to fill in the gaps, or to build upon, such as those of us who GM Star Trek based games, for instance, can really dig where fans with their own beta canon ideas are coming from. Now on to this class. As someone who enjoys the TOS and TMP eras more than any other era, I have a fondness for the Franz Joseph ship designs and specs. I also like the FASA ships. So, in my beta canon game, which started out in FASA, but which has since been converted to LUG (which is the system I still use), I like to think that the Ptolemy Class was upgraded to the Samson Class. I know FASA had the Samson Class for moving R1 type stations around, but to me, it makes too little sense for that to be their sole purpose. In my head canon, they're an all purpose tug, and can readily haul containers in a similar manner to the Ptolemy Class.
Question.... I have a 3D model of this wonderful class...it is a TMP refit like the refit Enterprise/ Constitution II type....would not starfleet either refit these ships or replacethem.with new hulls meeting the Enterprise/ Constitution II refit standard? This would allow the type to habe some real nice features....
Thank you been wondering about this class since I first saw it as a boy in the 70s in my Star Fleet Technical Manual. I enjoyed the narrative you created to bring this ship to life , I often wondered if thease class of ships might had gone on to be upgraded into Miranda class is it?? From The Wrath of Khans USS Reliant haha Geat video thank you. 😀
After learning about the old design law about Warp Nacelles needing an unbroken parallel line of sight between them. It was the Defiant class that really shocked me seeing the warp nacelles merged into the hull, breaking this rule. Then to come find out that there were technical manuals that broke this rule as well. Classes like these that break away from restrictive design aesthetics where your cargo sits right between the warp fields emitters. Side note: This is a true "Lower Decks" kind of ship. Doing 2nd contact, hauling goods :)
There was actually NO design law... This is a fan myth that came about in the Early 80's when Gene tried to say the Franz Joseph designs were no longer canon. He then went on to break the so called rule himself in TNG... The Gene worshipers in the early 80's "klungon" to this Gene being jealous of others nonsense, and ever since some fans have been going crazy over it... All because of 1 comment and 1 convention Gene made...
Love this class as a Federation workhorse. Not a fan of the deflector as Joseph designed it. Would rather see it integrated into the saucer rim like the NX.
I think the class name should've been named Liberty Class, in honor of those men and women who manned that transport class during the second world war. But, that's just me. However, she nice on the eyes, except where the deflector is located at. Should've been, located forward on the saucer section like on the NX. This would've made it, easier to load and unload the pod. But, as stated before that's just me. I would love to see an Refit look of this lass though.
An excellent video for one of my absolute favorite ship classes. Thank you so much. You did, however, make one tiny error. The liquids pod isn't divided into cube-shaped compartments. It's a single large tank fitted with a matrix of baffles to prevent surge in the liquid load (a.k.a., sloshing). These baffles would be wall- and floor-like structures that would restrict surge under acceleration, deceleration or maneuvering, but they would have many holes that would allow movement of liquid when loading/unloading. A very minor issue in an otherwise perfect video. A+++ This class always seemed such an efficient design. Since the pods could be loaded without the ship present, they could be ready to go when a ship arrives. Likewise, the pods brought in by the ships could be dropped off and unloaded the same way, freeing the ship to spend more time in transit. As Spock might say, it's a logical design. I always imagined that after decommissioning, many of these Ptolomy-class ships would be bought by private shipping companies, much like the WWII Liberty ships were. And like the Liberty ships, they would be seen on trade route for decades after decommissioning. It's a shame that the remaster of the original series didn't include any of the Franz Joseph designs in episodes in which the Enterprise called upon a base. It's also disappointing that no company ever put out a model of the Ptolomy. I may have to kit-bash one.
Not according to all the Beta Canon I researched... They were very clear that the compartments were divided into cube shapes and no Baffles. So where did you get this information from? I might have missed a source...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios My source is the original Franz Joseph design in the Star Fleet Technical Manual - the one you showed in the video. The horizontal and vertical dividing lines are labeled "Anti-Surge Baffles" (text at center above the side-view cutaway of the liquids container, with 1 arrow each pointing to a vertical and a horizonal baffle). In taking a closer look, I see that it appears the tank is actually subdivided into 6 compartments. Five of the vertical lines on the side view cutaway are drawn darker and are labelled "BHD", which from the context of the Dry Bulk container above would appear to mean "Bulkhead Division". So the tank appears to be divided into 6 compartments, each with 2 horizontal baffles, 2 vertical baffles facing fore and aft , and 3 vertical baffles facing port and starboard (shown in the front view cutaway, with 1 hidden behind the elevator shaft).
@@ToEuropa First, you said, "he liquids pod isn't divided into cube-shaped compartments" and they clearly are in my version of the manual, more on that in a second. So there was no error there, as you claimed. Second, My original version of the Starfleet Tech Manual does not have that Baffles comment, though I do see it in some of the revised versions as I look online... I am truly fascinated now by what other differences there are between versions! Thank you for your response :)
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios I wasn't aware there were different versions of the manual. However, mine is a first edition/first printing, printed in 1975 (I've been a scifi nerd for more years than I'd care to admit to). Out of curiosity, which version did you use for the video images? I ask because the Baffles and BHD labels are included on the Liquids Container image at 4:59 minutes.
Speaking of compact Enterprise variants, have you seen the recently shown concept art of the Pegasus that looks like a compact Ambassador class starship?
The Anaximander is such a popular ship name that it's already on its 20th generation in just 100 years? 304T? I'm finding this confusing. Am I missing something about ship numbers and designations here?
I wonder if we will see those new ships replaced in this class ship here. And remember the Federation became much bigger as time goes. Until the burn! ;-)
I would think that this class would featch quite a price for the civilian transport market. I would hope that this was the case as sending this to the breaking yard would be a tragic waste.
Not sure if you did or not but the dreadnaught from the star feel technical manual be cool to see love the mission profile pod swap out Also is there any back story to Sto Atlas class canon or beta Always great vids dude 👍
Don't worry if people say your videos ain't "canon", just keep them coming. The rest of us appreciate you "filling in the gaps". What about a Galaxy class variant episode. We have the Nebula class aka "giant" Miranda class, we're just missing the "tug" or Ptolemy class. I don't think they would have a scout, it would be too big. You keep missing the ventral phaser emitters, they were always paired. Dorsal and ventral.
"the Tholian's intentions not being crystal clear" I see what you did there.
BEAT me to it! I thought the SAME thing lol!
I caught that one as well. Was waiting for the ba-dum tssss.
With my weird sense of humor, I would had named this class the Kenworth or Peterbilt class. LOL!
Yeah, and put a massive SWIFT logo on the secondary hull. The other ships would avoid it like the plague.
I like that!
Defiantance, that would have been epic. Don't forget Freightliner.
Louisville? LOL!
I happen to drive a Peterbilt
I've always loved this class from the original tech book. I would like to see Eaglemoss reproduce this ship for my collection
The Ptolemy always makes me think of Thunderbird 2 with its changeable pods
Even though this class already got covered in two previous videos, I didn't hesitate to click this because
A: Your vids are a pleasure to listen to.
and
B: I knew there would be more fun details added as well.
One thing I would imagine would get done over time with the Ptolemy class is it would get refit with additional hull to allow for a more powerful warp drive. With the size of the Federation increasing every few years, making sure these ships can get to Point B expeditiously would become increasingly important. I'd imagine the added hull would definitely make it appear even more as a sister ship to the Miranda class.
Well I appreciate the support :)
And surprising, this class was never refit... I would imagine due to it's mission profile, it simply wasn't required...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios but that wasn't a bad idea!!
Most wholeheartedly agree to point A
I work as a tow truck driver…so when I have to drive to go rescue some poor bugger, obviously I can’t watch my screen…so I look for a new video to listen to whilst driving
Hell, if they were to start doing Star Trek audiobooks more often, I’d submit TRI should get at least an audition for narrator
I ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ this video! I’ve watched it three times already and am saving it in my list. The Ptolemy Class is my favorite of the TOS era. As a child, I stared at the Franz Joseph pod designs and dreamed of the variety of adventures this unsung ship would have.
Only a late era Miranda class variant modified to tug the original pods in the ignored “safer” rimward area of the Federation would make me happier. Well done and cheers!
I can see Starfleet's Medical Corps, Engineering, Terraform Command, And the aforementioned Transport Corps all using this design.
5:36 200 metre long MK-III Reefers? Yes please! I hear Andorian Kush is _da bomb._
My favorite of the Franz Joseph designs. I used to imagine Q-ship designs packed with phasers and torpedos, or carrier pods stuffed with shuttle craft, a launch bay, repair facilities, and crew quarters.
Thank you x1000 for this awesome video! The Ptolemy is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favourite ships partly thanks to your Franz Joseph designs series
You're very welcome! :)
I always liked the notion of pods for this ship given all the different configurations. Really cool idea.
Thank you for bringing this to us i have always loved this ship it deserved to be cannon how eles could people and products get moved around the Federation I mean you cant just use your capital ships for this you need these work horses to do the labor you always need a tugboat out there taking the little things and the big things that make a Federation run smoothly. Great job as always =)
I would like to think Ferengi got one of these ships , and had many space trucking adventures.
I came up with additional specialty pods for the ST Tactical Combat game. 1 would be a mobile repair station pod with Spacedock facilities,Med pod-essentially a hospital ship, and a battlepod-which had it's own antimatter reactor,multiple phaser banks and photon torpedoes along with independant deflector shield generators. Some would have a hangar bay for fighters and such.
This was always one of my favorite designs (really all of them were) of that tech manual. Really did have shades of being a wagon trail which helped fill out some of the background of the Star Trek universe.
I had a kitbashed one I made as a kid. I had it set up to tow a Connie or retrieve a Connie saucer if necessary.
This has been one of my favorite ships since I saw the U.S.S. Masada on my View screen in the 25th Anniversary computer game.
I remember that. I mentioned that in his last video about the 4 Starfleet classes. I was hoping for an honourable mention of the ship and game in this video. My friend and I thought it was the TOS Miranda Class initially.
Another great video on a cherished ship! I look forward to you hopefully doing a video on Franz Joseph's Starfleet HQ design from his Technical Manual.
I remember this from the Federation Technical Manual way back. Even then I wondered if it could have been turned into a weapons pod of some kind. It would certainly be a nasty surprise for any Raider who thought they had themselves a soft target,
I think that was an option in one of the Tabletop RPGs.
Loved this design from when I had this book years ago (lost in a move across country). I could so easily imagine one of these ships carrying multiple pods to a new colony planet. Not only the people, equipment & supplies to get it started but also the containers left to be repurposed living space or materials themselves.
Thanks for this.
I think the California class of Lower Decks was derived from a cargo tug design. basically the TNG era replacement for the Ptolemy class. My reasoning being this explains the California's rather utilitarian design, abnormally long warp nacelle struts, and powerful engines for its size.
In my head-canon I always imagined the Ptolemy class as the TOS version of the Miranda class. Thanks for showing a brief glimpse of my favourite class.
Love the Ptolomy class:) I was a member of a Starfleet club. Our ship was a Ptolomy class:) The USS Lagrange:)
This whole, stardust filled history of this class was very well done! I love the ships from the Franz Joseph book and it great someone is giving them some attention. The idea that this was a multi-role ship instead of just a tug is interesting. However, if that were the case I would have expected there to be a greater variety of pods, like scientific, astronomy, manufacturing, search- and-rescue, fighter or shuttle carrier, even POW pods if necessary. The possibilities are endless.
These various container ships are some of my favorite beta canon/fanon ships
Thank you!! I've always loved this class of ship
Entertaining and informative, as always.
It’s always fascinating to see aspects on the periphery of what we know about Starfleet fleshed out like this - thanks.
Star Fleet Battles added a fifth pod to the possible inventory available to the Ptolomey, in the form of the “battle pod.” It featured photon torpedo tubes and several additional phaser banks. If you ever update this video you might want to add this as another non-canon element.
SFB was a great game. Been a while but I thought they had an electronics pod as well to the Battle pod.
Would love to see a re-fit version of this ship.
The way you seamlessly integrate your story into a, let's admit it, pretty messy canon is always astonishing.
You sir are a true Star Trek fan! These stories are so good to listen to while I work. Great job as always. Please keep such high quality Star Trek content coming. 😃😄
I love this Class of Ship! Thank you for covering it!
I wonder if there's a bit of design history linking the Ptolomy class and the California class? They're very similar primary hull & elongated pylon/nacelle designs.
That's a great question!
Every Ship designed by Franz Joseph are just exceptional + very near to perfect.
This, the Salamander, the Hermes, the Federation Dreadnought + last but not least the Ares are all just stunning TOS era ships.
Well first, it's the Saladin Class, not Salamander Class... And Joseph did not design the Ares Class either! But Ive always loved his work!
We see the Klingon and Romulan councils but we rarely see the Federations except in the movies!
That's true!
Hello CR.
I used to own a copy of the manual with all these ships types in it. I remember thinking that the designers missed a bet when dealing with the Ptolemy Class.
So, using Starfleet Battles, I designed my own 'cargo' container for specialist usage. My design took a 'passenger' pod, stripped almost to the bone. Inside it, I placed a warp core and energy distribution network. I then added 'Cruiser' class shields to the fore and aft ends, giving the pod a spherical defensive field that would be hard to totally take down. I further added weaponry to the pod. A total of 12 phasers (in 6 pair arrays: 2 fore, 2 aft, 2 port, 2 starboard, 2 zenith, and 2 nadir) and 8 photon torpedo launchers (4 forwards, 4 aft). I also added heavy duty reaction control thrusters all over the outer surface to enable the pod to spin and twist to point it's weapons heavy ends at potential targets.
In effect, I took a 'cargo pod' for the Ptolemy Class, and turned it into a portable mini battle station. One that could be towed to position and dropped off to defend a tactical or strategic target (I figured that 6 of these pods, placed around a planet, would easily deal with most threats.
Since the pods were already in volume production, conversion to my design would have been fairly quick, and efficient.
With tactics like moving a dozen of these pods into an enemy system, I could convert a few more to support them, as well as support a invading fleet. A further radical designed pod could thus be added. One that specialized in ship repairs (this was actually two pods that would build a 'cocoon', or support grid-work scaffold system, to house the ship under repair, and allow for the mounting of heavy construction units.
The 'Repair Pods' would house the laborers, multiple industrial fabricators, and a large power source. And yes, they too would mount the dual-shield system of the 'Combat Pod'.
In this manner, I could set up a 'forward command and control base' in any star system I chose. Even one without planets! This meant that my opponent had to carefully look at each and every star system in a given area, and not just those with planets in their system, since my new 'base' could be anywhere. All for the cost of between 12 and 20 'pods'.
Since I would not need to move the pods at warp, any warp cores installed could be much smaller than those of a standard ship, which meant that all those cores from older mothballed ships could be put to use in far less time than what would be needed to construct new, larger cores.
Eventually, a further upgrade to the Pods saw them with installed Impulse Drives (The drive's 'thrusters' mounted in a manner that allowed them to be deployed, locked into position and used, then unlocked, retrieved, and stowed behind armored panels).
Just a few thoughts,
It's a great concept and ties into the California class well. And i like the concept of the California class too. But think both classes got beat with an ugly stick. I just don't like how low everything it slung. But also video as usual!
I'd like to see a truth or myth beta on one of the hidden gems of starfleet designs, the TOS Sentinel class
that ship resemble the Nova class in design layout...
An excellent episode! Love your history take on this class.
Am curious how you explained the cargo pod blocking the nacelles line of sight rule as establish by Gene. While I understand the real reason behind that unusual rule.
My idea on that rule is while blocking the line of sight doesn’t dispute the warp bubble it does cause a decrease in its efficiency. Would say during TOS era the decrease in warp efficiency become profound at higher warp speed.
By TNG or DS9 there was little deficiency as we can see the Defiant can travel at high warp speed.
There is no rule... It was something Gene said once, then broke so called rule himself many times, and hypocrisy doesnt = rules! Besides what we see in canon is all that matters, can again, canon shows us there is NO such rule!
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios yeah. When I started following StarTrek shows on TH-cam, I was confused for the longest time regarding the line of sight rule.
In the end, I found it to be senseless and limiting when designing starships
It's interesting we don't seem to see this kind of bulk transport around much, you'd think the need would still be there if it ever really was.
Definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing ship in the world, but certainly utilitarian. Very practical. Looks like a hybrid of the Connie and Olympic to me.
It'd be fun if Strange New Worlds' production crew digibashed their new Constitution class model into some of these old Connie-based designs for background and guest star ships. They probably won't, though, since they already have the models for all those random Starfleet ships from Discovery available for that kind of stuff.
We can hope though,it would be cool to see a Dreadnaught or Ptolemy in the background of spacedock.
No models needed. Everything is c.g. now.
Great video, always loved this class.
I am a fan of this class-I always thought it would be fun to have a story set on one of the starliner pods.
What I loved about the Ptolomey was that the Cylindrical Pods could also be used to construct orbital bases in frontier systems. The Starliner Pod combined with cargo pods would make it easy to transfer goods to and from the surface of a planet or asteroid to waiting freighters.
if they had put the deflector dish at the front edge of the saucer section, it would have allowed the cargo pod to be moved further forward better optimizing that warp field.
Exactly! Imagine if this had had a refit with a NX style saucer. 🤔 The transport pod could then be brought forward under the main hull. This would have resulted in a smaller warp field being needed, thus allowing a longer pod, or two standard length pods, to be towed without too much strain on the warp field and resulting in a higher safe cruising speed.
Thanks for that and I know you said you would do this. Maybe you could do one on the "Fleet Headquarters" as seen on page 01:01:30 of the Star Fleet Technical Manual.
One question is registry number of USS Anaximander. You list this is NCC-304T but The Technical Manual has this as NCC-3804. Is this due to Star Fleet directive for disinformation?
Just a thought, could the newer ships come up through the galaxy class, have a heavy tractor beam added so they could tow one pod between the nacelles and above the secondary hull?
Carrying that big ass Pringles can.
I love the goofy “deflector dish on a stick” design that show up on some ships of this era.
It is indeed very funny looking
Of all the "design choices" made with this era's ships the explosed deflector dish is the one thing that aleays bugged me the most. Why the dish wasn't incorporated into the saucer section (until the NX class) seems like a missed opportunity to me.
I remember this as the ship on Star Trek 25th anniversary you have to board and save people from space pirate that took the crew hostage. It was either Star Trek 25th anniversary or judgment rights I'm not sure which one.
I remember seeing this design and all the pods in the original technical manual.
I bought these manuals in the eighties and it’s absolutely wonderful to see you bring them to life. How about the Northhampton class.
Man, I always love your beautiful shots of the ships.
Oh, you left out the 'Seasonal' Pod. 😃
Ever since the TNG episode Relics, I've always wondered if Scottys' transporter buffer solution would ever be used as cargo storage as it would take up no more space than the computer core and subsequent buffers. Has anyone in Trek ever capitalized on it?
See: Spock's World by Diane Duane. Transporter Abeyance was used to store everything from negotiable documents to fresh coffee beans. Beam it up, lock it's pattern in a memory core, rematerialize it when you get it where it's going.
I believe in DSC, in the 32nd Century, they do :) But the whole transporter/ cargo storage thing makes no sense to me what so ever really... I mean we know that the Replicator reorganizes matter in to various objects and food... That means that matter has to be stored as energy or else your ship would be filled with random stuff waiting to be broken down and reprocessed in to your morning cup of coffee... So if they can do that, why CANT they use the same technique for storage? I mean you could have everything like backup warp cores, computer cores etc, all stored ready to be brought out when needed...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios - Yeah... That sounds about right. I know it's far from the same thing but I tend to download a LOT of things and print them with my 3D printer and am saving up for a grinder to recycle old prints to reform them back into filament for future prints. I can't see having transporter tech and not do the same thing on the atomic level.
On voyager they hid Tuvock and other crew members who where telepathic along with refuges from inspections while traveling through a region where Telepaths where outlawed in the transporter buffer.
I think the ship was probably more likely fully phased out because of the Oberth Class.
If you look at the long section at the bottom. It probably has a very similar modular type system. But instead it used Transporters and containers.
So the cargo could be more easily moved between any ship instead of dedicated storage.
This would seem like a perfect platform to add a "tactical pod" to; Give the pod its own fusion generators, or even a separate matter/antimatter reactor, a secondary set of shield emitters, and a buttload of phaser emitters and photon torpedo launchers. It could probably be smaller than the standard pods, too, to improve warp performance. Or, keep it the same size as standard pods, decorate it as such, keep its systems powered down when not needed, and you'd have a great surprise for any raiders!
I had actually forgotten about this class until your video. The design is very functional but I would like to have seen a "pod" design that would have been like a "carrier" of sorts with multiple shuttle bays, fighter launch tunes, etc.... And maybe some pods with a sexier shape.
There was a video I saw awhile ago that fixed subspace relays from the classical Tos era,.
You got me so hooked on the starships from that book that I got one through ebay.
Have you thought of doing the starships from Fasa's TOS rpg?
Very nice :) And yes I have, and some will be coming... The big problem is having access to 3D models from the Manuals...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios Oh. For some reason I assumed you'd made the models yourself (don't know why; I sure as heck can't make them). That's actually a bit of a bummer since it means I'm unlikely to get my blueprint version of the U.S.S. Excelsior (well, actually the Intrepid, but you get what I mean).
Still, these are fun to watch.
@@christalbot210 LOL Im not a 3d Modeler in the slightest, though I do add starship models to Space Engine for them to use, and I do reskin already created 3d models to make them look a best as possible!
Always loved this FASA classic
I personally like to think the California class is basically a Dominion war period or post war version of the Ptolemy class. A good solid proven design that can use minimal existing parts and tech to handle the mundane jobs that always exist, while the shipyards develop and build new designs with the lessons learned from the recent war.
I'm getting caught up on your videos. I have to say that, while I disagree with some of the content of your videos, I enjoy seeing the POV of someone else's head canon, even if they don't always jibe with mine. Those of us who rely on beta canon to fill in the gaps, or to build upon, such as those of us who GM Star Trek based games, for instance, can really dig where fans with their own beta canon ideas are coming from.
Now on to this class. As someone who enjoys the TOS and TMP eras more than any other era, I have a fondness for the Franz Joseph ship designs and specs. I also like the FASA ships. So, in my beta canon game, which started out in FASA, but which has since been converted to LUG (which is the system I still use), I like to think that the Ptolemy Class was upgraded to the Samson Class. I know FASA had the Samson Class for moving R1 type stations around, but to me, it makes too little sense for that to be their sole purpose. In my head canon, they're an all purpose tug, and can readily haul containers in a similar manner to the Ptolemy Class.
Question.... I have a 3D model of this wonderful class...it is a TMP refit like the refit Enterprise/ Constitution II type....would not starfleet either refit these ships or replacethem.with new hulls meeting the Enterprise/ Constitution II refit standard? This would allow the type to habe some real nice features....
I can imagine every planet needing one of these ships or even several making this the most used ship.
A refit Ptolemy class with new nacelles and deflector would look sweet.
Love this one - total workhorse.
it looks like a beta cali class. I love it.
I voted for this one in the poll! :-)
But I thought that majority of people wanted the Federation-class Dreadnought.
And these ships received more respect than most truck drivers do.
Thank you been wondering about this class since I first saw it as a boy in the 70s in my Star Fleet Technical Manual. I enjoyed the narrative you created to bring this ship to life , I often wondered if thease class of ships might had gone on to be upgraded into Miranda class is it?? From The Wrath of Khans USS Reliant haha
Geat video thank you. 😀
Always looked like to me here are a few of these pods attached to Regula 1 and the star base in TMP
The Ptolemy class is a really interesting looking vessel I'd love 2 have a model of this unique design
Great job
After learning about the old design law about Warp Nacelles needing an unbroken parallel line of sight between them. It was the Defiant class that really shocked me seeing the warp nacelles merged into the hull, breaking this rule. Then to come find out that there were technical manuals that broke this rule as well. Classes like these that break away from restrictive design aesthetics where your cargo sits right between the warp fields emitters.
Side note: This is a true "Lower Decks" kind of ship. Doing 2nd contact, hauling goods :)
There was actually NO design law... This is a fan myth that came about in the Early 80's when Gene tried to say the Franz Joseph designs were no longer canon. He then went on to break the so called rule himself in TNG... The Gene worshipers in the early 80's "klungon" to this Gene being jealous of others nonsense, and ever since some fans have been going crazy over it... All because of 1 comment and 1 convention Gene made...
Love this class as a Federation workhorse. Not a fan of the deflector as Joseph designed it. Would rather see it integrated into the saucer rim like the NX.
What could happen if adding another pair of nacelles and warp core only that could strap on to the contaners
Really like this class great video
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
I think the class name should've been named Liberty Class, in honor of those men and women who manned that transport class during the second world war. But, that's just me. However, she nice on the eyes, except where the deflector is located at. Should've been, located forward on the saucer section like on the NX. This would've made it, easier to load and unload the pod. But, as stated before that's just me. I would love to see an Refit look of this lass though.
Okay, who do we have to blackmail to get this in Strange New Worlds?
A photon torpedo pod would be nice
What about the later Ptolemy-inspired classes?
I always said if humanity reach the goal of long range exploration this stile of ships could be the one will use
An excellent video for one of my absolute favorite ship classes. Thank you so much. You did, however, make one tiny error. The liquids pod isn't divided into cube-shaped compartments. It's a single large tank fitted with a matrix of baffles to prevent surge in the liquid load (a.k.a., sloshing). These baffles would be wall- and floor-like structures that would restrict surge under acceleration, deceleration or maneuvering, but they would have many holes that would allow movement of liquid when loading/unloading. A very minor issue in an otherwise perfect video. A+++
This class always seemed such an efficient design. Since the pods could be loaded without the ship present, they could be ready to go when a ship arrives. Likewise, the pods brought in by the ships could be dropped off and unloaded the same way, freeing the ship to spend more time in transit. As Spock might say, it's a logical design.
I always imagined that after decommissioning, many of these Ptolomy-class ships would be bought by private shipping companies, much like the WWII Liberty ships were. And like the Liberty ships, they would be seen on trade route for decades after decommissioning.
It's a shame that the remaster of the original series didn't include any of the Franz Joseph designs in episodes in which the Enterprise called upon a base. It's also disappointing that no company ever put out a model of the Ptolomy. I may have to kit-bash one.
Not according to all the Beta Canon I researched... They were very clear that the compartments were divided into cube shapes and no Baffles. So where did you get this information from? I might have missed a source...
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios My source is the original Franz Joseph design in the Star Fleet Technical Manual - the one you showed in the video. The horizontal and vertical dividing lines are labeled "Anti-Surge Baffles" (text at center above the side-view cutaway of the liquids container, with 1 arrow each pointing to a vertical and a horizonal baffle).
In taking a closer look, I see that it appears the tank is actually subdivided into 6 compartments. Five of the vertical lines on the side view cutaway are drawn darker and are labelled "BHD", which from the context of the Dry Bulk container above would appear to mean "Bulkhead Division". So the tank appears to be divided into 6 compartments, each with 2 horizontal baffles, 2 vertical baffles facing fore and aft , and 3 vertical baffles facing port and starboard (shown in the front view cutaway, with 1 hidden behind the elevator shaft).
@@ToEuropa First, you said, "he liquids pod isn't divided into cube-shaped compartments" and they clearly are in my version of the manual, more on that in a second. So there was no error there, as you claimed.
Second, My original version of the Starfleet Tech Manual does not have that Baffles comment, though I do see it in some of the revised versions as I look online... I am truly fascinated now by what other differences there are between versions! Thank you for your response :)
@@TriAngulumAudioStudios I wasn't aware there were different versions of the manual. However, mine is a first edition/first printing, printed in 1975 (I've been a scifi nerd for more years than I'd care to admit to). Out of curiosity, which version did you use for the video images? I ask because the Baffles and BHD labels are included on the Liquids Container image at 4:59 minutes.
@@ToEuropa I just grabbed the images from an online, assuming everything would be the same... That's what I get for assuming I guess :S
What about adding a shield generator or two to each cargo pod?
Thank you very much for this nice Video
Speaking of compact Enterprise variants, have you seen the recently shown concept art of the Pegasus that looks like a compact Ambassador class starship?
Look like a mix predecessor of the Oberth Class and Curry type except the big container could serve something out of a luxury cruise ship
The Anaximander is such a popular ship name that it's already on its 20th generation in just 100 years? 304T? I'm finding this confusing. Am I missing something about ship numbers and designations here?
The Franz Joseph series of these particular starships was never seen in the OG series.
it's like a tos era California class!
I wonder if we will see those new ships replaced in this class ship here. And remember the Federation became much bigger as time goes. Until the burn! ;-)
I would think that this class would featch quite a price for the civilian transport market. I would hope that this was the case as sending this to the breaking yard would be a tragic waste.
I would like to see episodes on the Star Trek books. Reviews, opinions, reactions and so on. Either on this channel or maybe a new channel.
Yippee!
:)
Not sure if you did or not but the dreadnaught from the star feel technical manual be cool to see love the mission profile pod swap out
Also is there any back story to Sto
Atlas class canon or beta
Always great vids dude 👍
Nice video.
I really love 23 century stile ships they are military look are also simple in look
"Not exactly crystal clear"?😉
Ahhh, you caught that ;) :P
Just a thought.. y didn't starfleet just make a shit load of these in the evacuation of the Romulans. Idk..
Don't worry if people say your videos ain't "canon", just keep them coming. The rest of us appreciate you "filling in the gaps". What about a Galaxy class variant episode. We have the Nebula class aka "giant" Miranda class, we're just missing the "tug" or Ptolemy class. I don't think they would have a scout, it would be too big. You keep missing the ventral phaser emitters, they were always paired. Dorsal and ventral.