Sternwheel engines

[Les Tindall]

Some quick progress photos of the boat - and its a big beast 3ft long!  I have decided to set it in the late 40's early 50's as a sternwheeler workboat with a marine boiler (coal fired) old-type engines working in India or Far East on river/canal dredging duties. It will have a Ruston No.6 steam grab crane for those purposes situated at the bow of this flat fronted boat. The engines and boiler are scratch-built in styrene (scale 1/24th). The most recent addition is a small diesel powered generator to provide lighting and power to electric pumps. This came about when Barney kindly donated two of his engines. The generator is made up of odd bits from the scrapbox.   
Les

[Les Tindall]

Two more shots, the coal sack is made from "Fimo" oven harden clay.

[Barney]

Thats looking good - in fact better than excellent - nice clean workmanship - and different
Hope you did not use to much of your local forest !!
Barney

[finescalerr]

An outstanding model to launch 2022. -- Russ

[Ray Dunakin]

Looks fantastic already!

[5thwheel]

Looking really good but I wonder if that one boiler is large
enough to run both long stroke engines.

Bill

[Les Tindall]

Bill, I was thinking the same myself.  At the moment I just couldn't face replacing it with a larger one.
Les

[Barney]

Take two steps back - sit down have a nice tot or two(or maybe 3 or 4 ) But the Boiler has just got to go - We have all been there before but its got to be right or you might end up " in the corner "
IT defiantly does not look big enough - and as Bill and I and perhaps others suggest it "a Constructional Criticism only" not a personal view !  But the quality of building is 5 star
Barney   

[Barney]

Well its 2 steps back for me !!  and a in-depth look at marine boilers (images of on Google) and the conclusion is Les has Got it right - it looks like most marine boilers are "short and chunky"
so apologies to Les - at the moment it looks a bit lost on the deck but Im sure it will look better when in its own little room/space with a bit of junk around it ! if that's what the marine people call it
Barney

[Gordon Ferguson]

Catching up !

Lovely work Les, interesting comments re boiler ......... think maybe people are basing their views on railway boilers rather than marine ones . Different designs and types railway boilers can be long and narrow in diameter , in fact have to be but marine designs allowed for the development of a short but large diameter boiler with the best known type being the Scotch boiler where for your application a typical size could be around 10 ft in length and a diameter of 10 feet ....... You can understand from diameter why they were not a practical choice for the rail user 

[shropshire lad]

Catching up !

Lovely work Les, interesting comments re boiler ......... think maybe people are basing their views on railway boilers rather than marine ones . Different designs and types railway boilers can be long and narrow in diameter , in fact have to be but marine designs allowed for the development of a short but large diameter boiler with the best known type being the Scotch boiler where for your application a typical size could be around 10 ft in length and a diameter of 10 feet ....... You can understand from diameter why they were not a practical choice for the rail user 

Every day is a school day . Happy New Year

  Nick

[Les Tindall]

Thanks Barney and Gordon for your comments and Bill for the e-mail aswell. After lots of thought (plus a glass or three of something nice and strong!) I have come to the conclusion that the boiler sits too low on the deck, the poor fireman would get back-ache firing it. So I am going to lift it the equivalent of a foot or two. This should then make it look "bulkier" and a better proportion.  I'll let you know.
Les

[Les Tindall]

I seem to be modelling VERY slowly on the sternwheeler at the moment, but have attached some progress pics.  The Diesel engine and generator are completed - just need some extra distribution wires to power lighting, electric pumps, etc on board.  Have just done the woodwork and hatches around the engines. Next stage is some more interior detail (work bench, oil drums, cement bags, lights and other stuff).
Les

[Les Tindall]

I never know how many photos per page the Forum's website can take - so here are two more.
Les

[finescalerr]

Each post supposedly accepts a maximum of 230kb in total, whether one decent size photo or a few small ones.

Your boat is looking terrific. Slow and steady wins the race.

Russ