The latest creation of a warped mind is a tandem inverted V twin engine using two of the Chiltern Steam engines. No gearing to the paddle shat in mind but direct drive to the at resent 150 mm feathering wheels with seven floats 65 mm x 25 mm.  The hull is 1300 mm long by 200 mm beam and draught of 90 mm and is effectively a stretched Strongbow hull enlarged to fit a decent sized engine and boiler. The boiler will either be a 108 mm diameter vertical with 27 8 mm fire tubes or just to be different a boiler based upon a Sissons return tube boiler with off  set furnace  simply because I have not seen a model with anything like it . The engine itself has 14 mm bore cylinders and 18 mm stroke so has four double acting cylinders. Firing is gas with automatic boiler feed and pressure control and in view of the actual power output I may re-make the wheels to a larger diameter and increase the depth of the floats which are limited to 65 mm widths. Not yet decided is whether to link the engines together or fit a servo to control each engine valve Better add some engine photos. John.

Is there any possibility to contact our members for information, that our site is back? It was only a lucky chance, that I try to contact paddleducks yesterday.

Thomas

Some pictures of steam engines, which I have restored and rebuild from beginning of 2024.

Thomas

Dear friends and neighbors,

what was the problem of our blog since beginning of february 2024? I wasn`t able for any contact to paddleducks although I tried numberless times. When I tried for log in, in every case an information appears of wrong passwort or similar obsticle.

So I supposed, that our blog has come to an end. I know, that some other members has had the same problem. I`m very glad now, that my apprehensions are not real and the blog is going on.

But now to an idea of future build: I`ve drawn a plan of blockade runner CSS "CONDOR/FLAMINGO" of 1863. There at least 3 models of this three stacked paddler in american museums. It seems a very nice paddler with elegant lines. Because I had the pictures of the models and the dimensions of the original ships it was possible to draw the plan in scale 1 : 42. This scale is a compromise - in scale of 1 : 48 the boat should be a little bit too small for the steam propulsion. Here are some pictures.

I have to inform the group of the sad news that Bob Golder died following a diagnosis of a brain tumour a few weeks ago. Bob was a very good friend, and supported me when my wife died of a brain tumour 14 years ago.... He will be sadly missed, rest in peace my friend...

Regards
Eddy