Live steam "Fusilier", the 1888 MacBrayne paddle steamer.

[birlinn]

Hull nearly there, and a start made on the feathering paddles.
They will not be a quick job!

[birlinn]

First wheel finished...

[birlinn]

It fits!

[Hankwilliams]

Looks very well. Even the paddlewheel seems exact and neat build. Go on, Birlinn!

Thomas

[birlinn]

After being out of action with a bout of shingles, I have now done a bit more.
The feathering paddle wheels are ready for eventual installation- note the 3:1 cogged belt drive pulley. Weight 186 grammes.
Rudder hinges and pushrod next.

[Eddy Matthews]

A very neat job Birlinn, looking forward to the next update...

P.S. I know from personal experience just how painful shingles can be!!!

Regards
Eddy

[Hankwilliams]

Neat build - will be a good and interesting model!

Thomas

[chewbacca]

Magnifiques roues , très fines. :respect   

[birlinn]

Rudder now hinged, and pushrod installed. This is 1.5 mm carbon fibre tube; the 1 mm wire to the tiller is a nice push fit, and will eventually get a dab of cyano.
I have just fitted 40 portholes, and painted the lower hull- will post a pic when finished up to gunwales.
Wish I could have posted a smaller pic- looks rough when enlarged!

[birlinn]

Been trying to post, but no luck.
Test run- will add pics if successful!
OK- here goes.
Looking at pics, there is an odd detail. The vent over the engine room seems to be sailcloth or something similar and translucent, on a light wooden frame- see pic with lady.
There seem to be two panels, which could open up butterfly fashion- see pic of stern view.
I should imagine these would only be opened when in port, to give extra light and ventilation. There doesn't seem much fall when closed...I think the adjacent circulation area must have obtained light, via borrowed light windows in the engine room enclosure.
The other mystery was how they manage to fill the bunkers, with full width saloons over. I think the hoppers were on the sponsons, and promenade deck- see my sketches on the plans. I don't know why the pic turned through 90 degrees! It is normal if you click on to enlarge.
Any comments?

[derekwarner_decoy]

Compliments of the season

With respect to the FWD coal hopper chutes [scuttles], the Elevation drawing view does not show any detail, however the level of Drawing detail at this period could always be considered lacking, as additional detail may well have been included on alternate Drawings

Coal hoppers 'scuttles'  appear generally to be round cast iron lids [totally removable] and over a cast iron ring to the actual chutes to the coal bunker location lower in the hull close-by the boiler location, and equally placed on Stdb & Port sides of vessels

Traditionally, to maintain the water-tight integrity of the hull, these scuttles were installed within the footprint of the hull. Placing a scuttle over a sponson would bring in all sorts of complications re, maintaining water-tightness

There are many photographs of coal as loaded...[say a cubic yard] dumped on the wooden deck, and Boiler or Deck Hands shovelling the coal over and into the scuttle chute

Derek

[birlinn]

Hi Derek;
Hapy New Year!

I think the two side bunkers were filled from the promenade deck, with chutes down through the main decK alongside the engine room casing.
The enclosed pic, taken after the bridge was moved forward in 1926, shows a serious trip hazard in the foreground. I think this was the scuttle for chucking the bunker coal in. Sorry it isn't round!
How the larger bunker was filled I dunno- any better theory? 

[derekwarner_decoy]

Birlinn

Checking [via Scottish Built Ships register] to see if Fusilier had a sister build, did not throw any light....just the one listing of her Registration of her Official Number of 95065

Searching this Scottish Built database or Fusilier provides one image of a similar-looking vessel probably during War service? with an additional FWD reinforced [bomb blast] Bridge??...

According to the database, Fusilier [ON 95065], was renamed in 1943 to Lady Orme, and in 1937 to Crestwave. Both as Lady Orme, and Crestwave, the vessel maintained the newer Fwd bridge as added to the vessel as the Fusilier
The Scottish Built Ships database provides extra excellent images of the vessel in her 3 guises 
 
The axis of the ship's wheel appears different in your last two images ....such changes in design were certainly common. and often undocumented ...however realigning the ships wheel further to the Stdb side would certainly assist with the Helmsman's line of sight.....engine or boiler room ventilators are also of differing heights

Again, I cannot see any bulk coal on the promenade deck, but bagged coal carried onto the sponsons, and to the scuttles on the inner hull deck would not have been uncommon

With respect to your earlier comment about the 'The vent over the engine room seems to be sailcloth or something similar and translucent'.......is a bit of a red herring as any such structure or opening would need to be capable of shedding the full force of rain, squall, snow and storm. Any such opening would also be required to be acceptable or capable of closing to Lloyds Register insurance design requirements

Derek

[birlinn]

According to my info, MacBraynes sold Fusilier in 1934, to Redcliffe Shipping Co Ltd of Hull, who used her on the Firth of Forth.
In 1935 she moved to Llandudno, and was renamed Lady Orme. In 1936 she moved to Ramsgate, and was back in Llandudno for 1937.
She was renamed Crestawave in 1938, and sold for scrap in October 1939.
Your middle pic is before 1926, as she still had the rear bridge, and would still have been Fusilier.
Any idea what those panels are over the engine room then? I agree they would not stand up to any wind, which is why I suggested they were only opened when in port.
Wheel seems central to me!

[birlinn]

My last post seems to have messed up page 2- all I get is a blank screen!