Paddleducks
Paddler Modelling => Construction => Topic started by: Hankwilliams on December 22, 2008, 08:28:04 AM
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Hello,dear friends and neighbors,
Today I want introduce to you my 1:31 scaled model of the Danube Paddle steamer "Tachtalia" with four paddlewheels.
The original ship was built 1854 in Budapest to pass the "Iron Gate" - a short part on lower Danube which was full of obstacels like stones and rocks, low water and very strong speed of water. Bevore 1854 it wasn`t possible to navigate across this part of Danube.
In 1854 the Izlas/Tachtalia canal was finished. The canal was about 2,2 km long and rather narrow; now it became possible to navigate with the two low water steamers "Tachtalia " and the sister shio "Izlas" across the now much less difficult section.
Both steaners had two independ boilers, engines and pairs of wheels - in case of an ebgine damage this was an additional security.
The ships were in use until the1890tis, when the canal was largened and improvwd.
From this time on the cable steamer "Vascapu" was set in additional to pull the barges.
Also my model has two independend oscillating steamengines made by Kassner, Frankfurt/Oder.
Bore and stroke were 6 and 7 mm.
Here the dimensions of the model: Lenght 1520 mm, wide of hull 200 mm, draught 22 mm, the deplacement is aproximately 4,2 kg. The height of the midship section of the hull is onlly 40 mm.
At the beginning I used also two seperate boilers, but this was not suitable, so I changed in building one larger boiler.
The original normally was moved by only one engine, only in difficult and dangerous situations the second engine was also used.
To make the plan for my model I used the accurate and plausible drawings of ship engtneer Erwin Hauke in his book
"Dampfschiffe der DDSG", Wien, 2001.
The pictures I made in November, 15 th at a little lake not far away from Reutlingen, it was a rather cold day and the steam gave a nice element to the picture.
Regards
Tom
(http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/8090/unbenannt1mc0.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
(http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/456/unbenannt2vo1.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
(http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3926/unbenannt3jh9.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7599/unbenannt4he6.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
(http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/120/unbenannt5rh1.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
(http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1068/unbenannt6gn7.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.com/)
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Very beautiful ship, congratulations.
Could you please post some better views of the engines? Looks like they drive the wheels indirectly? How are they geared?
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Absolutely fantastic Tom - I really like the more unusual vessels, so the Tachtalia appeals to me!
It looks like a tight squeeze to get everything into such a shallow hull though. Do you have any photos taken during the construction of the model? If you have, I'd love to see them.
Regards
Eddy
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What an unusual and fantastic model you have made there Tom.
Well done that man.
John
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Congratulations on a fascinating model Tom. Like the others I need more information! Plans source, what type of engines ( they are in shadow in the pictures), boiler type, method of firng, size of model in fact EVERYTHING!!!!. Regards, Walter.
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Hi,
of course I will get some more informations.
There are not very much material and pictures of the original "Tachtalia" maintained.
At the beginning I found one antique photo of the ship in the book "Auf Donauwellen durch Österreich - Ungarn" by Mayer and Winkler, ISBN 3704601411.
But much more interesting for all paddlesteamer lovers is the book by Erwin Hauke "Dampfschiffe der DDSG" Wien 2001, ISBN 3950125752. Mr. Hauke has drawn 105 accurat side elevations of Danube paddle - (also two sternwheelers) and screw steamers in the period from 1830 to 1950. It includes Tachtalia and the possibly only steamer in Europe with an american vertical beam engine, the "Johann Baptist" from 1854. From the basic of this material and the dimensions of the vessels it's not too difficult to draw a plan in a definite scale and use it for building a model.
Another craftsmann from switzerland, Mr. Erich Lichti, has make excellent static models, also one "Tachtalia", try:
www.gallia.ch/webpac/media/Erich_Lichti.pdf
A further short article in internet you will find by: www.fg.vs.bw.schule.de/donauztg/ahoi/Schiff%Ahoi3htm-Gk.
In the Budapest technical museum, the Közlekdesi, one can see a 1 : 50 scale model of the "Tachtalia".
About my model: I made the hull from thin GFR, because it seems to me of beeing lighter. First I'd build a positive form by balsa, from this I made a negative by plaster and used this for creating the GFR hull. The superstructure is made by obechi and 1 mm plywood.
For building the small, but feathering wheels I used 0,5 mm brass.
The engines are two Kassner "Nanus", oscillating, bore 6 mm, stroke 8 mm. The gear reduction is 1 : 5, this gives the best effect which the small padllewheels - www.kassner-dampfantriebe.de. - The engines are fabricatet rather precise, compact and light.
It's not anything known to me about the type of engines in the original, but probably this were also oscillating engines.
The speed of the model isn't very fast, but it's correspondending to scale when one engine is running.
When both engines running the speed increases, but the steam pressure will get lower after a time.
In the few performings on a lake one time a spectator said "this lucks like a fantasy construction - it isn't a model after a real original, is it?"...
regards Tom
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A small addition about the boiler:
it's a firetube boiler, the tube is formed like an U and has 7 crosstubes, exhaust is beside the gas burner and is lead into the first funnel. Steam exhaust is lead to the aft funnel. The boiler dimensions are: Diameter 70 mm, lenght 180 mm.
Like I wrote, first I had two independent boilers, one for each engine, but the steam development was not sufficient.
The gas burner is a normal Rothenberger, diameter 20 mm. It gives more than enought heat for steam producing for one engine (ca. 2 -2,5 bar), if the second engine is also running, steam pressure will get lower after a while to 1,5 bar and the speed will almost similar with one engine. So the second engine is only for reserve like the original.
I will be also with this boat at Sinsheim steam meeting in January 2009.
Tom
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Excellent model, Tom! I'm into the eccentric & oddball myself, but this one takes the cake for paddlers.
Thanks so much for sharing the photos & information.
Chuck
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hi Tom. I am following your articles with great interest. I have made a search for the book Dampfsciffe der DDSG without success. Do You (or anyone else) know where i can find a copy. Is it still in print?. Also I know there are many German books on paddlesteamers but not speaking German I find them difficult to obtain! How about one of our German friends adding some titles in the BOOKS section of the site?. Same goes for Swiss, Austrian etc!!!! Regards, Walter
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Hey,
Long time no see...a beautiful steamer, with a beautiful story.
(http://www.hajoregiszter.hu/bigpicwn.php?name=./img/kozos/Tachtalia.jpg&size=800)
more pictures and all the data of the ship can be write here http://www.hajoregiszter.hu/index.php?l=sdetails&lang=hun&i=2115
once again... :bravo :bravo :bravo
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Hi Walter,
I`ll try to buy the book of Mr. Hauke, because it`s really a rich source for paddle steamer enthusiasts.
May be, that there are some copies availiable in german technical bookstores - I`ll see.
Tomorrow I will drive to Sinsheim steam model meeting with 5 steamboats!
Regards
Tom
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I think I got my copy of the DDSG book at the RUTHOF/ERECSNAD (sp?) paddle tug museum at Regensburg.
Have you tried amazon.de for German books?
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here is a picture from the Illustrated London Times (1854) that might help for future builders.
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I know this picture.
It shows the boat at the beginning of her career. Probably some details are incorrect (may be altered later?) if you compare it with the photo at Budapest yard in her later times posted by Claudiu.
My model is based on the drawings of Mr. Hauke and they are based on the later condition like the photo shows.
Tom
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nice! i've never seen a four-wheeler before, but then again i'm new at this! good luck.
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In this wonderful autumn days I made a trip with my four wheel Danube paddler "Tachtalia". Even I will write an article for a German model magazine.
The strange point: The lake is a former flintmine just a few meters beside the upper Danube - only seperated through a small road between the river and the flintmine. I hope, will enjoy the pictures.
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:clap :great :clap
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Some improvings I made last days. Boiler and steamtubes are isolated now, this gives a better steam production. Again at the lake bearby the Danube. Today was a rather cold and windy autumn day without sunshine.