Paddleducks

Paddler Information => Research => Topic started by: Eddy Matthews on July 14, 2009, 08:56:29 PM

Title: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 14, 2009, 08:56:29 PM

Hi all,

The Sir William Wallace paddle ferry I'm building had a crane that was used to launch/recover the lifeboat on the forward deck, but the drawings don't really give me much of an idea of how it looked, and I'd like to make a reasonable representation of it....

Does anyone have a photo that shows the crane, or can offer advice on the type of thing that was fitted to ships in the 1940's/50's?

Any help would be very welcome!

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 15, 2009, 01:48:45 AM

hi Eddy

I spent an idle hour or two looking for photos. From what I can see the 'crane' was a simple davit, admittedly with a fairly large overhang.

have a look at these links (I expect you have them already though)

http://www.megoran.fsworld.co.uk/Forth%20Ferries.htm

http://www.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-121-841-C

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_a/0_around_edinburgh_-_firth_of_forth_-_ferry_boats_queensferry.htm

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 15, 2009, 02:03:09 AM

Thanks Stuart,

The other boats in the fleet all carried one lifeboat which did indeed use normal curved davits, but Sir William Wallace carried two lifeboats, one was fitted with curved davits, but the other had a crane to lift it.... Sadly there are very few photos of the SWW as it only ran for a relatively short period compared to the other boats :(

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 15, 2009, 02:11:03 AM

Well - I found this - blurry but seems to suggest a lattice structure jib.

stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 15, 2009, 02:21:15 AM

You could be right there Stuart, I do hope not though - Not with my terrible soldering abilities! ;)

Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 15, 2009, 02:43:14 AM

I suggest you visit your local model railway shop and ask to look at plastic railway signal kits. They are nearly ALL lattice work. I often use bits of them to make cranes and girdery 'bits'!

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 15, 2009, 03:14:53 AM

I think I may have some good news Eddy! I found this picture - the crane looks like a simple hydraulic box arm crane. (Look on the middle left)

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 15, 2009, 03:29:54 AM

Thanks heavens for that Stuart!!  :terrific

Now all I need is a better picture to work from, can anyone help with that? Even if it's from a different boat, I assume they were fairly standard things?

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 15, 2009, 05:29:16 AM

Try this.

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 15, 2009, 05:44:45 AM

That's superb Stuart, thankyou...

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: djcf on July 15, 2009, 06:32:34 AM

Hi Eddy
From what I can see from these photos the crane (jib) looks quite similar in size and shape to "Wellin" type davits like the Waverley's original ones, & Maid of the Loch, amongst others had them also. Looks like the SWW crane may work the same method, with a hydraulic ram at the back instead of the hand operated screw mechanism of the clyde paddlers. I have a book "Steamers of the Forth" I can dig it out of storage to check for pics tomorrow

Clark

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 15, 2009, 06:36:57 AM

Thanks Clark,

If you can come up with anything conclusive I'd appreciate it....

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: djcf on July 16, 2009, 07:04:25 AM

Hi Eddy
Sorry havn't had time to look out that book today, will get on it tomorrow....hopefully there will be some useful pics.
If you go to  www.flickr.com  and type in "Sir William Wallace ferry" in the search box, it gives you 1 picture of the vessel, shows how the lifeboat is rigged to the davit

Clark

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: djcf on July 18, 2009, 09:50:06 PM

Hi Eddy, I had a look in my "steamers of the Forth" book, unfortunately no pics of the davit/crane area.... have included this pic in case it helps you.
Maybe the davit is just a hand operated version rather than hydraulic... eg as on Waverley.

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 19, 2009, 01:59:12 AM

Thanks Clark,

The photo does show a couple of items that I'd missed on the plans.......

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: djcf on July 20, 2009, 05:03:11 AM

I found this photo today showing one of Waverley's davits....its one of the newer ones she got during rebuild...looks like it could be a hydraulic set up going by the hoses etc - maybe someone with some engineering knowledge could confirm   ???

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 24, 2009, 07:24:48 AM

I managed to get the following photo of the crane used on SWW today.... Does anyone know of a suitable crane in 1:32 scale that is commercially available?

I'm running out of time to make everything myself :(

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 24, 2009, 06:13:20 PM

Hi Eddy

how tall do you reckon the crane is? - about 15 feet from deck to tip of the jib?

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Tug--Kenny on July 24, 2009, 07:17:37 PM

Hi Eddy.

Your right about the time taken to make these cranes. Here's mine on the Waverley. Sorry I didn't make a few spare now.  :whistle

Let's have a crane making competition and the best one goes on your model    :no1b

cheers

ken

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 24, 2009, 08:02:33 PM

I'd reckon it's about 13 feet from the deck to the tip of the jib Stuart....

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Tug--Kenny on July 25, 2009, 04:58:15 AM

What height would the scale version have to be ?

ken

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 25, 2009, 07:57:20 AM

Quote from: Tug--Kenny on July 25, 2009, 04:58:15 AM

What height would the scale version have to be ?

ken

I don't have a calculator to hand Ken, but I reckon around 4.75" (120mm) would be about right...

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 25, 2009, 05:11:09 PM

How about I do one in 'Odds and Ends'?

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 25, 2009, 06:09:46 PM

That would certainly be useful Stuart, thankyou...

Regards
Eddy

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Stuart Badger on July 25, 2009, 07:20:55 PM

And post it to you afterwards? ;D

Stuart

Title: Re: Crane
Post by: Eddy Matthews on July 25, 2009, 08:23:51 PM

Quote from: Stuart Badger on July 25, 2009, 07:20:55 PM

And post it to you afterwards? ;D

Stuart

That would be fantastic!! After all, the Connaught won't have anything that modern on it, so it would be a shame for it to go to waste :hehe

Seriously, it would be greatly appreciated...

Regards
Eddy