DIANA VERNON lines

[Alistair Deayton]

PJ was asking about the underwater lines of DIANA VERNON.
A contact at the Glasgow Model Steamer Club is posting me a tracing of the
plans of the first JEANIE DEANS, built a year prior to DV, which he imagines
would be similar.
I will be in touch when I have got them, and see if they can be scanned or
if I will just mail them to you, PJ

Alistair Deayton

[Paulrjordan]

Wow, Alistair...THANK YOU!

For three years this is the news I've been hoping for in my effort to
produce an accurate hull of "Diana Vernon/Worthing Belle"! As you
suggest, the first "Jeanie" (1884 by Barclay Curle for the North
British )is undeniably the slightly larger sister of "Diana Vernon"
(1885 by Barclay Curle built for the North British ) and in Chapter 2
of your book "Steamers of the Clyde - NB and LNER" you clearly
illustrate the similarities of the two ships. I'm thrilled to now
have some accurate reference for a Barclay Curle hull of the period
and I don't think one can get much closer than this as both ships
were built for the same owner only a year apart! Ever since seeing
the lovely model of the first "Jeanie" in the Clyde Room I have
struggled to replicate her hull, but there's always been something
not quite right in my results.

My profuse thanks, Alistair, I'm excited at now being able to produce
an authoritative model of "DV/Worthing Belle". I have collected
almost 20 photo postcards depicting her on the South Coast from
virtually every angle...and just obtained a great "deck" shot taken
high above from the Littlehampton lighthouse!

I also think that the first "Jeanie" is a ship which BEGS to be
modeled, so the plans may well do double duty!

Look forward to hearing more from you.

Very best regards

PJ

[Paulrjordan]

Dear Alistair:

Your letter containing the copies of the "Jeanie" tracings arrived in
Victoria yesterday and I'm absolutely thrilled with them.

Your "contact at the Glasgow Model Steamer Club" appears to be none
other than the legendary Philip N. Thomas, author of the classic
book "British Steam Tugs". Phil's letter states "the tracing paper
was over 100 years old" so this is probably the earliest reference we
have of authentic hull lines for a Barclay Curle North British
paddler of the mid 1880's. I already mailed my contacts in the UK to
say we have at last got authoritative reference for "Diana
Vernon/Worthing Belle's" hull and they all agree this is as close as
we can ever get.

Although the copies are not very clear, the wonders of modern digital
technology managed to retrace the lines and develop an extremely
clear set of sections. I'm currently working on the profile which is
a little more challenging, but the sections are what I have really
been searching for these past three years. So, thanks to you,
Alistair, the final chapter of research is complete and the old adage
of "everything comes to he who waits" seems highly appropriate in
this case.

Thank you again for all your help and also to Al Gould, Walter, and
all of you who have from time to time given me ideas, information
and, above all..INSPIRATION.

I will be writing a personal letter to Phil Thomas in appreciation.

Very best regards

PJ
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada