http://picasaweb.google.de/a.heene/LeviathanHave a look to this drive system of my LEVIATHAN, which seems similar to the Glasgow and other paddle tugs from England. Model is about 40 years old, and seems to need a cleaning and paint shop, I know.
Because the paddle shaft is over the main deck, I could not make a hole into the wheel cases for fitting it. I developed a telescope system for the shaft in 3 sections which allows to move it together into the hull and then to unfit. The paddle shafts are tubes of 4mm, and the "engine" shaft is 3mm inside. Working on it is like at one of my Citroen-Maseratis.
The electric engine is fitted diagonal which was logical to bring its axle to the paddle shaft line. The gearbox is made of brass and brass cogwheels and has 2 speeds (1/10 and 1/8). So it can be shifted to the conditions of the water. Paddle wheels are feathering, and model runs nice on the water.
The problem, I had to give a solution at the beginning was the coming out of the 90 degrees cogwheels when starting and braking the wheels. At first I had a model gearbox of GRAUPNER with 8 shifts, but at the first start it made crrrackkk and it was a set of dentless cogwheels.
Poor plastic
ones. So I built the brass gearbox and there I had to strengthen the mechanics with some beams as you can see to keep the 90 degree cogwheels together. Now some grease every year is enough and it runs since 40 years.
Bad is, as I think, the noises of the drive system, which sounds electric and not like a steamer.
Andy
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