Want to build a sternwheeler

[MikeR C]

I bought the same plastic model of the "Southern Belle" and while I was working on scaling it up I found the Krick version of the "Southern Belle". I put it together and I have always regretted not making it live steam. I used a planetary gear stack and made pulleys so I could use the pitmans to power the sternwheel. I am attaching some pictures of the finished boat. I used two 6v gel cells to power the motor, radio, and the lights.
You might consider looking for a set of plans for the "King of the River", it is about the same size as the Krick boat but is steam powered. It uses a pair of oscillating cylinders but they are directly connected to the sternwheel instead of using gearing or belts.
I am attaching some pictures of my finished Southern Belle.
I hope this helps,
Mike R C

[ozzie46]

  I didn't know they still made the "Lindberg" line of models. I used to bulid them when I was a child. Back in the 50s.

   Ron

[capnbob]

Hi, Sternwheel searches,

I see that this was all done back in 2008 but I have just joined PDs and want to build a sternwheeler.  Did any of you find a suitable engine?  I still can't find plans on the web.  I have read about and studied drawings of the big engines with four poppet valves but I still cant figure it out.  There is a vertical pivot arm that is is mounted on the end of the piston rod and pushes another rod that operates the wipers that lift the poppets.  The problem is how does it lift on the front poppet on the pressure side and lift the rear poppet on the exhaust side at the same time?

Any way, if anyone has a sternwheel engine pl,ease let me know.

Thanks

Bob

[mjt60a]

....how does it lift on the front poppet on the pressure side and lift the rear poppet on the exhaust side at the same time?...

Does this help at all?   http://www.twaintimes.net/boat/sbpage3a.html

[capnbob]

I have seen that many times.  Lets look at the picture and call what we are looking at the starboard side.  we see the cylinder and above that the (pink) steam pipe.  Above that the wipers lifting first the front bar and its poppet then the back bar and its poppet.  Now what you don't see is on the port side is the (white) exhaust pipe.  It also has wipers that lift bars and poppet valves for the exhaust in the opposite order.  That is when the front steam lifts the rear exhaust lifts and when the rear steam lifts the front exhaust lifts.  So there are two sets of wipers pivoting in opposite directions both driven From a single reach rod.  You can see the reach rod moving one set of wipers, but what makes the other set of wipers move opposite?

Bob

[Bierjunge]

I highly recommend trying to obtain copies of Alan L Bates' The western rivers steamboat cyclopoedium; Or, American riverboat; structure & detail, salted with lore; with a nod to the modelmaker and The western rivers engineroom cyclopoedium. It's all explained in detail there, in the latter even the various types of cutoff gear.

[Bierjunge]

I have just joined PDs and want to build a sternwheeler.

What exactly is your intention?

Do you want to build an exact scale engine model for the sake of an exact reproduction of a western river type engine?
Or are you looking for a reliable engine for a RC model sternwheeler?

If the latter is the case, all these rocker/wiper/poppet valve type western river engines are far too delicate and complicated in my opinion to make a good small scale model. Then I would go for something more robust and simple: Either some kind of Stephenson gear operated by eccentrics on the wheel shaft. Or simply take the 90° leading/lagging valve gear motion from the crosshead of engine on the opposite side of the boat. In this latter case, no eccentrics and straps would be needed, and you could either go for a very simple but reliable full-pressure engine (no cutoff), or a Walschaerts/Heusinger type of valve gear.

Moritz

[capnbob]

I was hoping to build a realistic model.  and have wondered for some time how the linkage reverses the two wipers.  Thanks for your help.

Bob