Dumas

[Eddy Matthews]

For anyone that's looking for a commercially available kit of a paddler, the American company Dumas does two...

Creole Queen sternwheeler, and the Mount Washington sidewheeler. Both are excellent for radio control, but the quality of the timber in Dumas kits can often be a bit suspect! Though it does seem to have improved in recent years....

You can get more info on these two kits from the Dumas website. www.dumasproducts.com

[thewharfonline]

Talk about Russian History popping up everywhere (I study it in school) a Duma was an early parliament elected by the Tsar...bet they did nothing to create or preserve paddlers though!

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Eddy,
Sorry to disagree, but the Mt. Washington is not an Ideal kit to RC.
I have seen several attempts to RC it and only one has worked out well.
The Hull needs to be deeper, and you have the problem of the boat leaning in turns and sticking in a list on one side.
Regards,
Gerald

[Eddy Matthews]

Well there we'll have to agree to differ Gerald... Perhaps not the easiest sidewheeler to make into a working model, but I've seen two of these models over the last 5 years and both worked perfectly.

Though having said that, I know that both the models I saw had ditched most of the wood from the Dumas kit (because of it's poor quality) and had substituted better quality and perhaps lighter materials. The hulls certainly hadn't been increased in depth....

Lots of sidewheelers suffer from stability issues, but most can be overcome once you understand the problems involved.

[Khephre]

Now that Dumas Mt Washington raises an interesting topic.

Anyone built a paddler with a working walking beam engine?

Not necessarily powering the model but at least moving at the same time as the paddles. I'd imagine the first hurdle must be to gear down the speed of the beam to a realistic speed - which would be what?

Tony

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Guy's
We have a Mt. Washington in our Club (Metro Marine Modellers) built by Charlie Larking which has the Walking Beam motorized, but not geared to the paddles. This looks great when it is running and is the only one of several that have been around that has the beam moving a a realistic speed, most look like sewing machines. Charlie has also installed a counter weight system inside to counter the listing when coming out of a turn. There is a photo of his boat at metromarine.org
Regards,
Gerald

[Eric West]

Hi Everyone.
Glad to see Mt. Washington come up for discussion,A future project I intend to have a go at is Mt. Washington in steam. Thanks to Eddy I have sourced the boat drawings but need all the info I get on the Beam engine & boiler any photos or snippets of info will be greatly appreciated.
Regards Eric.

[Eddy Matthews]

I found the following photos while trawling the net Eric.... They aren't the engines form the Mount Washington, but they may help?

[AlistairD]

A full size rather than a model walking beam  paddler is the MOLLY BROWN at Disneyland Paris. She has a replica working  walking beam engine, but is diesel-powered
 Â 
 Alistair
 

  ----- Original Message -----
   From:    Paddleducks (kits@paddleducks.co.uk)
   To: kits@paddleducks.co.uk (kits@paddleducks.co.uk)
   Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 4:28    AM
   Subject: Dumas
   

The following message was posted on Paddleducks, by Khephre
   
Now that Dumas Mt Washington raises an interesting    topic.

Anyone built a paddler with a working walking beam engine?    

Not necessarily powering the model but at least moving at the same    time as the paddles. I'd imagine the first hurdle must be to gear down the    speed of the beam to a realistic speed - which would be    what?

Tony



Email reply,    imported by Paddleducks Mail  System.

[Eddy Matthews]

Try the following links Eric, I think you'll find them useful....

http://www.mariner.org/exhibitions/highlights/model_walkingbeamengine.php
http://www.scmec.us/Walking.html
http://www.oldengine.org/shows/nta97/jun29_70.jpg
http://www.oldengine.org/shows/nta97/jun29_73.jpg
http://www.girr.org/girr/lals/lals_static_displays.html
http://www.carferries.com/triple/page14.jpg
http://www.carferries.com/triple/page15.jpg
http://www.model-engineering.net/

[Eric West]

Hi Eddy.
Thanks Eddy I will have a look and see what is useful.
Cheers Eric

[Khephre]

Great stuff on walking beam engines.

So running about as fast as a sewing machine, do you mean at the pace of one of those old foot-treadle Singer machines?

[steamboatmodel]

The walking beam should be moving at a SLOW pace, most of the ones I have seen (either electric or steam powerd) run at the pace of an new singer going at full speed.
Regards,
Gerald

[chugbug]

Hi all,first posting on this forum,
I purchased this kit about 3 years ago(when I had money) and found it an interesting build. I thought it a tad expensive for what it was. The model looks well on the water,but, does not sail as I hoped. It does tilt on a turn and stays there until opposite rudder is applied and even then it favours port or starboard.I also found water ingress through the paddle housing to be at an unacceptable level, so modified them. The only trouble now is I will have to split the drive shaft if the belt brakes. As regards the beam engine it works quite well on a 500 motor geared down 50-1.The model has been on the shelf now for over a year(lost interest in it)
Chugbug

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi all,first posting on this forum,

Great to see you taking an active part chugbug.  Nice to have you with us...

I purchased this kit about 3 years ago(when I had money) and found it an interesting build. I thought it a tad expensive for what it was. The model looks well on the water,but, does not sail as I hoped. It does tilt on a turn and stays there until opposite rudder is applied and even then it favours port or starboard.I also found water ingress through the paddle housing to be at an unacceptable level, so modified them. The only trouble now is I will have to split the drive shaft if the belt brakes. As regards the beam engine it works quite well on a 500 motor geared down 50-1.The model has been on the shelf now for over a year(lost interest in it)
Chugbug

I know just how off-putting it can be when you spend a lot of time building a model only to find it doesn't work as you had wanted... I know, I've been there myself - My first paddler, a model of a Director class tug, had exactly the same problems. It too has sat on a shelf gathering dust for the last 5 years!

After learning a great deal from the original Paddleducks forum on Yahoo, I know it could be sorted, but the initial disappointment means I just don't have the inclination to do it myself.

However, we all learn from our mistakes, and I'm glad to say that I've now built a couple of paddlers that work superbly, and my current project is another paddler, the "Suter", an American sternwheel towboat - You can details of my progress so far in the Construction forum.