Fire fighting paddle tugs

[Mike Mayhew]

Hi all,my first bit of infro for you all in 2003. Some time ago the question was asked" were there any fire fighting Tugs?" Answer,"YES" The PS.AID designed by the Board of Trade for Ramsgate Harbour in 1889 and built at The Caledonian Works Preston, UK by W.Allsup Ltd. Registered at London. 126ft LOA 21ft beam and 6ft7" draught. A pair of compound oscillating cylinders, 36" 18" and 48"stroke @100psi. 14ft Diameter paddle rims by 3ft 9" wide. AID was a true double ender, with a rudder each bow and the nav lights on the funnels could be set as to which way she was going.At each end she was equiped with a Napier steam capstan and a worthington steam fire pump with a 6" hose!! she could and did fight fires, pump out flooded holds and went out with the Lifeboat in rescue work. I have a very large collection of antique books and was sure when the question was asked that I had seen reference to the Fire fighting Tug. I can produce a set of drawings if anyone is interested. Profile,deck plan cross section and construction of paddle wheel. At cost to me of about £10.00 plus postage.The Paddles could be disengaged for close manouvering and the rudders could work as a pair or on their own thus her turning circle could be "up he arse" so to say.
I think it would make an excellent model, and very unique.
Hope this bit of infro helps those who asked the question, I enjoy my research and it keeps this old Bugger happy living help.
Not heard from Ch4 as yet if they are going ahead with their "tug of War" but have everything here, two identical hulls,motors and the rest if they need it. PJ I may be going to Denver USA in june for a month,may try and fly up for a visit, if not ring me when in UK.
To my Ausi friends, hopefully you will be able to obtain my fittings from Float a Boat in Victoria. Am now making fittings for Adelaide and if I get some sketches of the other fittings on other paddlers I will make those also. These will be available by March 2003
Sorry for the length of this letter but there are so many of you who have kept me thinking,reading,and now writing.
My best wishes to you all, Waverley Mike.

[Paulrjordan]

Hi Mike:

EXCELLENT info on PS "AID"..Thank you. I've always admired this
unique and legendary paddler along with the stories of her stalwart
work at Ramsgate. She was evidently a highly functional and well
thought out ship. It's surprising not more of this type of vessel
seem to have been made.

She appears in P. N. Thomas as a side elevation image (36), but I'm
jiggered if I can see any pump on her. Hambleton has a side elevation
and half deck plan on Page 13 of his book, and then a half end
elevation and useful wheel drawings on page 15. The ship's side
elevation looks identical to Thomas. I sometimes get a little
concerned about Hambleton drawings because he really made what
appears to be a substantial error on Stroudley's "Paris III", but the
ones of "Aid" seem to coincide with Thomas and may well be taken from
the same original plans.

Incidentally, Hambleton, has a pretty good and concise account of the
development of the feathering wheel and the efficiency stats are
rather interesting. Surprisingly (and a little shamefully!) he
doesn't mention William Stroudley at all who has been credited with
perfecting the feathering wheel! Undeniably, "Aid's" feathering
wheels with their outer rims are beautiful!

> I can produce a set of drawings if anyone is interested.
> Profile,deck plan cross section and construction of paddle wheel.
> At cost to me of about £10.00 plus postage.

I havn't been able to find lines or transversals (cross sections)for
her, Mike. Can you supply these too?

> The Paddles could be disengaged for close manouvering and the
> rudders could work as a pair or on their own thus her turning
> circle could be "up he arse" so to say.

Yes, Hambleton also says her port and starboard engines could be
disconnected. When you say "close maneuvering" do you mean she could
contra-rotate her wheels or was it simply to disengage one of them?

> I think it would make an excellent model, and very unique.

I thoroughly agree with you, Mike. I think she'd be a spectacular
performer on the water and even at Museum Scale (1:48) as a static
she'd only be just over 30"..PERFECT! PS "AID is a model just begging
to be built by one of us.

> PJ I may be going to Denver USA in june for a month,may try and fly
> up for a visit, if not ring me when in UK.

Definitely, you'd love Victoria and I can introduce you to the great
people in our Model Ship Club. I can see us talking into the small
hours of the morning on the subject of paddlers! I'm so looking
forward to eventually seeing your impressive model of "Waverley"
which if I can plan a long enough trip to the UK will be
definitely "on the cards". By the way, have you seen Robert's
fabulous fully operating 1/8 scale model of "Waverley's steam engines?

Meanwhile, best regards and thanks again for your info on "AID", a
unique paddle tug whose highly appropriate name says it all! And,
Dave, thanks for bringing up the whole thread on "Fireboat
Paddlers"..now can't we try to find you an American one?

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada