Paddle launch "MELISSA"

[Bob Golder]

Hi all.  At last I’ve mastered image resizing so, as promised, here are some photos of Walter's paddle launch MELISSA together with his comments on the model.


"The Paddle launch Melissa is made from an etching in an 1890s copy of London Illustrated news on Missionaries in India! (The figure in the brown coat is a Missionary on his way to ply his trade on the River Hoogly in India). The model is semi scale and powered by a Wilesco steam engine driving the paddle shaft by chain, Walter."

By the way, the chair was NOT built by Walter.

[David Allinson]

Nice work Bob/Walter.
What an excellent model. The figures really bring it life.
Any pictures of it underway?
Any more like this out there?
Regards
David A




 Hi all.  At last I�ve mastered image resizing so, as promised, here are

some photos of Walter's paddle launch MELISSA together with his comments
 on the model.


 "The Paddle launch Melissa is made from an etching in an 1890s copy of
 London Illustrated news on Missionaries in India! (The figure in the brown
 coat is a Missionary on his way to ply his trade on the River Hoogly in
 India). The model is semi scale and powered by a Wilesco steam engine
 driving the paddle shaft by chain, Walter."

 By the way, the chair was NOT built by Walter.

 --------
 Cheers from Bob Golder>

 

Attachments:

 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk//forum/files/melissa_1_333.jpg
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk//forum/files/melissa_2_186.jpg
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk//forum/files/melissa_3_108.jpg
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk//forum/files/melissa_4_169.jpg
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk//forum/files/melissa_5_178.jpg

[Eddy Matthews]

Nice work Bob/Walter.
What an excellent model. The figures really bring it life.
Any pictures of it underway?
Any more like this out there?
Regards
David A

There is one photo of it on the water here David:  http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2298

[Bob Golder]

There's also a video of MELISSA giving grief to Walter by refusing to steam freely.  It's too large for me to upload but I'll ask Eddy to post it.

[David Allinson]

Eddy.
Very many thanks for that link.
Good lot of pictures of paddlers on the water, which is always nice to see.
Best regards
David

David Allinson wrote:
> Nice work Bob/Walter.
> What an excellent model. The figures really bring it life.
> Any pictures of it underway?
> Any more like this out there?
> Regards
> David A
>
>


 There is one photo of it on the water here David:
 http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2298

 --------
 Regards
 Eddy>

 

[Barrie]

Walter,

Where do you get the chain and sprockets? I can only find plastic chain.

Barrie

[Walter Snowdon]

Hi Barrie, the chain and sprockets are good old Mecanno- I tend to find lots of it for a few pence at toy collectors fairs. Most collectors shun it if its not "the right colour" or in pristine condition, hence I only pay about 50pence each for sprockets and about £1 for half a metre of chain!. the older it is thr more authentic it looks.  Regards, walter.

[Eddy Matthews]

Maplins also stock this type of chain, made by MFA - The downside is that the sprockets are plastic though....

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=11943&criteria=chain&doy=21m1

[Barrie]

Thanks Walter and Eddy. At least the chain isn't as bulky as the plastic - I could live with the plastic sprockets I think, but I'll have to watch out for a toy fair.

Barrie

[David Allinson]

Eddy
Lots of nice things on the same page. The bearing blocks look neat.
Interesting site.
David

 Maplins also stock this type of chain, made by MFA - The downside is that

the sprockets are plastic though....

 http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=11943&criteria=chain&doy=21m1

 --------
 Regards
 Eddy>

 

[Eddy Matthews]

Yes, Maplins are a very useful supplier - Not just for the electronic stuff that everyone knows them for...

[AlistairD]

 
 

 

"The Paddle launch Melissa is made from    an etching in an 1890s copy of London Illustrated news on Missionaries in    India! (The figure in the brown coat is a Missionary on his way to ply his    trade on the River Hoogly in India). The model is semi scale and powered by a    Wilesco steam engine driving the paddle shaft by chain, Walter."

The River Hooghly flows from the Indian ocean to    Calcutta and not much further north. Calcutta is served by ocean-going ships,    so I think it would be a bit small for the Hooghly
   Â 
   Alistair

[Roderick Smith]

My only boating on Hooghly River was on a cross-river ferry in Kolkata: small (and not steam and not paddle).  A lot of rivers which have the depth for ocean-going ships don't have the reach for wind to whip up wild waves.  Shallow lakes are far worse for sudden roughness.
Most of the river exits in Bengal have complicated deltas with multiple branches.
Perhaps this was only one of many linked watercourses visited by the missionary?
Or was the boat built there for use elsewhere?  My memory of the paddleboats in Bangladesh is that they were built at Calcutta (in an era before the partitioning of India).

My Macquarie atlas is not very detailed in this area.  It indicates that navigation down to Diamond Head should have been alright for a boat this size.  I then saw a fascinating waterway, quite long: Orissa Coast Canal.  In which era was that constructed?
In a different forum there has been news of a canal in Kolkata being reactivated for commercial ferry services; some dredging was required.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[steamboatmodel]

Thanks for posting the photos, She looks great, I could not figure out how Walter had clad the boiler from the shot in the magazine, now that I see how he did it I will retry my D48 Boiler.
Thanks,
Gerald

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's - the Stock Drive Products people marker 3.746mm pitch roller chain & a huge range of pinions sets - all in Grade 303 or 304 stainless steel.....but expensive.... - Derek