Delta Queen Plans

[herrmill]

Would anyone know a source for plans for the Delta Queen?

As a few may already know, I am soon to acquire a Saito Delta Queen kit & want to build a more accurate rendition of the DQ, specifically when it comes to the sternwheel, gangplank & other aspects of the boat.

I've already sent off a letter to John Fryant of Paddlewheels & Props, as well as Dwight Hartman of Hartman Fiberglas RC who produce a 1/50 scale DQ kit to see if they can offer plans, but would appreciate any assistance you fine gentlemen can offer towards getting a set of accurate general plans to research before starting this project.  

Thanks!

Chuck

[AlistairD]

The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has some  hull plans and a mid-section plan in the Denny collection, but the  superstructure was built in California, so it wouldn't be in them
 Â 
 Alistair
 

  ----- Original Message -----
   From:    herrmill (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
   To: research@paddleducks.co.uk (research@paddleducks.co.uk)
   Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 12:12    AM
   Subject: Delta Queen Plans
   

   
Would anyone know a source for plans for the Delta    Queen?

Am a few may already know, I am soon to acquire a Saito Delta    Queen kit & want to build a more accurate rendition of the DQ,    specifically when it comes to the sternwheel, gangplank & other aspects of    the boat.

I've already sent off a letter to John Fryant of    Paddlewheels & Props, as well as Dwight Hartman of Hartman Fiberglas RC    who produce a 1/50 scale DQ kit to see if they can offer plans, but would    appreciate any assistance you fine gentlemen can offer towards getting a set    of accurate general plans to research before starting this project.    

Thanks!

Chuck



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[steamboatmodel]

Try loyalhannadockyard at
http://www.loyalhannadockyard.com/
Regards,
Gerald

[herrmill]

Thanks for your replies regarding The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich & Loyalhanna.  Unfortunately, Taubman Plans doesn't offer the DQ set.  

From what I've been told, Dwight Hartman is the only commercial source for plans & I've written him but also have a friend in the business trying to contact him on my behalf.  Apparently Mr. Hartman is semi-retired so I thought it wise to check all avenues.  

Chuck

[Bill Worden]

The first thing is to decide which version of the Delta Queen you want to build. She was considerably altered when she was taken from California to the Mississippi.  Keep in mind that she is not at all a Mississippi steamboat; the west coast version is quite a different regional type.

In California, the front of her superstructure was flat, not round and there was a freestanding house on the bow of the main deck; likewise the bow of the main deck was not rounded as it is now; and she did not have the landing stage.  Also, in the rebuild for Greene Line some elaborate skylights over the main saloon were removed and the space they occupied used to create en suite facilities for the staterooms on the top deck. I'm not sure how this would affect the top deck of the boat.... Then there's the calliope, and the alterations to the funnel, etc.

Also, if you want to build her as she is today, the hull plans at NMM won't help.  Some years ago, she was given a new, wider, hull, built around the original and taken up to meet her upper works flush, thus eliminating her sponsons.  Over the years, the addition of a lot of mechanicals like air-conditioning had put her so low in the water that the wheel was too far submerged.  The new hull, being larger, has more buoyancy...

This is a problem sometimes for old paddle steamers.  Belle of Louisville has the problem, in part because of large diesel generators installed almost all the way aft in the engine room.  Sudan on the Nile also ended up with too deep a draft for the wheels, and the problem was solved by removing the outer board from every float.

The conversion for the Mississippi being after WWII suggests that the yard that did the work should still have the plans for the conversion, especially since the boat is still in service.  I'll look for the location; of course, with companies merging and going out of business, that might be a dead end.

Bill Worden

[herrmill]

Bill,

I appreciate your detailed reply & offer to assist in locating the yard who did  major conversion after her California service.  To answer your question, I am interested in building her when she was under the Green Line's flag during the 1970s.

Since my last posting, it appears that my buddy has been successful in contacting Dwight Hartman & has obtained a set of plans for me:

"I contacted D. Hartman via phone tonight. The drawings are of the original Delta Queen, and not the bargelike upgrade now running.
 
The guy is 81, and still doing hulls, maybe the fumes keep him preserved?
 
Plans are $45.98 for 4 big sheets, plus detail sheets."

Considering these are supposedly the original plans with the enclosed wheel box, that could make for an interesting project, but I still plan to detail her as the "bargelike" sternwheeler that I've known.  I've not seen Hartman's 1/50 semi kit, but I would expect the detail sheets would offer what I need for with considering she had a enclosed wheel box.   I have already sent emails to both Nori Muster's DQ website as well as MAJESTIC LINE's, current owner of the DQ, asking for information towards obtaining a set of plans.  

Again my main interest is replacing the Saito kit's poorly designed paddlewheel, gangway & other details that do not accurately reflect the actual vessel.  Much of this can be done easily by the photos I have, but plans would be best to use.  

Once I have additional details, I'll post more here for everyone's reference.

Thanks again for the assist, guys!

Chuck

[nzbruin]

Hello Chuck,

In 2007, you started a thread about building an accurate model of the Delta Queen based on the Saito kit.  I had exactly the same idea in 2007 and obtained both the kit and Y2DR engine from Japan.  Interestingly, the owner of the model shop I bought them from included hand drawn diagrams of recommended modifications to the paddle wheel drive to avoid flooding the hull.

After poring over the kit and included plans for some time, I also decided that more information was needed to make a reasonably accurate model.  To get that information, I decided the simple answer was to take a trip on the DQ herself and take lots of photos.  I did that in July 2008, only a few months before the permission for the DQ to operate ran out and she was laid up.

If you are interested in the photos, I would be happy to send you copies - it would have to be on CD if you want them at full resolution.  I would also be interested to know what information you have found and, in particular, whether you have found useful plans.  Perhaps we could do a sawp.

Kind regards.

Tony Couch
Christchurch
New Zealand

[herrmill]

Thanks for the offer Tony.  That project has been placed on hold for the time being but I do intend to get around to her one of these days. 

Chuck

[Barry]

Loyalhanna Dockyard sell a four sheet set of plans for the Delta Queen as well as fibreglass hulls and decks for both versions of her. They're  listed under http://www.staubitzofbuffalo.com/. They also have a paddle wheel kit to suit, although it's still shown as coming soon.

[herrmill]

Thanks but I have the plans which came from Dwight himself. 

[kurlander]

I have written to Loyalhanna Dockyard about the upcoming kit for the paddle wheel that they advertise is comming but I never got a response so I am building my own.
From my stay on the Delta Queen I photographed the paddle wheel from both sides and with the plans I think it will not be that hard if I take the time.

[kurlander]

I forgot to add the paddle wheel. Notice the 90 degree difference of the drive rods. Good color

[Barry]

Hi kurlander It's disappointing to hear that Loyalhanna isn't responding to your enquiry's about the Delta Queen wheel kit as I make it for them. If you'd still like to get a kit PM me and I'll give you the details on ordering one from me.

[Barry]

I should mention the wheel kit I make is to suit the larger hull that Loyalhanna make not the smaller Saito kit.

[kurlander]

Thanks Barry have done.
In all the plans of the delta queen I do not see any reference to "bow thruster" which when I was researching the boat was mentioned that had been added when it was moved from California to the Mississippi River. The rivers it traveled on had many curves and sandbars so they swung the bow so as to make faster turns. Also the winds would make it hard to steer (look at what is crossing the US today). Mr. Hartman when talking about his model stated that it could only be used on calm days for it would be blown sideways so he was not aware of the bow thruster.