Hello all, This is my first post and in fact my first go on any sort of forum.
I came here because of an interest on paddle steamers (surprise, surprise!!) and the desire to have a go at building one. I have been making models of one sort or another for goodness how many years but, never a paddler (Do I hear cries of 'shame'?), however a recent visit to a model boat show in Ellesmere got my interest sparked off. Such elegant things! And so simple in concept - then came the hard part! Finding plans and details of a suitable boat. Now, that should prove just how new to this stuff, I am.
I've built several boats from kits including Bluenose which I thought was a wonderful and moderately easy kit to build, and, looked gorgeous when finished. So, what to build as my first paddler? I like the idea of an early sailer/paddler, like Siruis or Britannia, or even Great Western all of which would fill my interest in rigging while getting me on the paddle road. I like the idea of doing something different, something very few people have done before. I cannot imagine for one moment that there is anything that no one has ever modelled, so, I'll have to hope I can at least make one of only a few. The three I've just mentioned seem, to me, a suitable range from which to choose - so, where do I get plans from? Lines will do as I started life as a boat-builder. Can anyone point me in the right direction, as I have trawled the internet without luck so far.
Oh, one other question, does anyone have ideas about the scales of figures available as I would like my model to have a crew and passengers and, from where, they may be obtained. Britannia (probably my first choice as I think she looks prettier) was 230feet so 1/48th would mean a model would about 47 1/2 inches long by about the same height, with rigging.
This, by the way, is all the fault of a guy named Bill (or Bob) Richardson - it was his latest model build that kicked me off.
All the best David Hudson