A question to Paul Jordan

[Christian]

Hello Paul,

During the last week or two I limited myself to monitoring what exactly is
going on within the Paddleducks group. Hence the silence from myself. Of
course I don't have the time to read all emails.

First of all I want to say that I am very happy to see so many people having
vivid interest in modeling paddle wheelers.

I myself must admit that my focus of modeling/research interest is rather
about ocean liners and to some extent sailing ships. The S.S. Great Eastern
falls exactly into both categories and happens to be also a paddle wheeler.
What really fascinates me about her is the Victorian and Industrial
Revolution aspect. I am also a model railroader. Of course I model the steam
and early diesel era. I love steam, iron and rivets. I have a bit of a
"Hollywood motion picture" approach to it meaning that even though I try to
be as technically accurate as possible, it's really all about emotion. Most
of us probably have that same approach.

David Miller, through the Paddleducks group, already shared great material
about the Great Eastern with me. Thanks again David! It is of utmost help
for my modeling project.

My question is: Paul, what do you suggest for me to do in order to obtain
more accurate material about the Great Eastern including really detailed
nautically accurate rigging plans and those of deck arrangements? I also
would love to have pictures of museum models.
Do you know any sources? Do you have any material in the Paddleducks
archives? How do I gain access?

I do not want to be part of the Paddleducks and all I do is wait for someone
to come up with material about the Great Eastern. I guess that wouldn't be
your exact idea. You and the group deserve my utmost respect and I want to
do the right thing.

In any case I will not ask you one day to leave the group without sharing
the results of my research and modeling efforts with all of you. I'm sure
there are many G.E. buffs right here reading this.
I am in the stage of preparing a Site about the Great Eastern and the
modeling projects of myself and my friend. I will announce it here as soon
as it is up.
Me, my friend and the web master of the host site are planning on this
already for some time. It takes "iron will" to put up a Great Eastern site
because exact data is really hard to obtain. In any case I'm happy to know
that by doing this I will provide the necessary info to the modeler to be
able to scratch build a Great Eastern. She really deserves to be remembered
in accurate models rather than the many existing artistically excellent, but
technically inaccurate paintings (all those sails flabbing loose above the
funnels would have burned in flames, oh gosh!).

In a nutshell: Paul, I do not want to compromise myself in any way and then
run away as soon as I have enough data about the Great Eastern. That
wouldn't be fair.

That's my point.

I would like very much to hear your comments on this. Thanks in any case
very much for everything!

Cheers, Christian (a fellow passionate modeler)

[Paulrjordan]

Dear Christian:

You wrote:

>"The S.S. Great Eastern falls exactly into both categories and
happens to be also a paddle wheeler. What really fascinates me about
her is the Victorian and Industrial Revolution aspect. "<

She was, I believe the largest Side Wheel Paddle ship ever built and,
as such deserves a place in any group that models paddlewheelers.
This is why I opened up a special file for her and plan to devote a
page on our new Website.

>"I am also a model railroader. Of course I model the steam and early
diesel era. I love steam, iron and rivets."<

I too am a model railroader (Canadian National Railway - HO Vancouver
approaches Summer 1959) and maybe it is my fascination with steam
locomotives that draws me to Paddle Wheel Ships. The visible outside
motion of a paddle wheel ship holds the same attraction to me as the
rods and pistons on a steam locomotive. Paddlewheelers and steam
locomotives are inexorably linked and the parallels are undeniable.

>"David Miller, through the Paddleducks group, already shared great
material about the Great Eastern with me. Thanks again David! It is
of utmost help for my modeling project."<

Exactly..although David is not even building a model he has been
ready to share his information, resources, knowledge, HUMOUR (and
even a model). THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF PADDLEDUCKS...to share and
motivate others in their model building efforts. Mine is a vicarius
satisfaction from seeing others research and MAYBE eventually build
beautiful models that preserve the heritage of Paddlewheelers in a
way they can be admired either on the water or in a display case, and
give others the the same pleasure I derive from seeing them.
Paddleducks is an online tribute to all those who have built
Paddleship models and is possibly the most effective way of
preserving these gems of the Industrial Revolution. So few of them
exist today, but when they do, they are revered as "National
Treasures".

Perhaps the greatest maritime preservation scandal of all times is
that, of the thousands that sailed in ports throughout the world for
well over 100 years, "Eppleton Hall" is the only original British
sidewheel Tug to survive today...and SHE IS IN THE UNITED STATES..far
away from her homeland!!! I believe the Ozzies may be close with
something though.
It's also a tragedy that even in 1970 and barely 20 years into
service, nobody could have had the foresight to save JUST ONE
RMAS "Director" Class side wheel diesel tug from the Scrappers'
torches...oh sure..if it had been a sailing ship, there would have
been no shortage of funds!!!

>" My question is: Paul, what do you suggest for me to do in order to
obtain more accurate material about the Great Eastern including
really detailed nautically accurate rigging plans and those of deck
arrangements?" <

Yes, I realised early that accurate deck and rigging plans would be
an essential challenge to your "Great Eastern" project, again the
reason for setting up an archive here. Research often takes as long
as building the model!! The "Great Eastern" is a major project to do
accurately. Eventually, though, this will all come together
especially through the techno-miracle of the Internet. Once you've
exhausted the search engines and websites(did you contact the guy in
Eastern Canada whose link I sent you?) Start going through the
newsgroups.

>"I also would love to have pictures of museum models."<

This is essential and we really should be opening links to museums in
our bookmarks page. I'm SURE the Science Museum in London has a
model(s) and a great deal of information on "GE" and IKB, but their
online presence is all PURE FLUFF and almost no use to researchers.
They still havn't replied to three emails I have sent them requesting
information to provide me with a list of all Paddleship models they
have in their possession. Their online database and archival search
is ineffective. Somewhere the original plans of "GE" DO EXIST..it's
just a matter of time before we locate them!!

I'm hoping eventually we'll have a Paddleduck Member who lives in
London who would be willing to take a trip to Kensington and also to
Greenwich (which apparently has EVERY plan of every British ship ever
made since the 17th Century!!) I am scheduled to go to the UK
"sometime this year" but it all depends on business. Meanwhile keep
sending emails to ALL the museums over the world...my experience is
that eventually something turns up (it's a numbers game!!). I
actually started with one tiny picture of a "Director" tug, and
although there are still lots more I need, I'm making contact with new
resources the whole time and have accumulated some excellent
reference. The new Website will have a RMAS "Director Tribute" Page.

>"Do you know any sources? Do you have any material in the
Paddleducks archives? How do I gain access?"<

The new Paddleducks Website should eventually have a complete
researchers' area. I have accumulated many links and online resouces
for Paddlwheelers (virtually nothing on MODEL PADDLEWHEELERS) but
it's a work in progress. Right now, we have David's images for GE
stored at Yahoo!Groups in the file folder at (click on)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paddleducks/files/

You can also add pure TEXT files. Please feel free to add any
additional files you have or any other information you run across on
the Net. If you have online links to plans, museums resources
etc..post them in the folder already set up. (click on)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paddleducks/links/
and click on the "GREAT EASTERN" folder

" I do not want to be part of the Paddleducks (while) all I do is
wait for someone to come up with material about the Great Eastern. I
guess that wouldn't be your exact idea."

THAT'S EXACTLY MY IDEA..you don't HAVE to be building or even own a
paddlewheeler model to be welcome here...The models and research go
hand in hand (even if merely looking for an existing kit to build!)so
even if you're just researching or have an interest in ONE DAY
modeling a paddle ship, then you belong here... because remarkably
enough there is NO OTHER PLACE ON THE INTERNET WHERE PADDLE WHEEL
MODELLERS CAN MEET. Paddleducks is therefore my small and unique
contribution to the preservation of Paddlewheel ships through
beautiful and lovingly crafted models which not only bring pleasure
to the people who build them, but equally to those that see them!

" In any case I will not ask you one day to leave the group without
sharing the results of my research and modeling efforts with all of
you."

...I hope you won't want to leave and you'll be a "PADDLEDUCK" for
many years to come! Before, during and beyond the construction of
your "GE" this is the place you will share your trials, tribulations
and ultimate success of building a beautiful model of her...and we
will ALL have been watching and encouraging you at every step of the
way.

"I'm sure there are many G.E. buffs right here reading this."

I'd like to find more to join us if their interest is in MODELING
paddlewheelers, so please promote "PADDLEDUCKS" wherever you travel
on the Internet and invite others to join us. I have found that
almost EVERY web site I have visited that deals with REAL
Paddlewheelers is willing to carry a link to our Website when it goes
online. They recognize the importance of model making in preserving
the heritage of these ships.

" I am in the stage of preparing a Site about the Great Eastern and
the modeling projects of myself and my friend. I will announce it
here as soon as it is up."

Make sure the link is placed in our bookmarks section. Building a
Website of more than one page is a a daunting project. I know,
because we're currently building the new Paddleducks Website.

"In a nutshell: Paul, I do not want to compromise myself in any way
and then run away as soon as I have enough data about the Great
Eastern. "

You are NOT compromising yourself (or anyone else) here, and even if
you DID run away with a folder full of data..it's not a crime!!!
Enjoy Paddleducks, Christian, because once you have built your
model, you can be sure that others will follow and, if you can make
their project easier, then the object of this group will have been
met. It will take a time to get the forum going (it's been barely a
month!)..and often times it may be very quiet...but NOT as long as
there are people here willing to take a little time away from the
workshop to share their THOUGHTS, WORDS and IMAGES..as some of you
are beginning to do!

Thank you and best regards

Paul J

[David S Miller]

Thanks for kind words!
I have "met" the Eppleton Hall! While filming a TV special on the museum docks in San Francisco around '79. She, of
course, caught my attention and I got within 30 feet of her but could not board. She was sound but showing a little
neglect even then. A friend who gets to SF often informed me that the Eppleton Hall is not doing well ... still there
apparently, and still afloat but not maintained. When I saw her she was privately owned but I think the Museum owns
her now. I'll contact the SF Maritime Museum and see what I can find out. She is a BEAUTIFUL, and as near as I could
tell, absolutely stock original! A thrilling site here in the US and as far as I am aware a unique site. I know of no other
paddle tugs on the west coast of the US.

Christian! Don't leave us. We've only begun to have fun here. I simply must watch your grand effort unfold! I am trying
to restore my plastic model of GE enough to present you with a set of photos but time is tight just now. I will post as
soon as I can.

For original data on GE I believe the Maritime Museum in London has everything that exists including those beautiful
cut-away hull renderings I sent you from the Time-Life book. ANY PADDLEDUCKS IN LONDON? If you simply cannot
locate that archive (which I believe includes a spectacular very accurate, large scale model) I can ask my sister who
lives in Saint Albans just outside London if she can locate the archive. The answers to your research are right here.
Keep asking and we can keep digging.
Dave