ps AVON 1859 - Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow

[Harold H. Duncan]

Hi Everyone,
After more than a year away from modelling and drawing, due to work and family commitments, I am now trying to catch up on a backlog of drawing. I have completed the lines for the ps Avon, the first paddle steamer upon the Waikato River, in New Zealand.
built of iron by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 72 in 1859, shipped to Lyttelton NZ in parts and reassembled 1860. Tonnage: 42grt 27nrt - Length: 58.2ft - Breadth: 15.4ft. Propulsion: steam 30nhp - diagonal
History
11/1862 taken up as gunboat in Waikato War
1866 used as coal hulk
1868 rebuilt by Robert Gibbons at Manukau
1872 altered to screw and reengined 20nhp
30/9/1886 wrecked Croizelles Harbour, Blind Bay NZ
Owner History:
??, New Zealand
1862 New Zealand Government
1868 J & E Ellis, Auckland
1869 Joseph Banks
1871 F Banks, Lyttelton
1878 JohnDuthie & J P Watt
1882 Edward Broughton, Wanganui
1883 H Lewis & E Broughton, Nelson
1883 E A Robinson

HELP REQUIRED
Any and all information on what type and style of engines and boilers, paddles and shaft decoupling that was used by Barcley Curle & Co around that period.
Have the lines from NMM Greenwich, and various sketches and descriptions by associated people from its time on the Waikato, also some survey records.
I’d like to include the internals on my drawings, and any assistance would be most appreciated.
Probably have enough to get the external appearance correct, but any extra information most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation
kiwi

[Harold H. Duncan]

Further to this, the ps Avon, appears to have had a method of disconnecting the paddleshaft to enable for independant paddle control.
Trying to gather information on this has largely drawn a blank.
Does anyone out there know of, or have any information on this please.
This research is making great progress rearwards. Just can't find anything. Even haven't had any reply's from any of the Scottish Museums, etc. Oh well. Will try contacting them all again.
cheers
kiwi

[Harold H. Duncan]

help

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's......Kiwi....is it the history on the vessel or just a method of achieving a double clutching, de-cluthing method for the main paddle shaft in a scale model you are after?  ......Derek

[Harold H. Duncan]

Hi Derek,
Really I'm after any mechanical details/info on any of Barclay Curle's smaller vessels of the period around 1850 to 1880. Engines, paddles, boilers etc.
Also on top of this I'm looking for any sort of decoupling/coupling device used on side paddlers from the UK, or empire countries. Hope that doesn't muddy the waters even more.
Can't find anything relevant on the web, so any and all information will be gratefully received.
hopefully this will enable me to make a more educated guess so I can complete my drawings, and model of ps Avon
cheers
kiwi

[Eddy Matthews]

I did a bit of searching and came up with the following links..... Don't know if they are of any use though?

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Barclay,_Curle_and_Co

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/name/barclay-curle-co/7524/

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=B5958

The attached images show the clutch used to seperate the twin engines on the John H Amos paddletug, and a drawing of the engines. I can supply a larger copy of the drawing by email if you need it.

Regards
Eddy

[derekwarner_decoy]

Eddy.....I think you have hit the nail on the head with your image 43772770

Drawing 4037-8 clearly shows in the elevation view 'C' an actuation lever on the paddle shaft a-mid ships

By Drawing convention ....we are looking on the stern of the vessel...& we see the cam arrangement hard over to the STDB side

The point of question here is was this to de-clutch the PORT wheel..... .It would be really interesting to see the series of Drawings 4037-1.....to 4037-20 

Derek

[Harold H. Duncan]

Thank you Eddy and Derek,
That's it. Could you email the drawings please Eddy, my emails in my profile.
The other links will follow up tomorrow, but look good. Seems I've been looking in the wrong place. Have enquired twice to some Clyde shipbuilding records archive, but todate no reply.
That looks like a simple internally splined sleeve, with 2 positions, so simple, nothing like the wee detail sketch I have already, and which I simply can't work out.
Thanks again Eddy
cheers
kiwi

[Eddy Matthews]

An email with the full sized image of the engine drawing is on it's way to you now Kiwi - I hope it helps?

Regards
Eddy

[Harold H. Duncan]

Thanks Eddy,
nice and clear
cheers
kiwi