Administration - proposal for change of scope

[Paulrjordan]

Dear Paddleducks:

Paddleducks was designed as an email forum for Paddlewheel ship
MODELERS to exchange ideas and provide each other with information
that might eliminate some of the pitfalls in construction. My ambition
has been to also attract some of the finest paddlewheel modelers as a
tribute to their work and so that they may share it with others,
particularly as an inspiration to beginners. We have been successful
in this as our "gallery" proves. My other objective has been to
provide an interchange to assist modelers to assist each other in
research of "authentic" subjects and to achieve the satisfaction of
accurately preserving a "bit of history". We have been very
successful in this and I sincerely thank all those of you who have
provided research information to assist others in the group.

Since modeling of paddlewheelers does involve research and often
locating or even drawing plans from old pictures of "REAL SHIPS", we
welcome paddlewheel enthusiasts who may not be modelers, because their
valuable input into either locating reference or providing technical
information is invaluable to us modelers. A case in point is the
tremendous help I am currently receiving from a group in the UK whose
interest is South Coast Excursion paddlers and of course the input we
received from the "Clyde Paddlers" regarding paddlewheel shafts.

Email traffic recently on this forum has dropped considerably and I'm
fearful of members leaving. I fully realise that "lurkers" are an
important part of our group as observers and I am in no way
encouraging anyone to post messages merely for the sake of swelling
the inbox. It's also the summer in the Northern Hemisphere and many
of us are simply too busy outside "on the pond" with our paddlers to
spend a lot of time on the pooter!

I therefore submit the following to you all.
_____________________________________________________________________
PROPOSAL:
THE SCOPE OF "PADDLEDUCKS" BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ANYONE WHO HAS ANY
INTEREST IN ANY KIND OF PADDLESHIP (MODEL OR FULL SIZE).
_____________________________________________________________________

This would include those involved in the preservation and operation of
REAL paddlewheelers, researchers, observers, historians and anyone
interested in this vast subject which spans well over 100 years and to
almost every country of the world. The broadening of this scope would
be of significant value to modelers and provide greater diversity to
stimulate and sustain growth of the group. I have looked extensively
throughout the Internet and, whilst there are many Paddlewheel
oriented Websites, there does not appear to be a dedicated email
forum for this subject. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Our planned Website will still be aimed as a resource for Paddlewheel
MODELING since no Website seems to currently address this subject on a
GLOBAL basis.

I therefore ask:
IF ANY CURRENT PADDLEDUCKS MEMBER(S) OBJECTS TO THE ABOVE PROPOSAL,
PLEASE EMAIL THE GROUP WITH YOUR CONCERNS.

Your responses will determine the future scope and direction of this
email group. I should point out that one of the most successful
"Railway" email groups (500 plus members) integrates modeling and
prototype interests very well and there is an active interchange of
information between them.

Best regards

Paul (Jordan)
Paddleducks Moderator

[Alvanir B de Calvanho]

To all concerned,

As Paul Jordan wrote, recently, "Paddleducks was designed as an email forum for paddlewheel ship modelers to exchange ideas and to provide each other with information that might eliminate some of the pitfalls in construction".

With that idea on my mind, I would like to ask anyone of you for written and pictorial (that is, drawings and photos) information on how to build sided paddle wheels.

In the past, when my economic conditions did allowed me to do that, I subscribed to three or four model boating magazines, in the USA, an equal number of british magazines and one French magazine. Since I have retired, my income droped substatially, reason why I am no longer able to do the same.

I do recall that, some time ago, one of the American magazines had printed an article in which a paddlewheel modeler did show (show and tell, I mean it) how he had done in order to build those wheels. Unfortunatelly I have lost that magazine upon my home move to where I now live.

- Does anyone have any sort of refference material on this matter that could send me a copy ?

- I have a photoshop program installed in my computer as well as Acrobat Reader, and JPG, which will enable to me open almost any kind of phtographic archives.

Looking forward into hearing from someone, I remain

Sincerely Yours

Alvanir
from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

[Paulrjordan]

Hi Alvanir:

I wrote a very lengthy post Number 429 on Thu 5/17/2001 entitled
"Building Sidewheels". You should be able to access it by clicking
on
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paddleducks/messages

Also we have drawings of the "feathering wheel" in our files section
at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paddleducks/files/
click on "THE FEATHERING WHEEL" (7 images)

However, most modelers I have spoken to suggest that, unlike their
full-size counterparts, feathering wheels do not improve the
performance of R/C operating models and are complicated to build.
However, for museum quality display models they should be modeled
correctly but not necessarily operational, unless the wheel, floats
and mechanism will be turning in a cutaway representation of the
paddleboxes.

Best regards

PJ

[Ken]

Hi,
I think that P.J's Proposal has to be of benefit to us all. After all
if the prototype's were never built we would not have such a diverse range
of craft to model.If these dedicated people were not around to preserve
these magnificent Monuments to the marine engineer where would be all
be.More the better i say!
Ken Rawlins.

[Derek Warner]

Good Evening Paddleducks & Moderator PJ

I was the one that thought and said that Australia had not kept or and
recorded our history in paddle wheelers - however I was soon corrected by
the communication from Graham Mason which is logged in and is now a
beaut part of our (paddleducks) web page extension (thanks to GM & PJ)

I would suggest the above comment gets my 100% vote on the moderators
proposal

regards - Derek