Random images

[Roderick Smith]

When I joined, there were very few, so familiar images came up every few days.
Over the years, the pool has been expanded (including several from me).
Recently I have seen quite a few unfamiliar images, mainly models.
I suspect that Eddie has expanded the pool again.
I don't know if they are freelance generic, or models of specific prototypes.
This one intrigued me, so I grabbed it.
I thought that it was a generic African or south-east Asian river boat, but after capturing, I discovered a USA flag on the stern.
It has only a single funnel (not twin), and no gingerbread.

Do we have any information about it?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Eddy Matthews]

That's a model that was at a few of our Paddler Days Roderick, built by Peter Massey of the Belthorn Model Boat Club, the model is called Cliff W Blackstaffe. Unfortunately I have no other info on it....

http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=2708

Regards
Eddy

[kiwimodeller]

I am sure I have seen an article about it in either Model Boats or Marine Modelling Int. I will have a hunt in the shed over the weekend and see if I can come up with it. Cheers, Ian.

[Roderick Smith]

Thanks so far.
The further incongruity between the style and the flag is having an open boiler bay: most USA ones are enclosed.

Possible solution: a service boat for Panama Canal construction.  Tropical design, but USA flag.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[kiwimodeller]

Marine Modelling, March 1998 had an article in which the builder (P Massey) says he based it on Smithsonian Institute plans of the Thomas A Edison, a small packet carrying cargo on the Caloosahatchee River, Florida. Built 1904 and destroyed by fire about 1914. The hull of the model was built of tinplate. The model was 1200mm long and 300mm beam with a home built twin cylinder slide valve steam engine of 8mm bore and 30mm stroke. The engine was from a design by Cliff W Blackstaffe in Bill Durham's "Steamboats and Modern Steam Launches" May 1961, hence the name. A throttle controls wheel speed between 40 and 150 rpm. Wheel is 150mm diameter and 130mm wide with twelve 12mm by 2mm floats. A twin drum boiler with two 300mm by 45mm drums and a superheater provides steam, usually running about 45psi. Unfortunately from my point of view there was no details in the article about the drive system but the engine is set up with one cylinder on each side of the wheel so i presume it either uses rods or a scotch link system. Hope this is of interest. Cheers, Ian.

[Roderick Smith]

Thanks for that.  I have about eight more grabs.  All seem to be taken by the same photographer, on the same water, at the same event; they may even have the same scale? Perhaps they are all from the same modeller too?  I suspect, from lack of familiarity, that they form a recent batch of additions to the random pool.

Here is another: neat and cute, but this time without a USA flag.

I can't focus on the stars on the earlier one, but 1905 would predate the admission of Oklamoma as the (46th?) state.
Being on a Florida waterway would remove the need to enclose the engineroom.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

There hasn't been a nibble for image 11.
Here is image 12.  It has a USA flag.  Is it free lance?
I suspect that the whole lot are from one photographer, probably the one modeller.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[scotfriend]

Hi Roderick,

this model is from my friend Joerg, known here as propkiller, he lives at Darmstadt Germany the model is with out a particular ship, it is based on one of the US boats. This photo was taken in 2008 on our first visit at the Paddler Day.

Regards Hans.

[Roderick Smith]

Thanks Hans.
Here is another of the eight which I grabbed, all seeming to make a matched set.

As ever: modelling a prototype, or generic free lance?

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

So far only one of the four posted as been identified.
Here is a fifth.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Eddy Matthews]

Thats the Rhine paddle tug Pilat which was once owned by me, not it belongs to a fellow clubmate, John Gavey.

Regards
Eddy

[Walter Snowdon]

Hi all.  image 13 is a model of an Australian cargo steamer which was sunk whilst carrying steel girders in a river to build a new bridge. I have only ever found one image of her online in a sunk condition ( a postcard). The model was built in Australia and quite a while ago there was correspondence on Paddleducks when I tried to get her full history and had hoped to borrow a set of plans from the builder. At that time there was some talk of a possible plan/ article for marine modeller or model boats. Sorry I cant remember the name of this ship. Shw wasnt the normal flat bottomed shallow draft river boat but was described as being more like a shallow hulled Clyde puffer and capable of coastal work. Regards, Walter

[Walter Snowdon]

I am pretty certain that images 10 and 11 were taken on a paddler day at Darlington and if so further pictures of these two will be found in the paddler day photo collections along with further pictues of PILAT. Regards, Walter

[Walter Snowdon]

Sorry to keep repeating myself- whiskey gives me indigestion! If you blow up the picture of the pretty Oz coaster, you will see her name on the hull just in front of the paddlebox. My eyes arent good enough to do it myself!. regards, Walter.

[Roderick Smith]

Thanks all, I'll have to do some homework on the Australian one.
I am running on the laptop for 3 days while the main machine has an overhaul, so I won't be doing much until it is back.

As well, my chief local research helper is away on holiday.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor