Steam powered sternwheeler ( first boat build ever )

[apointofview]

Yippee, a successful day !!!

It didnt sink, burn, or break !

I ended up in a local little pond, the lake I was going to use was being drained so it was all mud. Everything worked great, I ran it for two 30min runs. Each run steamed off almost 1/2 a gallon, Burned about 4 oz of propane, and produced 8oz of oily condensation. The water around the boat stayed clean, I didnt spot any oily rainbows so that system worked great. The water load on the paddle made the throttle response much nicer than on the bench, it didnt run too fast unless it was at full throttle and even then it wasnt crazy with water going everywhere. I put a hunk of foam with a reel of 80lb test fishing line up front tied off to structure and threw the kayak in the truck in case of a sinking. Didnt need it !!! Overall I am very happy and relieved with the performance. What a weight off my shoulders.......

Here is a video - https://youtu.be/BSn42yYE9_A

Pictures will follow when I get a chance to download it

Pete

[derekwarner_decoy]

Brilliant Pete ...just love the exhaust steam from ...yes the four discharges.......so lifelike  ..... Derek

[DamienG]

  Absolutely beautiful model Pete a wonderful maiden voyage

[apointofview]

Thanks guys it was really fun !!

Here is another video -  https://youtu.be/mG-1L4AHjOU

The shot with the big plume of steam on the right side oops i mean starboard side of the front of the boat is the 40psi relief valve blowing.  The 42psi valve exits forward over the bow to let me know which one opened.  If the second one goes its time to shutdown

Next run will be a night float to see the lights on the water

Pete

[apointofview]

Night float on the pond,

We headed out to the pond this evening and set up just as the sun went down.  I was hoping for a little cooler air to show more steam, but it was a lot more comfortable at 50 degrees !

I move the fuel tank to the aft part of the boat, it was forming ice on the tank and supply lines when it was up in the bow.  Back near the engines its much warmer and there is more air flow, and that made the gas pressure much more stable.

Pretty strange not being able to see the shore, or any thing around the boat.

Everything worked great, next run will be at Cabin Fever in Pennsylvania.

Pete

Videos -

https://youtu.be/dJWOA6ZYheI

https://youtu.be/emIwj3BG1a0

[Bierjunge]

This looks absolutely wonderful! The illuminated plumes of steam against the dark lake are like a dream!
Please excuse me for one little remark on such a realistic and detailled boat:
I would suggest to remove (ort at least turn off) the interiour lighting of the pilot house. On a night run, the pilot house should be the darkest part of the entire boat!

[apointofview]

Thanks !
Your suggestion is exactly right in the real world, but I copied Disney World and they didn't go with realistic.  I guess since the boat is on a track they don't really need to see too well so they light the boat up about the same as I did. They have a lot more gingerbread details that the lights are mounted to, but since the goal of this build was to have a place for my engines to do work I didn't sweat the little stuff.

Here is a picture of the full scale boat I found on the internet

Thanks again for the thoughtful post !!

Pete

[Hankwilliams]

Hi Pete,

very succesful model. Even the pictures with illumination are impressive. The viedeofilm shows the elegance and beauty of the boat in a special manner!
Pete...do you have you some plans of the next steamer?

Thomas

[apointofview]

Thanks Thomas,
No plans for another project like this, but there is room for improvement on this boat.  I would like to add smoke to the stack at some point.  Nothing big in the works, this one wore me out 

Pete

[apointofview]

Hey guys, I got to take my paddler to a huge model engineering expo in Pennsylvania.  It was a 12.5 hour drive to get there but it was worth it !!  There is so much there it is impossible to convey what guys bring to display.  Here is the web site for the show - http://www.cabinfeverexpo.com/  If you search youtube for 'cabin fever expo' there a lots of videos from past events that show what can be seen there.

The boat ran great, absolutely nothing failed and it didnt sink.  I got in five 30 minute runs ( water supply limit each run ) and when it wasnt in the water it was running on a table on compressed air supplied by the show.  I wanted people to see the engines run up close, that way the valve gear movements etc. could be seen rather than me trying to tell them whats happening.

Here is a short video from that day -

https://youtu.be/mSfmBgwVGjc

[DamienG]

A beautiful model  Pete well done. 

[apointofview]

Thanks Damien, guess that about does it for this thread. 

Thanks to everyone for the ideas and encouragement it is REALLY appreciated !

This sure is a great forum with an even better group of guys !!!!!!!!!!!

Pete

[derekwarner_decoy]

Well Pete...I think we would appreciate if you consider your thread never really closed, just away down river

So naturally if in time you make some changes, have the vessel steaming in some event somewhere......just take those images & post them here

Happy steaming................Derek

[DamienG]

Agreed Derek.

[apointofview]

Sure I can do that,  I'm thinking it will get messed with.  I know smoke in the big stack will happen at some point