Blockade runner PS "Hope", major refit

[Hankwilliams]

Dear friends and neighbors,

after 23 years my 1 : 48 blockade runner "Hope" needs a major refit. First engine, boiler and other installations were removed. Hull`s inside got a new paint - water and engine oil caused some dirt and mean lookiness. Today I made a boiler and engine test outside the model, some minor leaks are sealed now. The old Regner engine got new piston rings, also stuffing boxes (?) of pistonrods were renewed. When I will finished with this parts, the boat partly will get also new paint and improvements of some details.

Regards Thomas

[derekwarner_decoy]

Remember the refit of a vessel is not complete until the weight of the paperwork equals the weight of the ship 

Thomas......I learnt this with my employment in the Dockyard 

Is this the older superseded Regner horizontal with the large cast entabliture base? ......I have a feeling you mentioned it some time ago....is it 12 x 36?

Do the oil cups in the engine big end bearing unscrew?.........I have installed M3 glass cups from Jin @ Microcosm to my Saito....very inexpensive 

Derek

PS.....I will have to sack the engine room Greaser, as the caps are not fitted squarely

[Hankwilliams]

Hi Derek,
yes, this is the Regner horizontal, bore 14 mm, stroke 18 mm. It`s out of trade since some years, I bought the kit 1994 at Dortmund Model exhibition. The oil cups have M2 threads. Gear reduction to paddleshaft is 2,2 : 1.
The pictures will show some advantage of restauration. In the beginning of november will be a big model and steam meeting at Lake Constance, but I will finish "Hope" before.

[DamienG]

 

[Eddy Matthews]

An absolutely magnificent model - I love it!!

Regards
Eddy

[Hankwilliams]

Thanks Eddy. Restoration work will continue. I don`t want to repaint the whole model, but only parts are used up. In my youth days I wished to become an restorer of old paintings, furnitures and so on - now I can express my passion at old models...It`s quite good.

[kno3]

Hello, that's a beautiful ship and I also like the old Regner engine. First time I see one like it.

May I ask why you chose the gear reduction of 2,2 : 1 and not a direct drive? I would assume the engine to be powerful enough to directly drive the paddle wheels.

[Hankwilliams]

The power of an 18 mm stroke engine isn`t sufficient to operate the 170 mm diameter wheels. The proportion - stroke of engine to diameter of wheels - should be 1 : 3 until 1 : 5. In my Irrawaddy steamer "China" I used the longstroke Regner 12/36 turning the wheels of 125 mm diameter, this gives sufficient power.

Thomas

[kno3]

I somehow think you are underestimating the engine (unless the whole assembly has unusually high friction losses), but it is just my opinion. Gear reduction leads to an increase in steam consumption which could be avoided.

[Hankwilliams]

The old paddlebox mirrors were not sufficient and not very original. I think, the new parts are much nearer to the real ship. Also the railing are new.
One question for anyone, who is competent in American history: In the center of the paddlebox the plan shows a heraldic figure - palm tree green and brown on white ground - similar to part of flag of South Carolina. But home port was Wilmington in North Carolina and this flag is completely different. Perhaps anyone can solve this obscurity?

[Hankwilliams]

Now I`m nearly finished with the refit of PS"Hope". Today I made a R/C, engine and boiler test, all was ok. The funnels got a new paint, also the copper tubes and vents are polished. In relation to the built of the model 24 years ago, the works don´t take much time and expense.

I own some literature about blockade runners of American civul war - yet I`m considering of my next built. May be the blockade runner "Colonel Lamb", also made by Quiggins shipyard in Liverpool. The C. L. has had the same hull like the"Hope", but different superstructures. I also have the plan of PS "Presto", a very elegant lined ship, but probably in scale 1 : 48 too less capable of carrying a steam propulsion.

[DamienG]

Love your refit Thomas looks great

[Hankwilliams]

Thanks, Damian. I still had some tombac letters in stock - may be, ships name at paddlebox mirror in this case isn`t original, but I think it looks nice.
Two pictures of the "Colonel Lamb" from New Vanguard book "Blockade runners". Also an interesting and elegant ship.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Thomas....I like the Hopes new Wheel Box radial gold tapered side slat sections 

From image IMG_0285, the unloaded wheel speed appears rather high......is she a fast mover in the water?

The gold painted style filigree ships carvings at the stern, were they from the original kit [24 years ago] & are they brass?

Derek

[Hankwilliams]

Derek, many interesting questions: The underwater form of the hull is rather sharp and like the original these ships were built for speed. Some blockade runners reached 20 nautical miles in good conditions (sail and steam). Even the model... there is much more speed compared for example with the PS "China" with her wide, box like underwater shaping. I dont know the number of revolutions of the paddleshaft when she is in water, but one time we measured the speed with hight steam pressure between 3 - 4 bar at the shore. She reached nearly 2 meter per second, but pressure goes down after a some minutes.
There wasn`t a kit of "Hope", I made the carvings of brass with fretsaw after plan. I hope(!), next week I will be able to made a trip with the model and show some pictures, autumn climate in Germany until yet is warm and sunny. There was very less rain since months. "Hope" from beginning on was one of my non problematic models - good nautic stability, no toplast and fast speed. "Mt. Washington" is susceptible for wind. The "Courier", last built model, has a tendency of list because of her narrowness. From my modest experience the paddlesteamer modelling and driving with steam or electric is much more difficult than driving any screw propulsed model - but this is the challenge. When the model shows a good presentation, the joy even is great!