Waverley paddle steamer

[hippobooks]

I have completed a working scale model of the Waverley,s triple
expansion steam engine. Also fitted to the model is a part hull
section with paddle sponson and feathering paddle wheel. The model
has been built to a large scale of 1:8 and is live steam. I have
started to put some photos on a web site. It is
http://waverley.freeservers.com Does anyone else have a working
diagonal marine engine fitted to a model paddle steamer?

[Stuart Badger]

Dear Robert

I believe that a member of the Cheshire Models Steam Club has an 8ft model
paddlesteamer here in the UK powered by the Westbury designed twin cylinder
diagonal paddle engine. The drawings and castings for the engine are
marketed by a company called Reeves. Recently one of these engines was up
for auction on Ebay.

NOW!. To your own efforts with the model of Waverley's engine/paddle
assemby. I admit it - I'm going to make myself look stupid and I don't care!
Cynic that I am I looked at your site, then I looked again as the page was
downloading, and I thought.
"This guy has just gone on board Waverley, taken some photos and expects us
to believe it's a model!"

I have been in the world of model making in most of it's forms for about 40
years - and I have NEVER seen such a beautiful example of the model
engineer's art. I am not worthy and am about to embark on crosstich or
perhaps stamp collecting as a hobby!!!!!!!

When do you start building the rest of the model? :-)) Hee Hee!

Could I make a tiny suggestion about the site? If you optimise the photos
for the web page they will download MUCH faster with no loss of quality.

What sort of boiler are you running the engine on? I'd (all of us I imagine)
would be really interested to know.

I'm about to start on my next project - so if you fancy running up a
grasshopper paddle engine next Thursday lunchtime I'll buy it off you!!

All the very best and thank you so much for sharing your achievment.

Stuart Badger

[hippobooks]

Many thanks indeed for your comments regarding my model paddle
steamer engine. Originally I built only the main engine but this did
not give any impression of scale and also the background was
unsuitable to give a good effect. I decided to build the rest of the
engine room and part of the hull so that the background would look
realistic for taking photos of the model. The hull has been
constructed from aluminium frames and aluminium sheet. I lost track
of the number of rivets which were used to assemble the hull section.
At this stage I did not have the paddle sponson or paddle wheel but I
found that this was necessary to contruct as a few visitors would
look at the model and say "but what does it do". So I decided to
make the paddle sponson and paddle wheel to solve this problem.
The boiler is a model marine boiler made from copper and has a
maximum pressure of 100 lbs per sq". It is a return tube boiler and
is coal fired.
It would be interesting to make the rest of the model. A 30 foot
long Waverley paddling down the canal.
I have made a video of the model in steam. I could send you a copy
if you let me know your address.

Regards

Robert