gday folks ,
i am a long term ship nut , who would like to do more au. paddle steamers +UK paddle vessels , but i dont know when i will get the spare time to do all i want to add to the fleet , still the brain is never still, im never board .
i have built a paddle steamer w twin monerperm pile drive , approx960+400mm, it runs well , but is slow on the water , i put this down too wheel diam+no. of floats on the paddle wheel+blunt bow , there is some relation ship too wheel diam and number of floats =drive, that as yet i havent worked out . i am also building the little paddler Ranger , both of mine are in 1/24 scale , this is my prefered scale for paddlers , i do others in 1/32 . i intend to use the paddle wheel kits now made by my friend in geelong , on my future models . modifications in future will see adelaide type paddle wheels on my big paddler , larger diam.+more floats , to try and get more speed out of that hull , but this may not work , only one way too find out .
recently i went too adelaide , via mannum and goolwa , and photoed what paddlers i could find , that interested me for future models , i have the excelent plan of "Oscar W", by float a boat , and intend one day to do her in 1/24, i have adelaide hull in 1/24+1/18, so will eventually do both versions of paddle boxes of adelaide
thanks bill stafford

G'day Bill. Good to see you come onboard.

Where do you cruise your your finished boat?  I have visited Peter at his lake (western suburbs), and have visited Box Hill, but on a military-theme day, not a paddle theme or general one.  It has boats out every Sunday.  I don't see that slow would be a problem at Box Hill, probably more authentic for a river paddleboat.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor