Hi PDs!
with Paddler day approaching I need to get Hercules to a logical 'stopping place' for my trip to England.

I have completed the second wheel and mounted them both temporarily. Next job is to sort the bearings and shaft supports and leave her in a state to be worked on without confusion when I return!

All the best

Stuart

Pity you couldn't bring her with you. Then you could have conducted a live build master-class at Paddler Day!


Regards

Andy

I do hope everything is okay Stuart? I've been following this build with interest, as I have with each of your builds here, so I hope we can see some progress soon?

In the meantime, a very happy christmas to you.

Gillian

 I will get back in the workshop soon Gillian! Some more scans tomorrw and then a break, I hope, so that I can continue Hercules and start PS Cobra!

All the best
Stuart
and thanks for the good wishes.

i have just been looking at Stuarts Hercules, and still look in awe at the workmanship and detail on it.....i hope that one day, someone would be able to finish it as a fitting epitaph to Stuart and his lasting memory.
god bless him....he certainly gave us a lot.

neil.

Ros Badger has asked if I would like to have the model of Hercules.... Of course I would!!! It will be a great memory for me of a real friend! So my sincere thanks Ros!

Hopefully she can bring it over to the UK later this month, and I can get it finished ready to sail at the 2012 Paddler Day as a tribute to Stuarts superb work!

Regards
Eddy

Go for it Eddy. If anyone can do it it justice you can.

Andy

Well done Eddy.
A fitting tribute.
And remember plenty of photos for us unfortunates who live so far away.
Happy building, and I'm sure Stuart will be looking over your shoulder every step of the way
kiwi

great news, eddy..was hoping that you'd be asked to complete her..........she is such a beautiful model, and stuarts spirit will be with you every step of the way.
best wishes, neil.

Eddy, looking forward to seeing you complete Hercules, and I'm sure Stuart would be pleased that you are doing this.

regards
Clark

Hi,
Eddy, i was hoping that Hercules would go to someone with the skill, the passion & empathy to do her justice... Ros chose well!

Now, when is paddler day?... will be an even better day now!

Regards,
Kim

Hi all the Hercules is looking good. I will not bring her when I come over on 14 December. While I am away in the UK until 3 February a friend will build a crate for transporting her to her new home. When I am back I will find someone who is driving to the UK or I will bring it myself so Eddy has time to finish it before the next Paddler Day. I am still in discussion with the National Maritime Museum as I had offered them Stuart's model of PS Old Trafford. I had wanted to keep the cheddar steam engines as I thought they would still be quite valuable and someone might be willing to buy them to help pay off my debts from Stuart's treatments. However the NMM said they wanted to show the paddle wheels working. Since their rejection last month I have spoken to Alan Blunt who was Stuart's modelling mentor. He made the sensible suggestion that this could be achieved with a small electric motor -safer and more reliable than steam however romantic! Anyway I have emailed this morning and put this as an option. I have also said as it would have meant so much to Stuart to have his model on public display I would be preapared to let let them have the engines.  I have asked them to respond in 7 days as this has been such a drawn out affair 6 months now! I have also said if not I will ofer it to the charity who I believe are restoring the parts of Reliant/Old trafford that NMM in their duty of care chose to have cannibalised.

I look forward to my trip to the North East again on 4 and 5 Jan and hope to visit the excellent model lake and club house. I have found yet more plans to donate to the club's library and will bring them with me.

If I do not get the chance to see you ( unlikely as the forum is world wide) may I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012. I will certainly be glad to see the end of 2011. Once I am again very grateful to you all for the support you have given me over the last 6 months and for being such good supportive friends to Stuart. If any of you have access to Model Ship World I would be grateful if you could post something there as I have not managedx to access it since Stuart's death and they want me to send them death certifcates and wills to acccess the accounts.

Best wishes to you all from a sunny but cold and thankfully wind free Greek island

Ros

Hello Ros........I am a member of Modelship world, If you would like me to put something on the site, pm me what you would like to go on and I will copy and past the exact for you from you,unless someone else who knew Stuart better than I ever could have, wishes to do it.
neil.

with your permission Ros and Eddy, I added tonight on MSW Eddy's obituary to Stuart as notification on that site. http://www.modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=248281#248281
best wishes and I hope I haven't overstepped the mark by doing so. Eddy described Stuart far better than I could ever have done, only knowing him (via the internet) for a short but very happy time.
neil

Thank you very much Neil. It is much appreciated, as I said I have no access to it and have not registered myself. It is one of the things I have yet to sort out.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2012 to all
best wishes

Ros