SS Great Britain

[oldie]

I have just been watching a programme on TV where they showed the SS Great Britain.   I rather fancy building it this winter, has anyone seen plans or kits, although I would prefer to scratch-build.   Oldie.

[oldie]

PD`s, Sorry, got it wrong.   It was the SS Great Western.  Just put it down to old age.   Oldie

[greateastern]

Hello Oldie
If you are looking for plans for the GB, there are 3 sources--Bristol, where the real thing is docked sells plans according Wm Mowll, Corlett's Book THe Iron SHip, has drawings  and Mowll's book has basic hull and the book is detailed pretty well. The SS Great Britain, Wm Mowll, 1982 Model and Allied Pubs.
dave

[mjt60a]

If all else fails I guess you could look for an 'airfix' kit on ebay and try to scale it up using the parts as a rough guide.....

[oldie]

Mick, yes that has occurred to me, will give it a try.   Oldie

[Daryl]

The original plans are in the Bristol museum, but they do differ from the SS GB that left the dock in 1842. IKB had a habit of constantly changing his mind, the plans they have however are quite good.

The book by Dr E Corlett is an absolute nessessity for anyone building SS GB, the vessel as we see her now does differ from the original incarnation in several areas.

I havn't seen the William Mowll book advertised for some time so I think it is out of print. However he did write a book about building HMS Warrior which I have seen recently in Portsmouth. If it is out of print and Waterstones nor Amazon list it as available then it is a pity as it was a very good book for the modeller. But some of the details in there are not correct for the period when she was launched according to the latest research. This is where Ewen Corletts book is invaluble.

The loink to the HMS Warrior book is below, I notice its a different publisher to the SS GB book by him I wonder if they plan to publish the SS GB booka t some time in the future.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Working-Model-Warship-Warrior/dp/1557500983/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199276016&sr=8-3

[oldie]

Daryl,   Many thanks,  Oldie.

[RickF]

I think I've lost the plot! Are we looking for details on SS Great Britain, or SS Great Western?

The Mowll Great Britain book is currently on offer on eBay - "Buy it Now" at £28. I have his Warrior book, which is excellent.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/S-S-GREAT-BRITAIN-The-Model-Ship-Maritime-Modelling_W0QQitemZ140194847691QQihZ004QQcategoryZ274QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Rick

[Daryl]

I don't think you have lost the plot, reading the thread I too now are a bit confused as to which ship oldie is going to build?

£28 on ebay plus P+P ouch! but as it is out of print there is not much of an option. I am surprised however it has not been reprinted at the same time as the Warrior book, which I agree is excellent. I assume sadly William Mowll is no  longer with us.

There was a very long running series in Model Boats mag on both of these ships which formed the basis of the two books. I have most of them as they make very intersting reading.

[RickF]

According to the "Church Times", he retired as vicar of Boughton, near Canterbury, in April 2007. Hopefully he is still with us and, like me, enjoying his retirement.

Rick

[oldie]

Sorry all, I thought I had clarified my mistake earlier.   What I was really looking for was info/drawings on the SS Great Western which was a sail-assisted paddle steamer. (Or vice versa).   Thanks for the comments anyway.   As I said earlier, just put it down to old age.   By the way, photos from official records are as rare as rocking horse whatsits.   Oldie

[Walter Snowdon]

A few years ag a large book on all of Brunells ships was published which was profusely illustrated with a number of hull and lines drawings. Anyone out there help with the title?. ( I think it may have been called Brunells ships? or Brunells three ships? ).
The industrial museum at Bristol (near the SS Great Britain museum) may be able to help with drawings. They have an excellent cased model of Great Western on display which is interesting as it depicts a conventional raised quarter deck and NOT the circular "bandstand" deck as depicted in the Airfix kits. The model was built by Bassett and Lowke who were famous for their research and meticulous building. Hope this starts a new thread for you. regards, Walter.

[greateastern]

Hello Oldie,
There are several drawings in the book Brunel's Ships by Dennis Griffiths. On page 20-21 are hull lines (it runs across two pages so a little measuring is in order, p22 , body plan, several prints of GW, pg 24 inboard profile pp 91 fol is a chapter on GW. and Airfix kit  has 13 pages of assembly drawings which I could photocopy and send to you if you decide you are going to build one. There is also a book by Griffiths  Brunel's Great Western (Wellingborough, 1985). I'm sure the books can be had through your local library or interlibrary loans.
dave

[Daryl]

Airfix did two SS Great Western kits both of which date back to the 1950's, the larger of the two does contain several discrepancies when compaired to illistrations in books and paintings done at the time of her existance.

Myself I would be vary wary of relying on the Airfix model. The SS GB trust is well worth contacting.