Hello to the administrator, thanks for setting my account. Hello to all model builders.

My name is Rudolph, I am 66 years old and live in Puchheim near Munich, Bavaria.

I started model building several years ago by building accessories for model trains scale H0. Then I switched to scale G (or IIm) and built cars and locomotives - no steam. One of my favorite train is the swiss former line "Furka-Oberalp", from this train line I derived my nickname.

And finally, two years ago, I built my first ship. It was a tug in scale 1:50 (length about 60 cm). The model  was scratchbuilt after the small "father" by Revell, the "Lucky XI". At the moment I am working on another tug named "Jean Bart", scale 1:50, length about 90 cm. Also this model is scratch built after french plans and many photos I found in the web.

Why I join Paddleducks ? My next idea of a ship is a paddle tug, probably in scale about 1:35. The model will probably be of he Eppleton Hall - or the Lingdale, because f the two chimneys. The hull seems to be very similar, so I can start with the hull and take the final decision later - where I tend at the moment to the Eppleton Hall. Another interesting ship might be a wooden paddle tug.  I bought the book British Steam Tugs and study it quite often. So the final decision is still to be done.

Regards to all modelers, I will keep you informed of further decisions.

Thanks and Welcome Rudolph, if you have any questions just ask I'm sure some of our members will be able to help.

Damien.

Hello Rudolph,

That's fun to read your introduction, since I am from Gräfelfing, only a handful of kilometers from you.

An there are even mor similarities: Me as well, I am a railway modeller, also to an alpine theme, but South Tyrol (not Switzerland) and H0 scale.

And I also started ship modelling starting from a tiny vintage plastic kit, converting it to a H0 scale railway ferry, offering the possibility to combine both hobbies:



There's even a thread on this project here: http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3166. There's even more detail at http://pics.boatnerd.com/v/model/CP_Tug_Barge/

By the way, similar carfloats used to be pushed in British Columbia even by sternwheelers, which would make an even more wonderful project. In fact, I am currently drawing the plans for a 1:32-scale north-western sternwheeler. We will see how this will proceed...

Regards, Moritz

Thank you, Moritz, for this nice welcome pictures.

Which lake do you use for your ships ? I will give you a PN when I have plans of sailing the LUCKY XI the first time.

Just now I made a big on line order for live steam material: boiler tube and brass tubes for cylinders etc. Also of silver soldering equipment for the boiler.

I have decided to power my next tug, which will be a paddler, with steam. Since I am new in steam drives, I will first build the boiler and the machine. There is a german book "Volldampf voraus Einstieg in Dampf-Schiffsmodellbau" , this is really for beginners. And it convinced me to start this business.

Still the Jean Bart has to be finished ....

HellO Rudolph, hello Moritz,

that´nice! I am living at Breitbrunn near Ammersee and have my office in Gräfelfing. Former builder of model steamers and ohter ship models, and then original oldtimer cars, and last year I bought a WILAG model of the S 3/6 locomotive.
There is a nest!?

Andreas