[modeleng] Re: Full Size Steam Engines
- From: "alanjstepney" <alan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 08:55:37 +0100
I just received the following from Wilfried, who, for some reason, cannot
post to the list.
Alan
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Hi John,
I see you have a lot of questions and until now quite a bit are for me still
questions.
Over here things started a bit different as I wanted to build a stationary
engine but it had to be a big one, being more or less a model and not to
simple. The drawing set of "Onder stoom" provided the answer except for the
size so I doubled it up.
The idea of an steamboat dawned only later. And with that intention in the
first place it would probably have been a different engine. The engines most
used in steamboats are more of the basic type and a bit oversized in some
parts to the benefit of reliability and easy maintenance. No one would like
to spend half a day down at the bottom of the boat with the lady looking at
his hands.
Scanning the net learned me there are a lot of engine designs around. Most
of them available at far of places and to me unreachable prices. Just have a
look at the Stuart pages and the price for their castings.
The boilers, many different types and until now I really haven't a clue
which would be suitable. The latest SBA magazine showed a possible candidate
design. As usually no detailed drawings just pictures, as on most web pages.
Until now I have been unable to find a real drawing as we ME know. There are
however a lot of firms around who sell them. Again at far of places and.
Hulls "to build or not to build that's the question" many designs for home
building are available, Selway Fisher does a few nice ones for home
building. Not only the skills but also the place to do it is a problem. I
have reconditioned me sailing boat which is 4.7m long, well a garage of 6x4
m is a cramped working space so building a whole boat from scratch? Another
option is a boat from the Frollic range. Can be had in different stages of
completion and so the price can be adapted to suit your wallet at moment.
Another option I seriously considered, and nearly did, was buying a second
hand complete steamboat, look and you will surely find a suitable one. There
are quite a few on the market, I had a look at quite a few and most of them
are in excellent condition. Use it as it is for a while and when me own
engine is finished install that one in the boat.
All I can say is when you go to a SBA meet get your hands on one of the
steamboat registers. It lists all the steamboats of the associations with a
lot of details about the engines, boilers and hulls. That gives an idea of
what to look for. A lot of info about the boats can also be found on their
web page at http://www.steamboat.org.uk/xref/xref_index.htm .
And I know it takes a lot of time but the links, some are useless but there
are nice ones, quite detailed, which show what others are doing.
One danger . beware for steamboat disease.
Regards
Wilfried Vermeiren
http://users.skynet.be/modelbouw.wilfried
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