Topic: Help required to find Elswick cruisers plans (Read 16539 times)

ballastanksian · « **Reply #25 on:** June 30, 2014, 08:21:54 am »

First rule, have fun! I look forward to your experiments:O)

cdsc123 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 07, 2014, 07:14:44 pm »

from World Naval Ships forums;

John W E · « **Reply #27 on:** July 07, 2014, 07:50:15 pm »

hi ya Nick

Last week I telephoned the Tyne and Wear Archives regarding any plans held by them from Shipyards - the department/people I spoke to - were very clueless and unhelpful.

This week, when I have time, I will try and contact the Newcastle Discovery Museum and I might have a run up there to see whats what with regard to plans.

Mind you, a while ago there was a rumour floating about that when Armstrongs in Elswick Way were shut down/demolished - a lot of the material stuff - plans and documents were thrown in a skip and disposed of. I hope this was just a rumour...but who knows.

aye
john

ballastanksian · « **Reply #28 on:** July 07, 2014, 08:32:10 pm »

Sadly this happens as I have read of several occasions where almost the only surviving information on a subject was pulled out of a skip before it was hauled off for disposal. It saddens me to think of the times someone has missed this skip by a day or even an hour or so.

Good luck with your search.

raflaunches · « **Reply #29 on:** July 07, 2014, 10:47:35 pm »

Thanks Christian for the pictures from World Naval Forums, very helpful.
Hi John
That would be fantastic if you could find out, I too came to a dead end so far other than the odd photo and old Victorian print. I really hope they didn't end up in a skip, the Yarrow collection was destroyed in WW2 in a bombing raid. I've managed to rescue some originals in the past mainly from the 60/70/80's, possibly an original Perkasa drawing- pencil lines all over with Vosper-Thornycroft stamp in the corner! Managed to save some brochures too and a book from 1930s about motor yachting.
Many thanks in advance.

victorian · « **Reply #30 on:** July 09, 2014, 12:03:46 pm »

I have struggled to get any information from the Newcastle Museum as well. They want to sell you 'researcher' time just to tell you if they have any plans! I've even been to the Discovery museum on this quest and still failed to discover if they have any Elswick Cruiser plans.

Those profiles from World Naval Forums are very helpful, Thanks. Presumably these came originally from Janes?

Regarding Powerful and Terrible, the NMM have the original builders model of Powerful. It was in store when I saw it and i don't know if it's been moved to Chatham. Here's a pic:

cdsc123 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 09, 2014, 06:15:24 pm »

from here originally;

http://russiannavy.net/militaryPhotos/engineering/misc/elswick%20cruisers.jpg

raflaunches · « **Reply #32 on:** July 09, 2014, 07:38:48 pm »

Hi Victorian

Many thanks for the picture, what a model! The entire NMM collection of models are now at Chatham, I saw some of them last year as part of a visit but the Powerful was not one I saw. The drawings of Powerful have been bought and are en route as we speak- definitely a future project! I must admit that it's becoming difficult to find foreign navy warships drawings built in the UK.
Just to let you know my build of Prince George is getting close to the net shelf fitting stage, I'll send some pictures to you when it happens.

Hi Christian

Thanks for the link I was looking on the net for hull sections but I can make out some of the hull features from the pictures you've uploaded.

victorian · « **Reply #33 on:** July 10, 2014, 10:15:32 am »

Nick, I'll put my other Powerful pics on my site and send you a link. Same offer to anyone else interested in the ship. I'd like to know where it is if anyone happens to be in touch with NMM. It was from this model that I got several crucial insights into Niobe: the cat-heads were impossible to make out in any other view, or the official plans for instance.

Regarding the Elswick ships, here's a pic from my friend Roberto in Chile showing the present condition of what is believed to be the original builder's model of Esmeralda. This is the 1884 ship. I suspect the World Naval Ships outline is the later Esmeralda. Even in this condition the model contains vital information that can't be got anywhere else.

raflaunches · « **Reply #34 on:** July 12, 2014, 07:54:31 pm »

Hi David

Wow yes please that would be great

I got my plans of HMS Terrible yesterday from the NMM plans section and WOW! I know in the traditional 1/48 scale drawings preferred by ship builders that they would be big but I started to roll out the mass of paper in the postage tube and the first thing I saw was the huge ram bow which in 1/48 scale is almost 12inches tall! But what a beauty and certainly a future project in the next year or two.
I'm in regular contact with Andrew Choong of the NMM plans and photos section, I'll pass on your query to him regarding the location of the builders model hopefully he will be able to confirm it for you.

And thank you for the second picture of Esmeralda as you say it has plenty of vital detail even in its current condition and every thing helps.
All the best

Nick

ballastanksian · « **Reply #35 on:** July 12, 2014, 08:15:13 pm »

How on earth are you going to work from plans that large Nick? Will you chop into sections and copy these or photograph the plan laid out somewhere (Hangar, Warehouse!?) and print them off as posters??

I am intrigued now.

raflaunches · « **Reply #36 on:** July 15, 2014, 09:30:58 pm »

Hi David

As promised I contacted Andrew Choong and he sent me the reply below:

The model of HMS Powerful (reference SLR0118) is actually still in storage at our outstation in Kidbrooke, roughly five miles away from Greenwich. It can be viewed by appointment, and the person to contact is the store manager, Mr. Bernie Bryant. You can reach him at BBBrya@rmg.co.uk or Tel: 020 8312 8601.

Hope this helps.

Hi Ian

I'm glad I've got you intrigued but unfortunately the solution is rather simple and rather mundane!

I've got a very good print shop in my local town who scan the giant plans and reduce them to size, the biggest problem being the length of the piece of paper and keeping it level as it enters the scanner. I'll be reducing it 1/96 scale so halving the paper size and the price is surprisingly cheap usually about £15 to reduce all 5 drawings I have. At the moment they are sitting in my parents spare bed room as it's the only room with hardly anything in it to prevent me viewing the plans from above! If I can I'll try to photograph them so you can see the size!

dodes · « **Reply #37 on:** July 15, 2014, 10:27:28 pm »

Hi Nick, was researching plans for myself and found this site " modelyard.narod.ru/English ", it is loha dockyard drawings, they are mainly 1/150 scale or smaller but have line plans and can be scaled up, seemed to have the Jap cruisers you are interested in. The one I was interested in the Ceres class as built was there for $30.
David.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #38 on:** July 16, 2014, 09:16:45 pm »

My local printers did that to my model boats plan but did not think to ask if their machine could take longer sheets assuming it just did A1 scans for A1 prints.

Thanks for the information Nick.

raflaunches · « **Reply #39 on:** July 19, 2014, 02:59:45 pm »

Hi Ian

Glad to have been of help, I only found out about the print shops abilities about 4 years ago when I had my Insect drawings scaled up to 1/32 scale. Now I use them every time I need re-scaling of plans.

Hi Dodes (David)

Thanks for website address I'll look into them to find some of the elusive drawings that they may have.

All the best

Nick

raflaunches · « **Reply #40 on:** September 20, 2014, 09:57:14 am »

Well, I've got a little closer to finding information on the Giovanni Bausan cruiser.
Whilst look through the darkest recesses of the internet I came across the Northumberland government website archives and found some beautiful pictures of the Giovanni, Esmeralda and the Japanese half sister to the class. Never thought I would find such clear photos. The ones of a ship being built/launched is Esmeralda.

The rest of the photos can be viewed on the link below, just type Giovanni Bausan in to the Keyword(s) box and then click on the Full record when it loads up, there are 23 photos on there!

http://www3.northumberland.gov.uk/catalogue/AdvancedSearch.htm

Liverbudgie2 · « **Reply #41 on:** September 20, 2014, 12:23:24 pm »

That's quite a find, interesting to see that the propellers were a little astern of the rudder. The lighter colour in all probability was salmon pink.

LB

ballastanksian · « **Reply #42 on:** September 29, 2014, 02:19:27 pm »

Salmon pink? You learn something new every day. I thought the colour was light but thought it might be light grey. Was the paint an anti fouling compound or just top coat?

Liverbudgie2 · « **Reply #43 on:** September 29, 2014, 02:36:26 pm »

It was an early form of anti-fouling in common usage at this period.

LB

ballastanksian · « **Reply #44 on:** September 29, 2014, 09:08:13 pm »

Thanks LB.

dodes · « **Reply #45 on:** September 30, 2014, 02:19:47 pm »

Hi Nick, like those pics you have just put on, the props are very interesting, very modern in design with those sabre shaped blades and interesting to see the shaft is not exposed, thanks.
David

dodes · « **Reply #46 on:** September 30, 2014, 02:33:28 pm »

Go for it Nick, if that is what you really fancy.
David

raflaunches · « **Reply #47 on:** October 01, 2014, 05:39:04 pm »

Sorry its taken me so long to return the replies, but my work (if you know what I work on!) has kept me very very busy over the last week!

Thanks LB for confirming the colour of the hull- I didn't know that they were salmon pink but you learn something new every day!

Hi Dodes

I'm definitely building Giovanni Bausan I've spend so much time researching her and finding the pictures (I've got one coming through soon from Australia!) and one day in the near future I'm going to do HMS Terrible.

News:

Author Topic: Help required to find Elswick cruisers plans (Read 16539 times)

cdsc123

cdsc123