Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[Bob_V]

I am just starting a new project. I am looking for a copy of the Plans and Article on the Wideawake steam launch.

I am also looking for a copy of Vic Smeed's article on the River Queen/River Princess (I have the River Queen plan).

Can anybody point me in the right direction?

Bob.

[Bob_V]

I am now in possession of the Wideawake plan and articles, along with the River Queen article.

Many thanks to the Mayhem Forum members who helped me out.

Bob.
 

[triumphjon]

have you tried the phone number ? 01275 546772 , his address is , mike mayhew , waverley models , 20b moor lane , clevedon , somerset , bs21 6es .  . hope this is of some help . jon

[jasper051]

I am currently building the River Queen from scratch, using the drawings from late Vic Smeed (V102).
some time ago, I purchased the plan from Model Boats magazine, (Nexus) and am looking for further information regarding the construction and fittings.
I could found the article related to the Wide Awake" launch" by H. Crocker (model boats February, March and April 1972) and would be grateful if any contibutor to the forum could provide further reference about the building notes from Smeed. paper or scanned. many thanks.
some useful articles on steam launches, have also been published in french magazine, MRB, May and June 1987 by Raymond Andreotti.
a detailed description of a similar steam launch by Theo Albertdienst was given in RC Marine, February 1998 issue also in french. 
My model is progressing well, the clinker hull is completed with spruce clinker on an oak keel.
my experience of such hull proved much easier to do than anticipated from any reading of articles published in modelling magazines,
and the result is so nice, I strongly encourage modellers to try it, at least once.   
I should soon post some pictures. 

[jasper051]

Hello Bob,

Sorry for the delay? I had not forgotten you but building and finishing the river queen sucks more time than anticipated but is not it like always… ? I received the copy of the article you so kindly mailed and please receive all my most grateful thanks. In French modelling magazines, I have previously collected some articles on open deck clinker launches similar to Wide Awake or River Queen and although they are written in French, I will be more than happy to mail a copy if you are interested. 

I purchased the my Anton Amethyst kit some time ago, in September 2002 and from the price list attached to the  product catalogue, buying the engine as a kit “to be assembled” allowed to spare a couple hundreds Euros. The whole package included the boiler, gas tank and most required ancillaries but only the engine was offered as “machined and fully finished” parts. The assembly manual (in French) is perfect, text and drawings and can be followed to the letter to a fully functional result. Fabrice Bretagne, owner of Anton would not take risks by selling the boiler to be silver welded or soldered by “amateurs” as it needs to be tested and officially certified. From my experience, the main trouble with F. Bretagne and Anton is that they hardly reply to any request (by emails) or orders. The understanding being the workshop schedule (maybe a one man’s show) is overloaded with back orders. Would you like some help in French I will be happy to oblige and act as translator. The email address is fabrice.bretagne@club-internet.fr and my last attempt to raise him failed miserably. No reply so far. The website is http://anton-vapeur.fr
           
One of my friends owns a TVR1A engine, installed in a fibreglass hull bought from David Metcalf a lookalike of Topaz. Being more skilful with metals than yours truly, he designed and built his own boiler, gas and water tanks. I can ask him for the main dimensions of his boiler and capacity of the burner. 

Some further research also allowed to digging the JMC catalogue, or Jean-Marc Cloup. He used to produce steam engine plus boilers. The address is JM Cloup, 631, avenue Maréchal FOCH, 77190 Dammarie les Lys, France. Tel 00 33 1 64 39 60 72. the info dates from 1999. I ignore whether he is still in business.

Fro boat modellers there is a source of steam plants is located in Biarritz, the shop is named: Steam, 2 rue maison Suisse, 64200 Biarritz, France. There are very few shops in France, another is STAB, 18 rue Sacco and Vanzetti, 94800 Villejuif. There is no such shops in Belgium and the Germany, I have a language barrier problem. In Switzerland I mentioned Renomodel, a mr Gygax, residence Lecerf, CH 1264 st Cergue.

Based on the scarcity of shops and providers, to me, definitely, England is a paradise for boat modellers. No competition. You may find some general very useful info on steam boats in a publication from Traplet, titled; Scale Model Steamboats, by Phillip Vaughan Williams. My copy was printed in 2001 but it should still be available.

Happy to reply to any question, you may raise.
Best regards
FC.