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Author Topic: Thames lighter...  (Read 6891 times)

U-33

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Thames lighter...
« on: February 15, 2015, 07:00:26 pm »

Chaps, spot of advice please...

I have a Thames lighter hull to go with my springer tug...measurements are: L 27.25", Width 8.5", Height 4.5". I want to motorise it and fit a small stern cabin, so I'm thinking another one of Dave's 550 motors, a 12v 7a/h gel cell, and maybe a 35-40mm brass prop. I'll fit a false floor to cover the motor and radio, and give it a nice light load of wood of some sort.


Does the motor/battery combination sound about right? Any advice forthcoming?


Rich
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Rich

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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2015, 10:32:15 am »



It will  'surf' along with power like that.  It all sounds too meaty for that size of hull.    I use that combo for a larger tug   %)

ken


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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2015, 10:35:40 am »

Ah...ok. Maybe I should detune my proposed plan a bit, then...maybe a 12v 385 motor, using the same battery (ballast) would be a better idea.


Cheers Ken,


Rich
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Rich

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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2015, 10:56:18 am »



Soooper  choice.  Don't forget that when laying a 7 A/Hr battery on it's side  (longways)   that one side will be heavier than the other.  You need to float test the boat to position it in the right place.  (ask me how I found this out )   {-)

Watching with interest

cheers

ken
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2015, 11:01:32 am »

Good point, young Ken...the drawing is ultra busy this morning. I can compensate for the weight on one side by placing the esc/rx opposite the light side to balance it up. A bag of lead balls can also help in cases like this.

I won't embarrass you by asking how found out... %)


Rich
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Rich

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tugmad

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2015, 01:10:17 pm »

Hi  my friend has built a lifting lighter on one of these hulls, the next size up and he has powered it with two MFA geared motors driving 45mm props,  he has cut two holes in the bottom of the hull and then cut tunnels to fit  so that the props actually run in tunnels above the hull bottom,
I have asked him to send me some of his construction pictures to explain this method, the reason that he did it this way was because if you stick the prop out of the back swim of the barge you have no water flow to it and if you stick it through the bottom you end up with a shaft a a silly angle, I have some pics of the finished barge at the moment ,but I will post the build pics later when he sends them to me.   Geo
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2015, 01:19:47 pm »

That's terrific Geo, a real smart looking vessel. Mine won't be anything like that I fear, I'm working from memory...I saw a lighter on a tv programme a couple of nights back, that's what I'm going by. It had a small cabin at the stern, and an open hold piled high with timber, just lashed down with ropes...I think it had a winch of some sort on the bow, a few bollards, and that was basically about it. No fancy masts, although I seem to remember a couple of lights showing, and there was a big lamp illuminating the cargo hold.


I hadn't thought about putting the prop shaft in a tunnel...this was supposed to be a quick and easy build whilst I wait for some more bits to arrive for the tug.


Rich
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2015, 01:49:57 pm »

Waste not, want not, as my old mum used to say...I thought I may as well recycle the cabin off the smashed Bugsier. A touch of filler, fresh paint, and I think it will be fit for purpose.


Rich
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Rich

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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2015, 02:37:51 pm »

Blimey, Ken...you sure? Poor little 385 motor looks lost in there...


Rich
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Rich

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tugmad

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2015, 03:05:25 pm »

Hi Rich here are the pictures of Brians lighter showing the tunnels in the stern, the tunnels were made by cutting wedges from 3" plastic pipe and glassing them into the hull.
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tugmad

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2015, 03:07:10 pm »

Just a couple more I dont know if this will help at all    Geo
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2015, 03:10:44 pm »

That's marvellous, Geo...many, many thanks for those photos, looks reasonably easy to do (says he with fingers firmly crossed...  %)  )


Thanks again, much appreciated,


Rich
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Rich

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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2015, 09:54:36 pm »

Quote
Blimey, Ken...you sure? Poor little 385 motor looks lost in there...

You could be right.    :embarrassed:      I'll leave it up to you then.

Cheers

ken

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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2015, 01:07:18 pm »

The deck sections for the lighter have just arrived, I had them cnc cut in 3mm styrene by Andy at Models By Design...less than a tenner, including postage, and three days from ordering to delivery. I had them cut oversize, the extra pieces will be glued under the joins to strengthen everything up.


Now if only Cornwall Model Boats would extract their digits and send me the styrene strip I ordered for the deck braces I could get on and build something...


Rich
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hmsantrim

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2015, 04:21:14 pm »

Hi Rich.
 could you use a crane and winch from a sea port for the build.
 
 frank
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2015, 04:37:53 pm »

That's an idea Frank...a hold full of sand and a crane to unload it. I like that...and a winch to winch things.


Rich
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Rich

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~~~~~~~  "Motorflotes need love too...."  ~~~~~~~

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hmsantrim

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #16 on: February 21, 2015, 05:24:54 pm »

hi Rich.
 If you put a frame under you deck opening and have a lip sticking out you can make a tray that can drop on to the lip and have it covered with model railway aggregates.  You can either say its a grab dredger or motor barge.   O0
 
 frank
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #17 on: February 21, 2015, 05:39:35 pm »

Good thinking, Frank...could also have a load of cut timber as well. Coffee stirrers...


Rich
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Rich

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~~~~~~~  "Motorflotes need love too...."  ~~~~~~~

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Big Ada

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #18 on: February 21, 2015, 05:53:37 pm »


I made this to go on a Ricky Webbs Barge, no Plan just, " If it looks right " , its all made from sheet Styrene.

 
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U-33

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #19 on: February 21, 2015, 06:31:02 pm »

That looks cracking, I like that...you're giving me all sorts of ideas.


Rich

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Marc St Hilaire 60

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2015, 06:16:25 pm »

Very nice!

What scale do you reckon it is? I have the same hull I bought at a show many years ago and never got around to finishing. Mine came with the decking and hatch moulding. I was thinking 1:32, giving a full size lenght of about 72 feet. Is that about right for a Thames lighter?
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lighterman

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #21 on: March 24, 2015, 11:45:38 am »

There were many barges (lighters) used by the navy and the royal engineers to be converted into invasion craft they had twin engines fitted aft either side of a ramp and twin rudders. The history of these beasts is in a book called 'those wallowing beauties' they were converted to flac ships, barrage balloon barges even floating cookhouses, (see picture)  The thing with swim head craft they are fine being towed as the fixed rudder (budget) keeps them in a fairly straight line and when being driven under oars but there have been many attempts to fit single rudders and believe me they don't work in the real thing as the plate of the rudder has to be so be so big to fight for steerage around the turbulence caused by the after swim. In the book mentioned the author says the invasion craft had to be steered by the engines and then swung round and kedged in on the anchor running full astern up the beach. they carried an insisted lighterman and their skills with handling craft under oars (known as sweeps) to help keep them stern on.
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thamestug

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #22 on: March 25, 2015, 04:58:11 pm »

One I Built a while back
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dodes

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Re: Thames lighter...
« Reply #23 on: April 08, 2015, 09:02:24 pm »

That is a beauty of a model lighter, just like the ones I remember for various reasons used on the Thames and Medway. Talking about poor steering because of the water turbulence, Crescent Shipping had a small coasting barge called the Action (registered at Rochester), she was twin screw manual chain steering gear. She was said to be so bad that you had to keep going hard over to hard over to try to keep a reasonable course, sometimes when going over the North sea to the continent the crew would lash the wheel hard over and leave the engines at slow ahead then turn in asleep for the night.
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