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[XS850]

Would appreciate some help please - trying to find plans (semi or scale) of my Dads old ship SS Chulmleigh (or similar) - shipwrecked on Arctic Convoys 1942, built 1937/8 in Sunderland (I believe).
Always fancied making this but have never found any drawings that seemed suitable, is there a possible central museum that may hold drawings or plans that can be accessed?
TIA - Bruce

[Colin Bishop]

You have probably seen the model here:

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26028/lot/2/

The nearest plan I am aware of is for the ss Caledonian Monarch of 1938, a ship of very similar tonnage and dimensions. Slightly different superstructure with two lifeboats on the aft boat deck and the bridge is not quite the same as you can see from the photos.

Brown Son & Ferguson sell plans for Caledonian Monarch and on the face of it I would think you could use these as a basis with an adapted superstructure to match the model sold at Bonhams.

https://www.skipper.co.uk/catalogue/item/caledonian-monarch-and-celtic-monarch-scale-lines-for-showcase-model

Caledonian Monarch model shwon here for comparison:

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2355/lots/71

Colin

[tonyH]

Tyne and Wear archives hold the William Pickersgill papers including some plans and photos, at least according to the Nat Archives entry. Certainly worth contacting them to find out just how big the pack is. They're pretty good up there in my experience.

Good Luck

Tony
PS. According to their site they've got 14km of records BUT they're not available at the moment due to "Essential Maintenance"

[Colin Bishop]

I saw that entry too but got the impression that plans would not be part of it. The problem with shipbuilder plans is that they tend to be large scale, often 1/48 so a plan of Chulmleigh would be over 9 feet long. Even rolled up, a set of plans for a single vessel can take up a lot of room so many were disposed of.

Colin

[tonyH]

Hi Colin,

I'm only going by the entry which includes "plans"   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N13739927 

I was up in South Shields not so long ago on another quest about Smiths and yes, that are big but it depends on how much Bruce needs/wants.
Tony

[Colin Bishop]

It is certainly worth enquiring and following up the link. With my current liner project I found that all the drawings were 1:48, presumably because they were literally working drawings which showed everything externally and internally down to individual WC pans! The builder's model was also 1:48.

I suppose one might ask what pratical use small scale plans would have been in those days. Perhaps someone more knowlegeable could enlighten us.

Colin

[Tug Fanatic]

I can imagine that detailed drawings were very much required for both costing & building purposes. The detailed specification for a liner must have been an enormous volume.

I cannot really imagine how you would cost the building of an something as large and complicated as an ocean liner in the 1930's yet it must have been done. 

[XS850]

Thank you for all the replies, Colin, thanks - I did see the Bonhams “Model” and would have been sorely tempted by it, except I think this was the earlier Chulmleigh from early 1910 time?  The photos I have do differ between the early to pre-war Chulmleigh.


The Caledonian Monarch does look very similar and with a bit of tweaking I could probably model Chulmleigh based on that - I’ll see what Tyne & Wear Archives come back with first - just emailed them.


Thanks again to all - Bruce

[Colin Bishop]

The Caledonian Monarch does look very similar and with a bit of tweaking I could probably model Chulmleigh based on that

I should think the hull lines would be very similar, you would only need to make an adjustment in the straight sided midsection.

Colin

[Colin Bishop]

I cannot really imagine how you would cost the building of an something as large and complicated as an ocean liner in the 1930's yet it must have been done. 

They would have had actual costings for earlier ships of a similar type so could have calculated a cost per ton with adjustments. The shipyards didn't always get it right though and not infrequently lost money or made little profit. The Brittany ferry Mont St Michel was delivered 6 months late in 2002 and the penalty is belived to have forced her Dutch shipbuilders into liquidation.

Colin

[Tug Fanatic]

How they cost major projects continues to mystify me. I am sure that you are right that experience helps a lot but even so I am impressed that they don't make major mistakes more often.

I guess that it might be slightly easier now where a lot of the design is very modular.