Exciting development!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob..all that effort on your part for originality…and the transmitting stuff is in a plastic sandwich box !!!! oh no.

 

Ash

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

If Tupperware is good enough for the Queen then it’s good enough for Bob and the BBC.

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hey up!

 

Whilst we`re being silly………I think the buttie box was a good idea!……..It kept the PC bites, nice and fresh!

 

Sorry chaps, that`s the best I can do!

 

Bob

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

Digressing for a moment Bob while at a steam rally over the weekend I spotted this not so micro chip on display on a memorabila display it basically does what your average intel proccessor does in your average modern laptop and dates from circia 1980

 

its about 2 foot on the long sides how times change

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Phil

Talking of buttie boxes and PC bites etc, your picture could almost……be the Wensleydale pie!

Bob

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

not sure bob didn’t think the wensleydale pie was that big lol

 

Phil

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello all you cable fans!

 

Had a trip out to Chester today and went in search of the legendary Telegraph Cable sign. We found this one hiding in the nettles, looking rather worse for wear!

 

On this side of the river, there used to be the headquarters of Western Command and could have had some connection?

 

Bob

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Last week, we had the club regatta in aid of “Help for Hero`s” fund

 

In order to get the Jeanie Deans boats in a sailable condition, I had to cannabalize parts off Great Eastern…..chain drive, radio and keel weights etc

 

The other day, Anna from the Coast team phoned to arrange another filming session at Hoylake!

 

The thought of reassembling GE and all the travelling aggro and the current weather situation etc simply filled me with deep foreboding!

 

As much as we enjoyed the last filming session, I had to decline my services and I don`t feel very happy about it.

I offer my sincerest apologies to Anna and the Coast team for letting them down

 

They wanted to film some underwater shots of the cable, but luckily, they say they can improvise without GE being present, so that has made me feel a little better now

 

The Coast team will let us know beforehand, when the programme will be shown

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob.. oh dear !!

 

I must say i used to have this problem. loads of boats and not enough gear to go round, however I have bitten the bullet (?) and outfitted all my boats with their own radio gear and ballast etc.

 

One of the reasons for this is we go sailing most Sunday mornings and I like to take different boats out, in turn, for an outing . So, taking 4 or so “craft” (you know my esoteric collection)along is tricky when I used to spend an hour before hand swapping bits over and testing them. It gets too much.. so i splashed out and now i simply have to pick up a boat, battery and crystal and off we go…

 

you know it makes sense

 

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

 

I know it makes sense!…..But when one wants a length of chain…..”Right away”….one doesn`t want to wait a week while it dawdles through the postal system….When one has said chain in an old boat…..Doin` nowt!

 

The keel weight was a pain too……Didn`t fancy raiding another church, for some lead!

 

You know it makes sense!

 

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ahoy there, boys!

 

Shiver me timbers!…….Have I got egg on me face!

 

On page 42 and elsewhere………. I mentioned the ship HMS Agamemnon, as being of Trafalgar fame, alas, this is incorrect!

 

There has been five HMS ships and one submarine of the same name and this Agamemnon was built in 1852 as a fully rigged ship but with a steam engine powered screw propellor!

By chance, I mentioned on page 43 that the ship could have been fitted with a steam engine, for improved manoueverability………..Nice one, Bob!

 

Talking of egg on me face…….Nelson`s Agamemnon had the nickname……Egg and bacon!………..Another nice one, Bob!

 

I trust you all found that interesting?……..Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Moderately…

 

I have an interesting book about steam paddle warships. A much unregarded and ignored class of ship, much utilised at the time in preference to the forest of “wooden walls” which was the bulk of the fleet, and eminently modelable if I can find a suitable hull….always wanted to build a paddle ship, just waited to find the right subject. ESPECIALLY as someone has already built a G.E to much public acclaim.

 

Ashley.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ashley

You can get FG hulls and kits for Jeanie Deans from a supplier I just can’t remember the name of, at the moment but could find it without too much trouble if required

Since Christmas isn’t too far off now, how about a nice letter to Santa from your Beranga, asking him for a Glasgow kit?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Next Thursday there is a Time Team programme on Channel 4 at 9pm which is looking at the remains of the GE’s launching slipway and discussing why they had all those problems with the launch.

 

One to watch I think!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Colin

Going off memory, I thought it was next Friday?

I’m looking forward to it

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Definitely says Thursday 10th in my programme guide Bob.

 

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob, a firm called http://www.Orion mouldings.com makes a schooner hull at 40×9 inches….may do the trick. Making paddles is always the hangup with these sorts of things??

 

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

You can buy some nice paddle wheel sets, from Waverley Models and Clyde Model Boats for example, but they do cost a bit….

 

On the other hand you can save money on motors and batteries by using a couple of trained hamsters.

 

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Hamster wheels…I like it.

 

I could see that depth of paddlewheel immersion might be a critical factor here??

 

Ashley

 

P.S I would have to gag them to stop the squeaking

 

Actually….thinking outside the box may be an answer..must be some items out there that, with a bit of fiddling, would make, or could be turned into, paddle wheels…

Edited By ashley needham on 06/11/2011 19:50:50

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ashley

If you like things simple, forget the feathering mechanisms altogether and there’s not really a problem with making the paddle wheels

But I don’t think the plastic Graupner paddlewheel kits are that expensive anyway

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Paddle wheel immersion isn’t a problem, the little blighters will soon learn to run a bit faster….

 

I think that squeaking could sound quite authentic, people pay lots of money for electronic sound effects, so even more savings.

 

Colin

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Talking of hamster wheels you may be interested in my wife’s Mouseboat

 

 

Gareth

[Phil Winks 1Participant @philwinks1]

Very novel wouldn’t it be great if the wheel was animated eh

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hey, you lot!

Enough of this flippant nonsense on my very serious Great Eastern thread!

I’ve Just been watching my old pal, Mark Horton, digging up sheets of genuine GE plates, 7/8″ thick, complete with dozens of rivets at Rockferry…..on a Coast programme of course

I hope they go on display somewhere!

Great Eastern seems to be quite popular lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if my model is required again, in the near future?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

This is the BBC Coast, Five series, part one, that shows the treasure hunt for the Great Eastern relics

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLObOWZjo5I

 

Rockferry…….GE`s graveyard

 

Mike Stammers and Mark Horton searching for relics

 

Here it is!

A rivetted plated being excavated!

But, how do they know it`s from the Great Eastern?

I wonder what else lies buried in the mud?

 

Still very interesting……Bob

 

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