Exciting development!

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Good to see you back Paul – how are you?

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I'm getting better and I hope to be posting on this forum again soon.

Having read Captain Bobs piece in the mag I wanted to give him my congratulations.

Perhaps now Bob can afford to give the GE a decent paint job and get rid of all that rust!!

Talk again soon

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Paul

Here we go again!

I know you don't really mean your caustic comments regarding my rusty trusty Great Eastern

A squeaky clean GE?……..Perish the very thought!

Capt B

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi GE fans!

Anybody out there live near to the Maritime Museum at Liverpooll?

I would like a few photo's of the cabin found in a local garden, being used as a summer houseat the time, which is an actual deck cabin off the Great Eastern!

I have written to the museum a few weeks ago and to date received no reply

Thanking you in anticipation and would be much obliged

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

You know me Bob and how I like clean paintwork, I still think that every ships model should look like the builders intended when it was first delivered.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

The proof of the rusty pudding will be decided when the film finally comes out?

Still no date yet for the television screening

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Just recieved a copy of the May 2012 edition of the ModelBoats magazine, many thanks to Paul Freshney and Colin, much appreciated

What a treat it is to see ones model beautifully illustrated in print!

The photo of a laughing Mark Horton on the front cover was taken by Dave Wooley just at the precise moment, I'm sure Mark will be pleased with it!

The sepia picture of the Great Eastern model compares very well with the oil painting of the full size ship with a very uncanny similarity, which is very pleasing and satisfying……..Well done Bob

There is an interesting mix of model pictures, old photos and excellent etchings describing the cable laying activity. You've got to really admire the etchings! considering the technical details being illustrated, it must have been a fine art in those far off days, some of the detail is extra ordinary!

I like the big close up picture of GE, taken by Dave Wooley, with the two flags in the background, Union Jack and Old Glory, tastefully provided by the Hoylake boys to celebrate the cable connection between the two countries……..The model looks big and awesome!……Nice one Dave!

The etching showing the grappling operation for the broken cable looks quite sinister and a little frightening, when you consider the implications of a lost cable, about a mile down in the depths….in mid Atlantic too! The story describing, losing the cable in mid Atlantic and returning to the same spot and retrieving the cable 12 months later is almost unbelievable

We are very pleased with the article and will treasure it forever……..Many thanks and well done to all the people involved

Bob Abell

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The credit is all down to you Bob, ther rest of us merely played minor supporting roles.

Let's hope it is broadcast before too long – and after that we can look forward to the 3D version!

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Good news, chaps

The BBC have released the broadcast date!

Sunday the 20th May on BBC2 at 9.00 pm

Looking forward to it with great trepidation!

Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Oh wow, will definitely be watching that! Have you got your dinner jacket and black tie ready for your premier performance? The wife'll need a smart new frock too!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Mark

Nice to hear from you again

Looking forward to the great occasion myself!

I trust you have seen the GE article in this months ModelBoats Magazine?

Bob

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Alas a very busy work and family life have got in the way (both are enemies of modelling), but it's a long weekend so I'll be off to pick up my copy

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

What's the next project Bob?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

At the moment, I just can't find any interest in a new project

How times change?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dear Captain Bob

I would value your opinion on HMS Terrible and HMS Powerful ( I really like the the cannon sticking out of of the hull sides.)

As it is from the same era as most of your collection I would like your thoughts on hull construction.

Paul

Edited By The Fat Controller on 06/05/2012 16:05:44

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello there Capt yerself

I suppose you already know that there have been eight HMS ships bearing the name………Terrible……What a daft name btw, but I 'm guessing you are referring to the 1895 ship?

Just for interest and to maintain the thread subject, there was a ship involved in the first cable laying exercise called HMS Terrible, but could have been HMS Terror.

I've never seen a ship of this era, with cannons protruding from the hull sides!

As for construction, my answer would be, to make it the same as Great Eastern and about 84 inches long?

Would you be building it from photographs or what?

Capt B

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Bob

Yes the 1895 edition which was one of the Powerful class.

As usual I would work up plans from photos.

Thanks for the input on hull length, daft question but did you work the GE to any of the usual scales?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Of course, I did!

100 to 1……….700 foot full size……..7 foot model

What was the length of HMS Terrible?

I guess she was not as big?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

500 foot by 71 foot, or so, protected cruiser…almost the same size as a battleship of the same period, 14.500 tons (approx).

I like the guns sticking out the side, and I know they would be the first things I broke on the ship!!

I saw one Victorian battleship somewhere or other and he had used rubber tube for the sticky out bits,,so they would bend, but I dare say that rubber mounting brass tubes somehow would do the trick.

Bob, Reminds me that I saw a large model of the GE in the London Docklands museum the other week

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Welcome aboard, Ashley……500 feet?

A 7 foot model works out about 1 to 70 …….And would make a nice chunky impressive model

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Bob

I don't want to hijack your thread so I will start a new one

Paul

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Captain Bob

………………..TODAYS THE DAY………………….ITV 10pm

My sky box is already set to record the show (so I can rewind and point out the mistakes )

I understand that Simon Cowell want to talk to you about being a judge in a new show called 'Britains Got Boats' …….but dont let that put you off building another show stopper!

Paul

ps can I have an autograph please?

Edited By The Fat Controller on 20/05/2012 10:45:07

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Paul

I was told by the BBC that the prog is being broadcast on BBC2 Coast at 9.00 pm

Someone should have gone to Specsavers!

Well chaps…..This is the final episode of my Great Eastern saga……The fruits of 14 months of involvement with the GE Project.

My family, friends and members of Etherow Model Boat Club and ModelBoats Forum members are all waiting expectantly with bated breath for the great event……..Hopefully

Captain B

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Nerves?

Got any butterflies old man

Good job its recorded as I would hate to see you fluff your lines. When you were filming did you get a dressing room?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

I did have a speaking part early on, but I don't think it will be used as my voice is not the Richard Burton style! Mark Horton did a lot of chitchat early on, so….who knows?

However, I did have the mike hooked up all day…..So every word I said was probably recorded!

Goodness know what I may have said?

We had a great exciting day with a good crowd

It was nice chitchatting with the Coast team and listening to their comments on past Coast Programmes

Mark was an early instigater of the Time Team series

All the best my M8……..Bob

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