Exciting development!

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Ashley wasn't asking a question …..he was being rhetorical (cream is available at your local Boots)

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I don`t understand the Southern humour…….Are we talking about Cherry Blossom now?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Another interesting construction picture

H&E Victorian style

These are not hand rails……Look at the people

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. I am sorry to be obscure in my comments.

Of course I know who designed the ship, and Stevenson was a great engineer JOKE JOKE !!!!!

THE man himself designed the wheel (presumably) so who are we to question the flimsyness or otherwise of it??

Great pictures, very evocative. I have a book called "Building the Dreadnought"or some such, and it is a pictorial record of Dreadnought building (Dreds in general, not just THE dred) and that has some truly gobsmacking pictures in it.

Ashley

[hutchParticipant @hutch73959]

HI Guys

No wonder she the SS GE lost a paddle wheel in a storm!

I had not seen the deck photos before very helpful for placing the life boats on my model.

I have made all 16 life boats but have only two fixed in place, had to stop working on GE to pull up the old carpet in the house!! its going into my train layout shed should make it a bit more cozey..its coming on for winter now.

Cheers

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Hutch

Pleased to read that you are still working on your card model

We would like to see your latest work in progress pictures please?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Now then…….What`s this lump of wood from Etherow Country Park doing in the GE thread?

I`m pleased you asked that, chaps

GE laid a Telegraph cable in the 1860`s……..As we all know, of course

Well, this lump of wood is a Telegraph Pole…….From about the same era

Got talking to the Warden today, about the history of the park and he happened to mention the lump of wood

I noticed it last week, being something new and it is octogon shape with a cast iron bracket

The park being quite large, needed a Telegraph system to control the sluices etc and they used Morse Code too!

I do like local history……

The Park is not really a country park……It was only open to the public in 1967 and it`s the site of a pre Victorian mill complex…….Operated by waterwheels

There are lots of old cast iron sluice mechanisms dotted about, with a private canal system and five story weaving sheds and at one time…….It`s own Gas Works!

I could go on for ever…….But`s that`s enough, I hear you say?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Are you chaps aware, that this thread is over four years old?………And still going strong!

I hope you don`t mind me posting a few of the best pictures…….For the new readers benefit?

For me, it was one of the most exciting five months of my model making career!

What an honour it was, to be invited to appear on the BBC Coast?…….One of my favourite TV programs!

I can remember clearly, the initial request coming through, via Colin Bishop`s Email and actually speaking to members of the Coast Team………The WOW factor was very real, that day!

If you have a few hours to spare, why not read the full story……….It`s an exciting adventure?

First picture, taken at New Brighton in Merseyside……..Near where the Great Eastern was actually broken up

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The first published photo of the completed model………December 2008!……….Three years before the BBC Coast got involved

Once again, I clearly remember Paul Freshney telling me over the phone, that GE will appear on the front cover!

WOW……What exciting news!……….completely out of the blue!

Bob

PS……..Like the rust?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

On this particular weekend, the club had two shows to attend

The main show was held at Event City at the Trafford Centre, Manchester

The second show was at Ellesmere Port, which is our preferred venue, but they had no vacancies!

Smooth talking Duckie, having the "Gift of the Gab" managed to convince the organiser at Ellesmere Port, that the show would be missing out on a Star Attraction, by not having Great Eastern on show!. This was after the BBC filming of course.

We were accepted……Only one day before the show too

Unfortunately, I can't remember the chaps name, but he treated us like Royalty!

He met us at the main gate and guided us to a private car park, round the back and found us a perfect spot in the main exhibition hall

Many thanks Mr Organiser

We had a lovely day, meeting all the visitors, who were familiar with the Coast filming at Hoylake, via the ModelBoats website

A day to remember

On the first picture, Bob has managed to make an appearance!…….Just for amusement

Bob and Duckie

 

Edited By Bob Abell on 06/05/2015 08:17:38

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

During the early build stage, I needed twenty skylights and they had to be identical, as they were in two rows of ten and any discrepancies would stand out….Like a sore thumb!

Had a brainwave!

I drew them out on CAD and printed them out on stiff card and they turned out…..Just the job

I did the same with all the cabins too

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Paddle wheel assembly……..This was a very important major section of the build and quite tricky too

The wheel shape was first drawn with CAD and printed off on stiff paper

The hole centres were centre popped into five sheets (one set spare) of 1.5mm ply, as a stack……Using the paper template and screwed to the lathe wooden backplate

Using a boring bar, the rings were turned in the lathe………What a job that was!

The four wheels were then assembled in the flat state………Like a Meccano set!

And finally assembled on a simple fixture stand…….Inside a cake box…..So as not to loose the 6ba nuts!

I can remember Paul having a good laugh about this, at the time

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The first sea trials with the BBC Coast team at New Brighton

My brother Geoff on the right with three New Brighton chaps

The snag with the New Brighton venue at the time, was the lack of nearby toilets and low water, due to nearby building work

The program was finally filmed at Hoylake……About 6 miles along the coast

New Brighton is a very nice seaside resort with acres of free parking

Bob

[Ralph PinchParticipant @ralphpinch41762]

Very very nice Bob, would have loved to have seen the program, BBC have taken the episode off now, like the lathe work on the paddle wheels, really need to get a back plate for my lathe, is that an old Myford you are using?

Ralph.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ralph

Pleased that you liked the paddle wheel construction

They were turned on my old Myford lathe, which I've had since 1977

Got a little modern Chester lathe now……..Both lathes have their good and bad points

The particular Coast program is on about four times a year…….Anytime now, I should think

It's Series 7. btw

I'm repeating a few incidents from the adventure, for the benefit of new members…..Too good to be overlooked?

Bob

Bob

[Ralph PinchParticipant @ralphpinch41762]

Yes Bob the Chester lathe is a good little machiene, got one myself but as you say has it's limitations, still for the next two years I still have the use of a good center lathe in the shop at work.

I'm lucky that I live not 3 miles from Chester Machines, so had a good look around before getting it, same machine under the Clark logo was £100 more at the time, pays to shop around and it came with the vertical milling head.

Will keep an eye out for a repeat of the program.

Ralph.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

In 1859, Great Eastern set sail on her maiden voyage to Holyhead in Anglesey, North Wales

But four days into the voyage, near to Hastings, there was a violent explosion in the number one boiler

A stopcock had been inadvertently closed. The explosion killed several stokers with many injured and blew off the chimney

Four days later, Brunel passed away having had a stroke sometime earlier

Here is my Photo Shopped version of the event

Bob

[Ralph PinchParticipant @ralphpinch41762]

Nicely photo shopped, that model is a beauty, did I read in one of your post that it no longer exists? Bob.

Ralph.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Ralph

Sorry to say it, but GE was scrapped during an over hasty clear out, a few years ago

I was suffering from Prostate cancer at the time and it didn't seem to matter

I do regret it at times

Luckily, I'm well out of danger now

Bob

[Ralph PinchParticipant @ralphpinch41762]

That's good news Bob, I have a good friend going through the same right now, thankfully the prognosis is good,

Very understandable given the circumstance.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

One of the most important features of large model boat building is the accuracy of the port holes!

Luckily for me , the Great Eastern had a flat deck. So I used the top of the bulwark as a datum edge for a simple drilling jig

Having drilled the first hole and inserted an eyelet and location pin, the remaining holes are easily drilled with no fear of misalignment

As you can see, making the jig was well worth the effort?

I suppose that if the ship had a cambered deck, the port holes need to be drilled in the early stages of the build. using a reliable datum edge

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

The model didn`t look right once it was painted

Why was that then?…..You ask

Because it was too clean!……..What?

It needed to be mucked up and rusty………And this actually improved the overall effect

If you looked closely, when you had the chance, you would easily have seen that the build was quite crude in parts, but it had the overall oil painting landscape effect and the eye was drawn to no particular area

The eye was drawn to the dirty areas and aggressive rusting and the overall picture

It was great fun applying the effects

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I`m very pleased that the re-issue of extracts from the early years, seems to be of interest to the readers

Thank you, chaps

Here`s a pleasing photo of the paddlebox build area

I particularly like the cleanliness of the woodwork and the Railway Children

These were exciting days…….Having only the net and photos to refer to, it was great fun making progress

Bob

[Ralph PinchParticipant @ralphpinch41762]

Bob, very impressive indeed, I can understand now why the BBC used your model, very realistic, but there is one question I have…….which model is Jenny Agutter?

Do love inane questions.

Ralph.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What are you, on about!…..Jenny Agutter?

Ah!…….Just twigged it!

Railway Children!

Very droll

Bob

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