Squib 2

[gary smithParticipant @garysmith96394]

Hi Rick, thanks for the information, I would very much like to go to another regatta at Vicky park, and meet you and your dad if possible. It would be a very nostalgic time for me to say the least. I think my dad (Ernie) may have been a member of V.M.S.C. at one time as I remember being in the club/boathouse next to the pond when I would have been about 6 or seven years old, during regattas, though on reflection He may have been with the Mayesbrook club, its all a bit vague now of course.One model I do remember from Victoria club (apart from the R.T.P. hydroplanes ) was a beautiful steam tug called "Smokey" (this may have been a nickname) which I later saw on an episode of "Bluepeter".  I am sure it was the same vessel as I remember being impressed with the miniture coal shovel that was used to load the scale sized coal lumps for her boiler! She seemed a huge model  but I was  about 3 feet high myself at the time. I often wonder if she is still around. At this time I think my dad would have been running either a "Sea Queen" with a single cyl. petrol engine, which was a four stroke with exposed valvegear (the name of which escapes me) , or the boat which came after, which was a "Beachcomber"  in blue, with a Villiers or possibly J.A.P lawnmower engine, which may ring a bell with somebody. I am re-organising things at the moment to give me time to rediscover my (or rather my dads) hobby, so hope to get the restoration underway soon. I have put Squibb to one side for a moment to work on a model sport/fishing type cabin cruiser to get some experience to start with. She’s about 25" long and I’m trying to shoehorn a Sthil strimmer engine in place and she will be operated by R/C. I’m hoping that with a heavy flywheel I can get it to run slow enough to look realistic. Ambitious I know, but, thats what I have, so thats what I will use. There are quite a few parts out there for this type of motor as my friend has one in an R/C car that has some useful looking stuff like exhaust systems, reduction gearbox, drive shafts and suchlike. Squibb I will naturally try to keep original to Mr. Gates’s drawings, and the few photographs that survive. The speed of 8mph does seem a lot more likely I must admit.  I do remember an airscrew hydroplane clocking over 100mph at Victoria park, and will be surprised and very impressed if this is still allowed….The most awesome part of that run was the operator calmly walking up and dropping a cloth on the airscrew to stop it. I think he managed on about the third attempt, which I thought was pretty good going. Sorry to go on as usual, I’ll go check out the M.P.B.A. website now, thanks again Rick.

[gary smithParticipant @garysmith96394]

Flash steamer

[Author]

Posts