Keith Black

Eberhard, the only chain driven paddle wheels I've seen were/are run by internal combustion engines but this vessel is definitely steam driven. I'm inclined to think the half wheels were gear driven which would have saved space by eliminating pitman arms.

This short video is a great look back on the subject at hand. The sternwheeler in the background (not the one pushing the barge) is a split in two halves paddlewheel. One of the main questions is, how where these split paddlewheels engineered to turn. I'm starting to think they may have been gear driven. If you'll note, there's a very narrow width at the center of the two halves, it doesn't appear to be enough space for two cylinders unless the shaft was made with offsetting journals and the pushed at an upward angle. So much research and not knowing where to look is a killer. For whatever reason the last video link does not alway play. in the first link you have to click the link and then click the far left image to bring up the video. https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fid%2F2104816477%2Fvideo%2Fsusquehanna-river-bottom-is-dredged-by-laborers-for-salvage-coal-run-off-from-upstream-mine.mp4%3Fs%3Dmp4-640x640-gi%26k%3D20%26c%3Dn-LdslyjCMPXAAQ5VTzYzbTr9i2ORyt7P0AEneuitJU%3D&sca_esv=7fef18164babfbf6&source=hp&ei=YR1OaLb_JfrIp84P1qLnmQc&iflsig=AOw8s4IAAAAAaE4rcWLxqF8GmSh8Mh3YCHahhR0Si6mZ&ved=0ahUKEwj2s8v-nvKNAxV65MkDHVbROXMQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fid%2F2104816477%2Fvideo%2Fsusquehanna-river-bottom-is-dredged-by-laborers-for-salvage-coal-run-off-from-upstream-mine.mp4%3Fs%3Dmp4-640x640-gi%26k%3D20%26c%3Dn-LdslyjCMPXAAQ5VTzYzbTr9i2ORyt7P0AEneuitJU%3D&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6ItYBaHR0cHM6Ly9tZWRpYS5nZXR0eWltYWdlcy5jb20vaWQvMjEwNDgxNjQ3Ny92aWRlby9zdXNxdWVoYW5uYS1yaXZlci1ib3R0b20taXMtZHJlZGdlZC1ieS1sYWJvcmVycy1mb3Itc2FsdmFnZS1jb2FsLXJ1bi1vZmYtZnJvbS11cHN0cmVhbS1taW5lLm1wND9zPW1wNC02NDB4NjQwLWdpJms9MjAmYz1uLUxkc2x5akNNUFhBQVE1VlR6WXpiVHI5aTJPUnl0N1AwQUVuZXVpdEpVPUgAUABYAHAAeACQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCSBwCgBwCyBwC4BwDCBwDIBwA&sclient=gws-wiz#imgrc=dKKHNdGkDUEucM&imgdii=JAkcoAbrXzNgcM https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/video/the-bottom-of-the-susquehanna-river-is-dredged-by-news-footage/2104816477

The skylight turned out very nice, great job. if you wanted to give the skylight the look of glass you can cut thin clear plastic from processed food containers. I've done this a number of times and it woks really slick. You have to do all the painting or staining first and once that is done just add a tiny dab of CA on the inside corners, only doing two corners will work to hold the plastic. Just add enough CA so it doesn't smear onto the visible area.

Good morning, Eric. I've got some windows arriving from Itchy Train today and I'm about to start building the hull. Did you see Lula and the pile driver in the Album images section? About a week ago I had a chance to check out the port side area next to the pilot house and I don't think that's a skiff/dinghy, If you look through the engine room window toward the port side you can see a vertical pipe with a circular valve handle near the top. A diagonal (?) crosses in front of the vertical pipe just below the valve handle. There is a horizontal pipe more to center of the vertical pipe. All this piping could be part of a centrifugal pump system with parts of it next to the pilot house on the port side? Though small, the photo below is the best view of the area on the port side next to the pilot house. For that "white" to be bow, the stern would hang off the edge and would make for a crazy storing angle. Thank you for checking up on me. I should have a final answer on surgery this coming Tuesday. As of last Tuesday the surgeon wanted me to travel to Detroit for surgery but after further discussion he is going to get with two over vascular surgeons and go over all the reports to make sure everybody is on the same page. Keith

Well, that tugs at me ole heartstrings.

Jacques, don't waste the box. Close up the open end, put some outside bracing and turn into a crate. It's the perfect size.

Congratulations, Chris. A lovely model, very well done.

The more I look at the "rock" the more I like it just as is. There are natural steps on the left side leading up to the SIB.

Amazing work, Ilhan. Thank for showing us how you made the ship's boats.

Valeriy, your metalsmithing work is always a pleasure to see.

Plywood has its place but that place isn't for parts that will be out in the open. It's that kind of attention to detail that turns a good model into a great model. Well done, Mark.

I don't even know about oiling her? She needs some sort of protection but I tell ya, that last photo sends me, just like she is!

Paul, this is such a tidy build, everything is put together spot on. You sure you wanna paint this beauty? She'd look sharp al natural, just sayin'.

Great work, great story, Ian.

The hull turned out swell, John. Now, the really fun part of the build starts.

Great attention to detail, Jacques.

Welp, the first one doesn't do too much for me but that second ONE! It's got my Zen-O-Matic 2000 vibrating on all eight universal cylinders. All joking aside, Glen, the second one is really beautiful, the rock is just right. You know, you ain't gonna have much of a place left you keep including stuff from the homestead in these SIB projects.

It's not a black hole, Glen. It's the tweezers, the devil's own tool.

The early transition period is my fav period even though fraught with build issues due to lack of information. Any of the wood hull screw frigates from all navies is my cuppa.

Mashuno, welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard.

Looking super, Ian.

Thank you, Eric. There are so many questions about parts of this push boat that are hidden or the view obstructed. I think what I need to do is build the hull, replicate the engine room, and pilothouse as faithfully as possible and then start adding those obscured items including, the boiler, wheel's steam cylinders, mud drum, beam engine for boiler feed, hand pump, and coal bin.

I've got this sternwheeler virus bad. Now there's a working boat that you need to build, Keith. That's a fine example of one. Thank you, Eric. Yes, please because I'm having a devil of a time seeing it but as I said, I'd dearly love for you to convince me it's a dinghy because it makes life much easier. Glen, I very much wanna believe but I don't see a dinghy, then I don't know what I'm seeing. As far a being a dinghy cover, I'm not sure a dinghy cover was a priority item aboard this vessel. One of the many things we've yet to discuss is crew. Only two crew members are pictured and I don't see hide nor hair of a third which would have been the engineer. Could they have gotten away with just a two man crew? That seems a bit sketchy.

Eric, thank you but for whatever reason I'm having a hard time seeing that as the bow of a dinghy. I wish it was a aha moment because there should be a dinghy somewhere aboard and it removes one of the many question marks. If you and Eberhard see a dinghy then dinghy it is and I'll build accordingly. Thank you again! Thank you, Eberhard.

I bet that took some time thinking out the process of putting that little jewel together, Eberhard. Nicely done.