HMCSS Victoria 1855 by BANYAN - 1:72

[BANYAN]

Hi folks, the new project.  I am not the sole builder of this model which is a club project for the Ship Modelling Society of Victoria.  I am coordinating the build, doing the research, drawing the plans and assisting in the build process.  I am providing this log as she is an interesting ship and I thought members may be interested. 

 

While designed as a warship along the lines of the contemporary Arrow and Vigilant Classes of Gun Dispatch vessels, she was operated in various roles, with only a very short period of active duty as a commissioned ship during the Maori Wars in New Zealand.  Her Majesty’s Colonial Screw Sloop (HMCSS) Victoria was built for the defence of the Colony of Victoria during the gold rush era.  

 

 

The above image is a copy of a purchased image from The Illustrated London News which shows her during her Builders Trials.  

 

Additionally, as much of the hull construction has already been completed, I will provide a summary of this part of the build only.

[BANYAN]

Background

 

HMCSS Victoria was the first major defence vessel ordered and built by the Victorian Government, with her order placed in 1854.  The ship was ordered to provide defence for the Colony during the ‘gold rush’ era as there was a perceived threat and fear that the riches of the Colony may prove very inviting to foreign interests; especially Russia.

 

The ship was designed by Oliver William Lang, naval architect and then the master-shipwright of Pembroke Dockyard, as a one-off design.  He designed the ship for no cost to Victoria on the proviso that he be given a free-hand in her design.  The ship was built by Young, Son and Magnay at Limehouse Docks, on the Thames in London in six months in the latter part of 1855.

 

 

HMCSS Victoria was delivered in January 1856 and arrived in Victoria 31 May 1856.  The ship had classic lines and was often remarked in the Press and by the public as a beautiful ship.  She was fitted out lavishly in mahogany with fittings the equivalent of a luxury yacht.  The main engines, boilers and marine engineering equipment were built by George Rennie and Co. at the adjacent Blackfriars Engineering; and, the innovative feathering screw designed and supplied by Maudsley.

 

According to her Build Certificate (27 July 1855) she is described as:

‘…round stern, carvel built steam-vessel 'Victoria' – that the said vessel has a half woman figure head, is flush decked and has a lower deck before and abaft the engine room , with platforms below the same – that the length from the fore-part of the stern aloft to the after part of the stern post is one hundred and sixty six feet – the broadest part above or below the main-wales is twenty seven feet, the depth of the engine room from the upper side of the floor to the upper side of the beam is fourteen feet nine inches; and the burthen is five hundred and eighty tons (OM).’

 

For further background on this ship, see the following site:

http://www.cerberus.com.au/hmcs_victoria.html

 

The following link provides a summary of the life of her Captain, William Henry NORMAN, who commanded her throughout her service life.

http://www.cerberus.com.au/muster_dadabik/index.php?table_name=crew&function=details&where_field=ID&where_value=90

Edited November 10, 2016 by BANYAN

[BANYAN]

Research

 

I do not intend to post copies online of the plans I have developed of this ship as there are some unscrupulous people out there whom turn them around for their own profits (as has been evidenced recently).  However, I will provide a background discussion on the research effort that has gone into this ship.

 

I think I have tracked down almost all known drawings, lithographs, plans, photos etc of HMCSS Victoria and it is a great pity the Government, Navy or other Australian authority have not kept any significant records etc.  It is almost like they washed their hands of the Victorian Colonial Navy L

 

 

The above image is an out of copyright lithograph of a painting of the Victoria by J Taylor c1860.  The image was obtained from (held by) the State Library of Victoria Identifier: H6503

 

There is only one painting that I am aware of that I do not have a copy of.  I have managed to purchase copies of all known photographs, wood cut etching (London Illustrated News) and lithographs etc.  The owner of the only known surviving/existing plan of the ship, a single sheet drawn by Oliver W Lang (ships designer) which includes the side profile, sheer and waterlines.  There is also a separate drawing of the ship's boilers, both of which have been kindly provided by the owner to let us take a copy in return for permanently displaying the model in his Museum (HMAS Castlemaine) when it is completed.

 

The only other known set of plans have disappeared from the Victorian Records Office (and no, the set discussed earlier are not those).  I have also assembled every newspaper article, journal articles, magazine articles I can find, including a copy of the Geoffrey Ingleton collection of related documents.  The services of a researcher in the UK were also engaged, whom has tracked down and provided copies of a lot of the correspondence between the various parties, authorities and family members etc (including Lang, the ship's agent, ship-build overseer (Commander Lockyer, RN), the Colonial Office and the Victorian Parliamentary Records office). 

 

The rest of the supporting information has been derived from searching through contemporary articles, journals, records, reports, publications etc to get the details of the listed equipment and fittings stated in the Contract.   I have also had some very useful help from a historian and author whom has done a lot of research on the history of the ship, but not the ship itself.  See: http://users.vic.chariot.net.au/~ianmac/vicship.htm

 

All of the information collected will be donated to interested not-for-profit parties on completion, probably either the Australian War Memorial or Navy Heritage Centre, but as the Naval heritage/history people do not seem to rate this ship it will probably be the earlier.

Edited November 13, 2016 by BANYAN

[Jim Lad]

Pat, she looks a beautiful ship.

 

It's a pity that so much of our early history has disappeared - especially considering that it doesn't go back very far!

 

John

[BANYAN]

As mentioned in the earlier posts, we have been moving ahead with the build and the hull has been completed, including the copper plating.  The screw Built by Chris Ramsey) to the Maudslay design, does rotate but we did not bother with the feathering at this scale.    This design of the feathering screw did not require the whole screw to be raised, but was rather locked in the feathered position when under sail.

 

     

 

  

 

cheers 

 

Pat

Edited December 11, 2016 by BANYAN

[BANYAN]

The bullwarks, roughtree timbers etc at this scale are very thin, and also as this ship was constructed without full frames (no projected timbers), we needed to develop a jig which is shown in the photos below.  The jig screwed to the deck (in locations that will be covered later) and expands outwards.  The bulwarks were then built up against this jig which supported them during construction.  The jig will be fitted again soon to allow us to cut out the various ports and access gates.

 

We decided to experiment with the deck as the scale size of the 6 inch wide deck planks would have proved to be a nightmare in planking.  The deck arrangements were drawn up in CAD and then printed on timber veneer which was then glued down to a false deck.  This has proven to be a reasonable approach for this model (cost and time); although, we have yet to deal with the glue joint .

 

    

 

 

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited November 10, 2016 by BANYAN

[BANYAN]

The current level of completion has seen the figurehead and channels added.  The decorations have been largely completed and the figurehead was built up and refined by club member Geoff Martin (who also designed and built the bulwarks jig, and completed most of the hull construction) -  this figurehead is only just over 18 mm total.  Another member (Geoff Peters completed the copper plates and I have added the channels and about to embark on adding the remain deck and hull fittings.

 

I have also opened the holes for the Tube Scuttles which were a combination airing port and light port designed by Oliver Lang.

 

This brings us up to date with her current status.

 

cheers

 

Pat

 

 

 

     

Edited November 10, 2016 by BANYAN

[druxey]

Interesting approach to the problem of adding bulwarks. Looks like it worked very well, Pat.

[BANYAN]

Thanks Druxey; it has proven a great method to date.  the real test will come when it is time to open the ports etc  We did think of using false risers as well but this proved a little easier according to the gent who did this part of the build.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Jim Lad]

Brilliant solution to fitting the bulwatks, Pat.  She's looking very nice indeed.

 

John

[BANYAN]

Thanks for looking in, the likes and comments folks; I am very happy to see the interest in this vessel.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work to date, Pat, along with some very heavy research.   It does seem almost a pity to paint and copper that hull though.  She has some good looking lines.

[albert]

Very nice work.

[BANYAN]

Thanks for all the likes and comments folks, much appreciated:

 

- thanks Albert

 

- Mark, a bit of a pity but this is the second ship we have done in the Colonial Navy series which is being displayed in the HMAS Castlemaine Museum ship.   They are both the same scale, and the other was painted so to be consistent ...

 

cheers

 

Pat

[russ]

Very interesting subject. The hull form is quite beautiful.

 

Russ

[BANYAN]

Thanks Russ, yes she was a truly beautiful vessel with a 'royal yacht' fit-out internally and cutting-edge (for then) equipment - at one point, Lang and the build over-seer [Lockyer], bemoaned the fact they could not get even more ventilation into the crew spaces .  Lang, who designed her on the proviso he had a free-hand did the design for no cost to the Government.  I think he was trying to prove a point to the Admiralty at the time of how to achieve the most efficient hull form for a vessel of this type.  Although like the Arrow/Vigilance class, she had a slimmer profile for speed, and shallower draft to allow her to work in shallow waters but maintained great blue-water sea-keeping performance.

Edited November 13, 2016 by BANYAN

[Erebus and Terror]

A great subject for a build! Lang also did the modifications on Erebus and Terror, and his stern modifications have clearly stood the test of time. I like your metal work on the screw propeller very much. Just wonderful work on the hull.

[BANYAN]

Very many thanks E&T.  Thanks for looking in and the compliments; as this is a club build (5 builders) I will pass them onto the respective builders of those parts; I can only claim a small contribution to the hull and the doing the channels though.

 

regards

 

Pat

[DenPink]

Hi Pat

 

Wow this is going to be some build.

Can I tag along please.

 

Denis.

[BANYAN]

No problem Denis, quite a lot of room in the front row still .

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith_W]

Missed the start of this log somehow. I shall follow with interest. 

[ggrieco]

I love these screw sloops. Beautiful marriage of sail and steam. I look forward to seeing her come together!

[BANYAN]

Sorry there has not been an update for a little while, I am back at the PC drawing up the plans, and continuing the research.

 

I am going to have to ensure a quality build noting the experience and abilities of the build followers

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith_W]

I am going to have to ensure a quality build noting the experience and abilities of the build followers

 

Go ahead then, lower your modelling skills to match mine! 

[SawdustDave]

Beautiful job on the hull and bulwarks Pat.  The copper plating is very well done.
I love the long graceful lines of this ship.  She looks very fast.... reminds me of a racing yacht.
Your club should be proud.  

 

Dave

[popeye the sailor]

WOW!    very nice looking ship Pat.........would be interesting to follow along.   great introduction BTW  

[BANYAN]

Well folks, apart from continuing to research I have been making some small progress on the model also.  The research is important as the results will determine the location of the fittings that I need to add to the bulwarks before doing any doing deck furniture etc, as it will be too difficult to do so later.  It is vital that I can determine the location and orientation of as many of the rigging fittings, pinrails, backstay straps, eyebolts etc before progressing too much further; otherwise, it will be a matter of redoing the work yet again.  Some rework has already proven to be the case (unavoidable) as we have no plans, and information on ships of this type is very scarce - so we were forced to make some assumptions which have since proven wrong

 

As you can see from the following photographs, I have started opening the ports; and, unfortunately I have also had to remove and redo about 95% of the roughtree timbers (risers).  I have completed that and I am now in the process of fitting the waterways.  Again there was not much information, and while the Contract had specifications for many of the ship's timbers/scantlings; all it said for the waterway was "to be shaped and fitted as shown on the plan" - not very helpful

 

Looking at the profile of contemporary vessels of this type, shows a very substantial  waterway with a profile as shown in the first drawing.  To obtain this shape I found it easiest to make it in two pieces which were then laminated, and then shaped at the rear with a slight profile to butt up against the bulwark planks which tumble out from the ship's side - see diagram 2.  The following photo (not very good) of the HMS Warrior forecastle shows this profile fairly clearly - I found this on the internet unsourced but I believe it is from the book "HMS Warrior, Frigate by Wynford Davies and Geoff Dennison.  Sorry about the in-your-face sizes of the drawings - I will need to to resize these first in the future.

 

 

 

 

The following photos show the waterway strips in their various stages of assembly and in being dry fitted.  I soaked the individual planks and used a bending jig to get the curved profile of each layer by stacking them in the jig, before gluing and profiling the outboard side.  The 45 degree profile was obtained by passing the plank though my mill fitted with a 45 degree cutter (in the upside down router style ). I then  glued the upper plank to the lower plank following the edge of the profile on the lower plank. This has worked out a lot better than I hoped but did take quite a few trials to get the right wood and mill speed combinations.  I have fitted a high-speed pulley upgrade to my Sherline mill to start approaching router like speeds - just have to remember this before attacking some metals (that need the slower speeds ).

 

   

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited February 7, 2017 by BANYAN

[russ]

Pat:

That is a clever way to make that waterway plank. Nice work.

 

Russ

[BANYAN]

Thanks Russ, the shape had me bamboozled there for a while

 

cheers

 

Pat

[cog]

Not for long it seems. Nifty piece of work, Pat