Robert E Lee by bcochran - FINISHED - Pyro - 1/163 - PLASTIC - steamboat

[bcochran]

Completing the port hog chain with the Cathead's idea of chains going through the hurricane deck to the hull.

 

Need to finish the stages rigging.

 

This work today, then rig the yawls and rear lifeboat tomorrow and my Robert E Lee will be finished except for any people, freight and animals I might add.

Edited August 14, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

The sides of the yawls and lifeboat (all the boats in the kit are the same) have molded cover hold downs on them.  You could easily make a cover for the top and leave the sides as they are and have a decent covered boat.

 

I read in my research that these yawls were never covered, so I am sanding the sides smooth.

Edited August 15, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

4 hours ago, Coyote_6 said:

What a fabulous and elegant build.  I especially liked the firewood stacks on the deck and the grand staircase at the fore.

 

The build really gives great insight into the layout of a piece of history!  You can imagine the excitement when something like the Robert E. Lee pulled in along the river.

 

Thanks for bringing us along.

Thanks for the reply.

 

I've had fun building this model. During this build, I have acquired 4 books about the race and a couple about river boats.  The one I am currently reading is about the lives of African Americans on these Mississippi boats from the civil war and after.

 

All these books are not only about the titled story, but give much incite to the boats themselves.  I've gone from a little knowledge of the large Mississippi River boats like the Lee to someone who can talk about them.

 

So the pleasure I get is not only building and detailing, but also learning about the subject I am building.

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Yawl  (riverboat boats were called yawls) before being rigged.

 

Freight being decorated.

[bcochran]

A map of the route of the race between the Robert E Lee and the Natchez will be the bottom of my displace case.

 

It comes from the book shown here.  I will need to take it to a printer to resize.

 

So my Robert E Lee will be resting on the Mississippi River.

Edited August 15, 2022 by bcochran

[Cathead]

That's a cool idea.

[bcochran]

Just a small piece of this rigging needs to be done.  I think the quality of it doesn't measure up to the rest of the boat.  I think my line is too thick.

 

It's easy for me to do it over, since it's held together with water salable white glue.

 

I am going to do it over with a thinner line. It just doesn't measure up to the rest of the boat.

 

 

I am reaching the point where I want this build to be over.

 

I have the yawls to rig and add any people and freight.

Edited August 15, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Well the stage rigging that I did is remove., I am going to try to do better with thinner thread.

 

So I still have yawls and stage rigging to do.

 

I wouldn't be happy if I didn't do a re-do.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2022 by bcochran

[TAGood827]

May I ask what the titles are of the books you mentioned?

 

I have The Great Steamboat Race by Barkhau, I just found a copy of Willie Jasper's Golden Eagle so that's now on the way. I also have Fastest On The River along with a copy of the Cycopedium and Steamboats of the Western Rivers inbound.

 

Thank you!

[bcochran]

6 hours ago, TAGood827 said:

May I ask what the titles are of the books you mentioned?

 

I have The Great Steamboat Race by Barkhau, I just found a copy of Willie Jasper's Golden Eagle so that's now on the way. I also have Fastest On The River along with a copy of the Cycopedium and Steamboats of the Western Rivers inbound.

 

Thank you!

Fastest On the River                                                       by Manly Wade Wellman

Willie Japer's Golden Eagle                                            by F N Monjo

The Great American Steamboat Race                            by Benton Rain Patterson

The Great Steam Boat Race                                           by Roy L Barkhau

Way's Packet Directory 1848 - 1883                              by  Jr Frederick Way

The Western Rivers Steamboat Cyclopedium               by Alan L Bates

https://www.steamboats.com/museum/

https://steamboats.com/research/index.html

The Mississippi Steamboat Era in Historic Photographs: Natchez to New Orleans, 1870-1920, by Joan W. Gandy, Thomas H. Gandy

Black Life on the Mississippi: Slaves, Free Blacks, and the Western Steamboat World

Thomas C. Buchanan

 

 

Funny thing,  Wellman always refers to the main deck where the boilers as the boiler deck.

Edited August 16, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Here is some freight going on board the Lee.

 

Painted, washed with artist oils, then dry brushed.

Edited August 16, 2022 by bcochran

[TAGood827]

That should keep me busy for quite some time!

 

My ultimate goal is an R/C version of one of these grand ships.

 

Thank you very much!

[bcochran]

The stern work yawl is done. 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

I am working on the rigging.  I haven't gotten it to my liking, but I will soon.

[bcochran]

Rigging in process.

[bcochran]

This is from a book titled "Come Hell or High Water" by Michael Gellespie.  It describes what the boats looked like.  My boat very much like it.

 

An occasional touch of color offered pleasant relief from the glaring white superstructure of most boats. Decks and roofs often were darkened with shades of blue. Many steamers featured a red stripe painted lengthwise on their white hulls. A few boats sported red or green hulls with a corresponding white stripe. The famous Natchez established a singular tradition with her trademark red chimneys. The most aesthetically pleasing opportunity for adding color to the boats’ exteriors came in the design and adornment of paddlewheel housings. Here, bold and husky letters, with bright-colored shadowing, visually shouted a boat’s name to all that came in view. Sometimes the name of the packet company or the points of destination would appear in an arc along the edge of the housings, and paintings frequently graced the wheelhouse sides. These works of commercial art ranged from simple sunburst patterns to intricate murals that in some way depicted or elaborated the name of the boat. The display of banners and flags was another means of adding color and distinction. Besides the jackstaff on the bow and the verge-staff on the stern, there were flagstaffs near the wheelhouses and sometimes aft of the pilothouse. The national colors flew at the verge; brightly embellished pennants heralding the name of the boat and the principal cities it served waved from the other staffs. Etiquette suggested that the city or person for which the boat was named should donate the banners when the steamer made her first home port call. It was all very flashy, all very colorful, and of course, all intended to attract business.12

Edited August 20, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Complete except rigging the boats and adding any people and freight.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Freight is aboard.

Edited August 21, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

Pork roast and ham will be on the menu this trip.

[Cathead]

Never seen pigs leave a deck that clean! Seriously, lovely model, that'll look great on display. Neat to see the extra attention you paid to learning about the backstory and getting more details right.

[bcochran]

Well, this is my last picture and last post for this log.

 

My Robert E Lee is basically finished. The boats still need to be rigged and the people added.  It will be a while before I finish that.  Anything I add will not change it much.

 

This what she looks like in her display case.

 

If anyone wants to add to this log, please do so. 

 

For me, it is a few more projects then back to my Cutty Sark.

 

My surgery is healing. Most days I am in a bit of pain, others not so much. I don't walk much on the pain days, but I feel like I am healing.

 

Thanks for all the likes and input.  You folks are the best.

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by bcochran

[Cathead]

Congratulations! She came out nicely. Thanks for sharing your work. Did you have the case custom-made, or do it yourself?

 

Best wishes for continued recovery. 

[bcochran]

The display case was made by Acrylicjob.  I ordered it online.  You tell them the dimensions you want, and they make for you.i

 

https://www.acrylicjob.com/

Edited August 22, 2022 by bcochran

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[CDW]

What a beauty! Excellent build thread, enjoyed it so much. Thanks!

[yvesvidal]

On 8/21/2022 at 5:06 PM, bcochran said:

 

Well, you turned a difficult plastic model into a real gem. Congratulations and thank you for taking us through the building of that kit. I cannot wait to see the map of the river, displayed below your ship.

 

Yves

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Your Robt. E. Lee was nicely finished ... congrats!  Obviously the best visual upgrade was the HIS Models wooden decking, as plastic is notoriously difficult to paint resembling unpainted wood.  Reals wood is  ... real wood!  Recently I chanced upon a Lindbergh version of the kit (didn't note the price) in a gift shop of a PA tourist cave (the Admiral wanted cabochons from the adjacent rock shop), and I'd later go through all the builds on the forum for all kits (using the handy shortcut list of links).  Duh, it seems that here is another project that doesn't involve the sort of extensive rigging needed for 'mainstream' models in the age of sail (stropping blocks/deadeyes, shrouds with ratlines, lifts, halyards, braces, clew and sheet lines, ... ).  

 

   A couple 'limited rigging models' are in my stash - Billings Roar Edge and Oseberg - and I'm 2/3rds done with Woody Joe's Khufu ship.  So the Lee would also fall into the same category.  (I'll take my dip into 'real' rigging eventually, perhaps with OcCre's Endurance - which has rigging of 'moderate' complexity.)  While surfing Ebay, I found a 'vintage' Scientific Robt. E. Lee kit (unbuilt) for just under $60, while other listings for the same went up to $138.  Lindbergh kits were about $60, but the wood deck upgrade is $70 ... so I ordered the Scientific version (photos of the box content were satisfactory) and should get it next week to add to the stash.

 

  It was quite interesting to compare and contrast all the Lee builds available on MSW.  For one thing, there was some discussion as to what the 'actual' scale of the Scientific was - since the box printing states 1/8" = 1.45' .   The model's full length is 24 1/2" (also on the box) ... and the original was 297' (3,564").  Divide 3,564 by 24.5 and you get 145.46.  Hmmm, that rounds to 1:145 !  Perhaps a flub somewhere (or miscommunication) explains what got printed on the box.

 

  The Amati kit is about 1:150 (thus very close to the Scientific) but retails for around $400 new.  Both kits have pluses and minuses, which I may go over if I do an unbuilt kit review of the vintage version.  The plastic versions say either 1:163 or 1:164 (22" model).  The Bluejacket version is supposed to be around 1:130, thus about a 28" length.  Given the aprox. 100 yard length of the original, a 1:100 model would be about 36", but would have to be scratch built.

 

  Pick your poison , I guess.         Johnny

[bcochran]

On 9/10/2022 at 11:31 AM, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  Your Robt. E. Lee was nicely finished ... congrats!  Obviously the best visual upgrade was the HIS Models wooden decking, as plastic is notoriously difficult to paint resembling unpainted wood.  Reals wood is  ... real wood!  Recently I chanced upon a Lindbergh version of the kit (didn't note the price) in a gift shop of a PA tourist cave (the Admiral wanted cabochons from the adjacent rock shop), and I'd later go through all the builds on the forum for all kits (using the handy shortcut list of links).  Duh, it seems that here is another project that doesn't involve the sort of extensive rigging needed for 'mainstream' models in the age of sail (stropping blocks/deadeyes, shrouds with ratlines, lifts, halyards, braces, clew and sheet lines, ... ).  

 

   A couple 'limited rigging models' are in my stash - Billings Roar Edge and Oseberg - and I'm 2/3rds done with Woody Joe's Khufu ship.  So the Lee would also fall into the same category.  (I'll take my dip into 'real' rigging eventually, perhaps with OcCre's Endurance - which has rigging of 'moderate' complexity.)  While surfing Ebay, I found a 'vintage' Scientific Robt. E. Lee kit (unbuilt) for just under $60, while other listings for the same went up to $138.  Lindbergh kits were about $60, but the wood deck upgrade is $70 ... so I ordered the Scientific version (photos of the box content were satisfactory) and should get it next week to add to the stash.

 

  It was quite interesting to compare and contrast all the Lee builds available on MSW.  For one thing, there was some discussion as to what the 'actual' scale of the Scientific was - since the box printing states 1/8" = 1.45' .   The model's full length is 24 1/2" (also on the box) ... and the original was 297' (3,564").  Divide 3,564 by 24.5 and you get 145.46.  Hmmm, that rounds to 1:145 !  Perhaps a flub somewhere (or miscommunication) explains what got printed on the box.

 

  The Amati kit is about 1:150 (thus very close to the Scientific) but retails for around $400 new.  Both kits have pluses and minuses, which I may go over if I do an unbuilt kit review of the vintage version.  The plastic versions say either 1:163 or 1:164 (22" model).  The Bluejacket version is supposed to be around 1:130, thus about a 28" length.  Given the aprox. 100 yard length of the original, a 1:100 model would be about 36", but would have to be scratch built.

 

  Pick your poison , I guess.         Johnny

I think that not only my wood deck but also the fact that I left the boat white and the hurricane, Texas and pilot house   roof blue make my Lee look different from most. 
I notice other builds online of the Lee and everyone is entitled to their likes, but I feel most builders know very little about steamboats. Their builds reflect it.