Billy 1938 by Keith Black - FINISHED - 1:120 Scale - Homemade Sternwheeler

[John Ruy]

31 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Looks pretty stinkin' close to the press photo, while no means perfect I'm pleased with the way Billy has turned out. 

Amazing Keith, truly a work of art. 😎

[Keith Black]

26 minutes ago, tmj said:

That's pretty darned amazing! Those wheels, and everything else look fantastic! Captain Engel would feel both honored and proud!   

 Thank you, Tom. I hope ole Engel looks down kindly. 

 

22 minutes ago, vvvjames said:

Stunning work Keith. I saved one of your pictures and put a black and white filter over it, I gotta say It looks quite close to the original. Can't wait to see it with the weathering

 Thank you, James. I was going to do the black and white filter thingie but Steve beat me to it. 

 

18 minutes ago, Coyote_6 said:

Wow Keith!  Beautiful.

(Fixed it for ya!) 😜

 Thank you very much, Steve. 

 

4 minutes ago, John Ruy said:

Amazing Keith, truly a work of art.

 Thank you so much, John. Those liddle biddy wheels required 27 pieces each to construct. 

[Paul Le Wol]

Keith, Billy looks Superb! If you decide to do a new build, I hope you choose to stay on this path. These builds have been very enjoyable 

[Glen McGuire]

Looks fantastic, Keith!  Great work on those wheels.

[Keith Black]

22 minutes ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Keith, Billy looks Superb! If you decide to do a new build, I hope you choose to stay on this path. These builds have been very enjoyable 

 Thank you very much, Paul. After Billy is finished I'm going back to working on the Tennessee. Hopefully I'll have enough time to get in a couple more workboats before I have to hang up my CA bottle. 

 

20 minutes ago, Glen McGuire said:

Looks fantastic, Keith!  Great work on those wheels.

 Thank you kindly, Glen. I'm really looking forward to your new project. 

[Cathead]

Building on @Coyote_6:

Keith, if you take a photo at the same angle as the original, I'll redo this and really fit it in nicely. 

 

[Coyote_6]

@Cathead  That is so darn cool!

[LJP]

Absolutely incredible! Your detail in such a small scale is unbelievable. Love the wheels!

 

LJP

[Canute]

Well done, Keith. The B&W photo looks good and the adaptations from the gang really show their appreciation for this little jewel. I look forward to seeing more of your projects.

[clearway]

😁

[Jim Lad]

She really looks the cat's meow with the paddle wheels completed, mate!

 

John

[BANYAN]

Nice job on Billy Keith, as others have said you pretty well nailed it for scale and look.  Looking forward to the final little details which will really set off this miniature 'beauty'.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

On 1/18/2026 at 8:50 PM, Cathead said:

Keith, if you take a photo at the same angle as the original, I'll redo this and really fit it in nicely. 

 Thank you for your willingness to do that, Eric. If possible I'd like to wait till Billy is finished? 

 

19 hours ago, LJP said:

Absolutely incredible! Your detail in such a small scale is unbelievable. Love the wheels!

 Thank you very much, LJP. 

 

18 hours ago, Canute said:

Well done, Keith. The B&W photo looks good and the adaptations from the gang really show their appreciation for this little jewel. I look forward to seeing more of your projects.

 Thank you, Ken. I am humbled by the warmth of my MSW family. 

 

11 hours ago, clearway said:

😁

 Thank you, Keith

 

9 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

She really looks the cat's meow with the paddle wheels completed, mate!

 Thank you kindly, John.

 

8 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Nice job on Billy Keith, as others have said you pretty well nailed it for scale and look.  Looking forward to the final little details which will really set off this miniature 'beauty'.

 Thank you for the most kind comment, Pat.

[Cathead]

6 hours ago, Keith Black said:

If possible I'd like to wait till Billy is finished? 

NO! You have to do it NOW!

 

Of course I'd be happy to do it whenever you want.

[Javelin]

On 1/19/2026 at 1:38 AM, Keith Black said:

Thank you so much, John. Those liddle biddy wheels required 27 pieces each to construct

 

Great job Keith, happy to see you bit the bullet and made those wheels! They, along with the rest of the build, came out brilliant. 

[Keith Black]

On 1/20/2026 at 9:23 AM, Cathead said:

Of course I'd be happy to do it whenever you want.

 Thank you very much, Eric.

 

8 hours ago, Javelin said:

Great job Keith, happy to see you bit the bullet and made those wheels! They, along with the rest of the build, came out brilliant. 

 You're too kind, thank you, Roel. 

[Rick310]

Just amazing Keith!!  Really love it!

My father was from Pittsburgh and my brother has 2 Stobart prints of the Pittsburgh water front circa late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Billy fits right in!!

Rick

 

 

[KeithAug]

Excellent work Keith, we need a picture of the fleet?

[MAGIC's Craig]

As usual, I'm late to the celebration, but your BILLY is a delightful treat as well as a reminder to those of us with clumsy fingers that there are people like you who can manage delightful small construction.  Well done, my friend!

[Keith Black]

22 hours ago, Rick310 said:

Just amazing Keith!!  Really love it!

My father was from Pittsburgh and my brother has 2 Stobart prints of the Pittsburgh water front circa late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Billy fits right in!!

Rick

 Thank you, Rick. Those Stobart prints are a treasure, your brother is very fortunate to be their caretaker. 

 

19 hours ago, KeithAug said:

Excellent work Keith, we need a picture of the fleet?

 Than you, Keith. As soon as I tie a bow on Billy I'll be sure to take a photo of my humble working boat fleet together and post. 

 

19 hours ago, MAGIC's Craig said:

As usual, I'm late to the celebration, but your BILLY is a delightful treat as well as a reminder to those of us with clumsy fingers that there are people like you who can manage delightful small construction.  Well done, my friend!

 Thank you so kindly, Craig. Billy's not quite done but very close. After seeing you work on Twilight's galley (the whole work for that matter) your fingers are far far from clumsy. Twilight is very special as is the work of all of you! I seriously believe my humble work to be the least amongst the lot.  

[Keith Black]

 A huge thank you to each of you for following along, for the likes and the kind comments. Your support kept me going when difficult times arose during the course of the build. 

 

 Billy is finished. 

 

 After a mere three months my journey with Billy has ended. It started with a chance discovery on eBay of the press photo and press release and I was immediately enthralled by Billy's quirkiness. I've viewed thousands of historical sternwheeler images and Billy is unlike any sternwheeler I've ever seen. I knew instantly that Billy was a subject I wanted to try and model.  

 

 I tried to adhere to Billy's photo as best I could till it came to adding the dummy stacks, I made the stacks straight. In doing so I moved Billy's timeline forward ever so slightly to a time when A. O. Engel would have had a chance to straighten them. It's here I have to admit that the straightened stacks was vanity. I dare say in time Billy will become separated from the press photo and I didn't want someone in the future thinking I couldn't manage getting the stacks straight. All I could hear in my head was, "the guy was a pretty good painter, you would think he could have managed to get the stacks straight". 

 

 Once I had moved the timeline forward, at the end of Billy's build I decided I wanted Billy to represent Capt. Engel's finished dream of how he saw Billy in his mind. No lumber or junk on the boiler deck, everything nice a tidy with Capt. Engel at the bow taking one final look forward before entering the wheelhouse to start the journey south.

 

 I've enjoyed my time with you Capt. Engel,  I feel like I've gotten to know you and you've become a friend separated by time. Fair journey and may the river run smooth before you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These aren't very good photos, I blame it a low camera battery.  I promised Keith Aug I'd take and post photos of my working fleet, hopefully the photo of Billy and the rest of the fleet will be better.

 

 Again, thank you.

 

   Keith 

 

[John Ruy]

2 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

 Billy is finished. 

 

Congratulations Keith… Job well done impressive work, as always. 🍻

[vvvjames]

Congratulations on a fantastic build Keith, you've done this unique ship justice, Engle would be proud and probably drunk. It was a pleasure to follow along looking forward to the next already. 

[JacquesCousteau]

Congratulations! Once again, a fascinating, unique build, brought to life with real craftsmanship.

[tmj]

Very, very impressive, Keith! I'm sure that Capt. Engle is smiling down on you (or maybe 'up' at you) for recreating his vessel with so much care and detail. "Bravo-Zulu"... job well done!  

[Knocklouder]

Very nice Keith,  thanks for the voyage on  Billy. Just awesome work,  couple of  for you, coffee  for me, thanks.

 

Knocklouder 😁 

[Paul Le Wol]

Keith, congratulations on completing Billy! Amazing detail on this little guy.

[ccoyle]

Congratulations, Keith, on finishing a well-made model of a definitely unique subject! 

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, John Ruy said:

Congratulations Keith… Job well done impressive work, as always. 🍻

 Thank you kindly, John.

 

1 hour ago, vvvjames said:

Congratulations on a fantastic build Keith, you've done this unique ship justice, Engle would be proud and probably drunk. It was a pleasure to follow along looking forward to the next already. 

 Thank you very much, James.

 

1 hour ago, tmj said:

Very, very impressive, Keith! I'm sure that Capt. Engle is smiling down on you (or maybe 'up' at you) for recreating his vessel with so much care and detail. "Bravo-Zulu"... job well done!  

 Thank you, Tom. I like to think Capt. Engel is looking down because I'd like to meet him someday.

 

34 minutes ago, Knocklouder said:

Very nice Keith,  thanks for the voyage on  Billy. Just awesome work,  couple of  for you, coffee  for me, thanks.

 Thank you, Bob. Barista, a round of your finest  for me and my friends. 

 

34 minutes ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Keith, congratulations on completing Billy! Amazing detail on this little guy.

 Thank you very much, Paul. 

 

12 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

Congratulations, Keith, on finishing a well-made model of a definitely unique subject! 

 Thank you, Chris and thank you for changing the title. 👍

[Glen McGuire]

This adds to what might be the most unique collection of models on MSW.  Congrats on her completion.  Well done, Keith!