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

[Keith Black]

6 hours ago, Glen McGuire said:

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

 That's so kind of you to say, Glen. I think your SIB work is more unique but I appreciate the complement very much thank you again. 

Edited 13 hours ago by Keith Black

[Jim Lad]

What a great build, Keith! How are you going to top that one?

 

John

[gjdale]

Congratulations on a fine build of a unique subject Keith. I look forward to your next adventure.

 

[Coyote_6]

Very cool chapter in a very cool project.  Well done!   Thanks for the history lesson Keith.  Interesting times they were. 

 

Really enjoyed this one.

[Keith Black]

3 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

What a great build, Keith! How are you going to top that one?

 Thank you, John. I'm going back to working on the Tennessee and until I finish with her there will be no flirting with the working girls. 

 

2 hours ago, gjdale said:

Congratulations on a fine build of a unique subject Keith. I look forward to your next adventure.

 Thank you, Grant. I'm afraid it's going back to she who brought me to this dance.

 

2 hours ago, Coyote_6 said:

Very cool chapter in a very cool project.  Well done!   Thanks for the history lesson Keith.  Interesting times they were. 

 

Really enjoyed this one.

 Thank you very much, Steve.  

[wefalck]

Well, it's pleasure to join the chorus of praise !

 

I think, we just pay too little attention to those little, humble and sometimes quirky looking thingies that once populated our waterways, inland and around the coasts.

 

[Keith Black]

1 minute ago, wefalck said:

Well, it's pleasure to join the chorus of praise !

 

I think, we just pay too little attention to those little, humble and sometimes quirky looking thingies that once populated our waterways, inland and around the coasts.

 Thank you, Eberhard. I agree, if not for the lowly working boat, harbor and inland river waterway travel would be very different than it is today.  

[Mirabell61]

sweet and lovely work Keith, 

 

Nils

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, Mirabell61 said:

sweet and lovely work Keith

 Thank you, Nils. 

[LJP]

Absolutely loved it!  Incredible subject and wonderful build!

 

LJP

[Keith Black]

18 minutes ago, LJP said:

Absolutely loved it!  Incredible subject and wonderful build!

 Thank you kindly, LJP. 

[Rick310]

Keith, superb!!

love the weathering!

Rick

[Cathead]

Well, I'm a bit late arriving to the praise party, and it's tempting to say "what they said". But this build deserves more. I really appreciated your way of balancing staying true to the prototype while still applying your own take. I especially like the way you framed the final summary. The way I see it, all modeling is, one way or another, an artistic interpretation of reality, and you've done an especially good job of that in weaving a story around your build and bringing to life the person behind the prototype. That's something we don't often see in ship modeling, since the people are often unknown, ever-changing, or too difficult to represent. This model in particular really had a story that developed along with it, and I enjoyed that. Thank you.

 

The offer is still open to make you a "prototype" photo embedded in the real background, if you take a shot of the model as close to the original angle and framing as you can get.

[Keith Black]

5 hours ago, Rick310 said:

Keith, superb!!

love the weathering!

 Thank you, Rick.

 

5 hours ago, Cathead said:

Well, I'm a bit late arriving to the praise party, and it's tempting to say "what they said". But this build deserves more. I really appreciated your way of balancing staying true to the prototype while still applying your own take. I especially like the way you framed the final summary. The way I see it, all modeling is, one way or another, an artistic interpretation of reality, and you've done an especially good job of that in weaving a story around your build and bringing to life the person behind the prototype. That's something we don't often see in ship modeling, since the people are often unknown, ever-changing, or too difficult to represent. This model in particular really had a story that developed along with it, and I enjoyed that. Thank you.

 

The offer is still open to make you a "prototype" photo embedded in the real background, if you take a shot of the model as close to the original angle and framing as you can get.

 Thank you so much, Eric. I had a unique opportunity to become caretaker of the press release and Billy's photo. Not many modelers have the opportunity to read firsthand accounts by the builders of the ship they're trying to replicate. Donald McKay is an exception and I think that's why his ships are so popular with modelers. It allows that little bit of extra insight when building a model having the thoughts of the original ship's builder even if they don't necessarily pertain to the ship itself.

 

 We know Engel had a love of family because he named his crazy little vessel after his grandson, Billy so we know he had heart. Capt. Engel was no naval architect by any stretch but following in his footsteps I learned he had a lot of commonsense. He built Billy on a scrapyard budget but what he salvaged he used wisely. Case in point is the engine exhaust pipe. Engel angled the exhaust pipe above and perpendicular to the starboard paddlewheel where water spray from the wheel wetted down the hot engine exhaust. The engine cooling system was non recirculating  with water being pumped into the engine directly from the river and discharged above the wooden engine housing keeping is wet and less flammable. 

 

 When I sent you a PM of Billy's photo I knew you were as excited as I was by Billy's quirkiness. Many times during the course of the build I thought, what would Eric do here? I think I know you pretty well and being the stickler you are regarding history I think you might have left the dummy stacks askew and let the devil take the hindquarter. I agonized over that decision but in the end I'm glad I did straighten the stacks because it allowed me to put a positive and hopeful end to A. O. Engel's and Billy's story.  

 

 I WILL get you that photo, thank you.

Edited 3 hours ago by Keith Black

[Baker]

Congratulations, a beautiful little model 

[Keith Black]

34 minutes ago, Baker said:

Congratulations, a beautiful little model 

 Thank you, Patrick. 

[berhard]

Great job! Being from Pittsburgh I love this boat.

[clearway]

nice yan Keith  your alternate navy is outstanding, original and pretty darn awesome.

 

Keith

[Ryland Craze]

Congratulations on finishing Billy.  I always looked forward to seeing the next update on this build.

[sheepsail]

As others said, great work.

 

I am going to miss the progress reports on this one.    It truly is inspiring.   Even if I am a bit stuck on my main project.

 

-julie

[Harvey Golden]

It's wonderful how one old photo of a quirky and mysterious vessel lead to this beautifully executed model!  I look forward to your next project!

H-

[Keith Black]

2 hours ago, berhard said:

Great job! Being from Pittsburgh I love this boat.

 Thank you, Bob. I'm glad you like it.

 

1 hour ago, clearway said:

nice yan Keith  your alternate navy is outstanding, original and pretty darn awesome.

 Thank you very much, Keith.

 

1 hour ago, Ryland Craze said:

Congratulations on finishing Billy.  I always looked forward to seeing the next update on this build.

 Thank you kindly, Ryland. 

 

47 minutes ago, sheepsail said:

As others said, great work.

 

I am going to miss the progress reports on this one.    It truly is inspiring.   Even if I am a bit stuck on my main project.

 Thank you, Julie. You've built enough projects over the years to know what it takes takes to get unstuck. You know the routine, go into the workshop, pick up the model and give it a good whack and say three times real fast, "you will not defeat me, you will not defeat me, you will not defeat me". Unstuck. 

 

30 minutes ago, Harvey Golden said:

t's wonderful how one old photo of a quirky and mysterious vessel lead to this beautifully executed model!  I look forward to your next project!

 Thank you, Harvey. It's an interesting journey building from an old photo with only two sides shown. That's the greatest challenge but having the MSW family provide ideas and support makes the project go so much easier.   

Edited 2 hours ago by Keith Black

[BANYAN]

What a great 'little fleet' Keith. Billy is a great result of your persistence in trying to get it right; how many attempts at the lettering?  The result, as Glen has said, is a unique little model.

 

Congratulations

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

15 minutes ago, BANYAN said:

What a great 'little fleet' Keith. Billy is a great result of your persistence in trying to get it right; how many attempts at the lettering?  The result, as Glen has said, is a unique little model.

 

Congratulations

 Thank you so very much, Pat.