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Is there a stigma against building paddle steamers here? Hardly any.

neilm said:
Very little paddle riverboat steamer builds here.
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Agreed!
Just as there are a minority of civilian vessels of any kind. If they carried a few dozen cannon they might get more play. :) One reason may be that there are so many detailed drawings and scantlings/contracts of warships readily available such as those from RMG, and archives in other countries. Add to that the fame/history of ships like Victory and Agamemnon, and the glitz on ships like Sovereign of the Seas, et al, and it is hard to find an audience for commercial or pleasure vessels.
Allan
 
Cap'n Neilm:
You make an astute observation. For me, the most interesting technology of riverboat steamers is the propulsion systems. The hulls are simple scows. The superstructure often resembled the hotel on Main Street. Aesthetically, they are not very compelling when compared to sailing ships (see paintings below). Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Riverboats are more significant for their economic and cultural impacts. I encourage fans of riverboats to make more models of them. Fair winds!

river boat.jpeg

clipper.jpg
 
one possible reason is the availability of kits of river boats this forum is 99% kit builders and if it is not a kit you are unlikely to see it here. Also kits reflect what is popular and that is sailing war ships. Work boats, river boats, yachts etc are risky for a kit maker to invest in, best stick with what sells.

as Andy said "For me, the most interesting technology of riverboat steamers is the propulsion systems." and i agree the old steam engines and paddle wheels themselves make an interesting build.
 
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Actually, there are also several available kits for paddle wheel river boats although all that I am aware of except one (Model Shipway’s Chaperone) are gross cartoons of the real things. As an engineering accomplishment these Western River Steamboats were remarkable. They were designed to work in a difficult environment; shallow water, swift currents, and no supporting infrastructure. They did it well.

99 percent of ship models are supposedly built from kits and kit availability is pushed by market demand. Market demand is driven by culture; more specifically the entertainment industry. This intersects with ship model building with popular TV, film, and to a lesser extent publishing. Therefore, Pirates and Nelson era sailing warships dominate.

A very few of us enjoy building models from the huge variety of unique subjects; in my case a Great Lakes Steamship. Since all these vessels do, or in the case of my subject, did is haul the cargos that support the economy, they are not popular.

Roger
 
Yes, these Western Rivers Steamboats are well documented.

For kit builders, I know of one kit that builds an accurate model: Model Shipways Chaperone. Chaperone was a passenger/ freight vessel traveling the Ohio River and its Western Kentucky tributaries near Evansville, Indiana. A sternwheel vessel she has the typical silhouette associated with these craft.

For Scratch Builders:
My first choice would be the W.P. Snyder. She is a sternwheel towboat originally owned by the Crucible Steel Company and used to push transport barges of coal from its mines to its steel mills. She is now beautifully preserved by the Ohio Historical Society at its Ohio River Museum in Marietta, Ohio. Drawings were made in support of her NHL status and can be found on the internet. I have never seen a model of her.

John Fryant drawings: Mr Fryant, offers for sale a series of well executed drawings for a vairiety of Western Rivers steamboats. Fryant, many years ago, had a connection to these interesting craft and knows his stuff. Look him up on the internet; John Fryant Model Boats.

Then there is Allan Bates’ Western Rivers Steamboat Cyclopedium. This has long been considered to be the “Bible” for steamboat modelers. Long out-of-print, used copies appear to be readily available on internet used book sites.

These hardworking craft have been glamorized by the American Entertainment Industry to the point where many people associate them only with overdone white superstructures and gambling. There are several kits available that I do not recommend that only contribute to these myths. There sources that I have listed build models of real vessels.

PS. A source that I overlooked, I believe goes by the name of Northwestern Short Lines. Back when the Nautical Research Guild had conferences they used to exhibit there. They specialize in kits for HO scale model railroad layouts. Their offerings include a sternwheel towboat and barges.

Roger
 
CharlieT said:
This thread has made me curious. Are there any reliable plans for paddle wheel river boats?
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sure are, look through the HAMMS collection you will find a PDF here

PLANS

Every once in a while, there will be a post where do i get ships plans? good question but to general to answer, Ship plans come in a variety of forms like original shipyard drawings, modeling plans, plank on frame plans, plank on bulkhead plans, plans from kits and plans out of books. Here is a...
shipsofscale.com
 
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I love paddle steamers. I think they a beautiful vessels, ( not simple scows with main Street hotels). They are a part of our history. But everyone is entitled to there own opinion.I have the Chaperon kit to build as well as Hartman fibreglass's Delta Queen hull.
 
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