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Rail Canons

M

Mamashee

Joined
Aug 19, 2021
Messages
8
Points
43

Location
NL Canada
I am building a model of GRANVILLE,the small ship Captain Cook used to survey and map the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. The plans suggest that the ship used rail canons. My research indicates that rail canons were not used in the 1800 century. GRANVILLE was built around 1750.
What are your thoughts
Thanks
Mamashee
 
As you mention Cook, I assume you are referring to the English merchant ship Grenville not the French ship Granville. She was built as a merchant vessel Sally about 1754 then acquired in 1763 and renamed Grenville. Grenville supposedly carried twelve 3 pounders and 12 swivel guns. Rail guns do not seem likely for a three pounder, but who knows. Are these contemporary or modern drawings? I would love to see the drawings on which this is based as I could not find any of Grenville as a merchant ship or as an armed schooner or later a brig. From what I could find "Rail guns" were not invented until 1917 by André Louis Octave Fauchon-Villeplée.

Are the plans translations in English from another language? This might be nothing more than a translation issue :)

Allan
 
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