# Ned Kelly-model of sidewheeler



## tomarack (Apr 30, 2007)

I have to premise,I put such photos on some next forums too,if concern about them appeared there.
My sidewheeler Ned Kelly is based on steamers from nice Murray River.
Firstly...it was australian TV movie (All the river run .. ??) where I saw these nice boats for the first time..and I was so fully fascinated , so that I decided to build a model with steam engine.During the time I have got several snaps ,books and drawings directly from A,but I was somewhat more quickly there,and my model was already built this time.As a base I used photos mainly.
I must say...Ned Kelly is fiction boat but...I was whole surprised when his drawing is nearly like the drawings of p.s.Alexander Arbuthnot.
The hardest thing was the question, how the name of boat will be. I asked my aussie friend from Perth...and he suggests me...why not Ned Kelly ?(a known bank robber , which was hanged at the end). So...Ned Kelly is here again .

I built this my model as a trial boat mainly for testing my brand new Wilesco steam engine,gearings, sidewheels and next parts.Nevertheless the trial model becomes a final one during the time, or something in between .The hull breadth is small (=poor stability) the proper one could be (due to high and heavy superstructure) at least 25-28 cm.But model is very quick (unexpectedly for me) on the water .
.Model has length cca 108 cm, 118 cm o.a.,breadth 20 cm , 37 cm o.a.,displacement round 6 kg. Steam engine Wilesco 2 cyl round 300-500 rpm(by eye),total gearing ca 5:1.The hull is wooden construction(plywood and spruce/lime planks,sidewheels - plywood 140 mm dia(8 feathers 50x30mm). Tom


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

*Ned Kelly*

Hi Tomarack,

Attached (hopefully) is a photo of Ned Kelly's death mask - made after he was hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol and still on view there. Opinions are divided but I'd say he was no angel.

The TV series "All the Rivers Run", starring the delectable Sigrid Thornton, was filmed at Echuca, Victoria, on the Murray River. If you Google "Echuca", I'm sure you'll find lots of information about the Murray River paddlesteamers. In it's hayday, there were more paddlewheelers on the Murray than the Mississippi, mainly engaged in carrying wool, wheat and timber.

"Ned Kelly" is a great looking model, but there isn't enough mud in your river to make it look like the Murray!

In the '70s there were three Czechoslovakian oceangoing ships, registered in Prague, and I remember seeing one, a bulk carrier, in the Persian Gulf. They were a bit of novelty because of Czechoslovakia being a landlocked country. Thinking about that, I don't know why as there were quite a few Swiss ships around too. Any idea what happened to them and are there any today?

John T.


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## trawlercook (Aug 19, 2005)

Hi Tomarack Very Nice Model,i Always Think A Scratch Built Model Is Better Than Kits,anyone Who Can Do A Jigsaw Can Build A Kit.and On Top Of Building The Model You,ve Made The Engine Work As A Paddle Wheeler.very Impressed Well Done Again.
Trawlercook


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

*Ned Kelly-model of sidewheeler*

I think it's a little unfair of you trawlercook to decry those modellers who choose to build from kits, and most kits these days are far from "airfix/revelle" jigsaw type models. 

In fact there are some manufacturers who sell kits (and I'm glad to say not British)who make so many mistakes on their models and instructions that it is easier to actually build from scratch. 

Was it not for the likes of Frank Hinchliffe and Caldercraft with his pioneering white metal fittings in the early '80's and all the other british kit manufacturers selling such fine models, there would not be as many modellers in model boat clubs today. 

Not all people are capable of interpreting builders plans to produce models, and a kit is the only way that they can enjoy such a beautiful and relaxing hobby, and it will be a sad day if such kit manufacturers stop developing such rewarding models in kit form. Go on give one a try, you might just enjoy the detail of one.neil


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## trawlercook (Aug 19, 2005)

hi neil
sorry if i seem to be getting at people who build kits,but the really get on my nerves when they say that they have built scratch built a model and its a kit.if they build a kit fair enough,as you say not every one can build scratch models but why try and say its a scratch when people can tell its not ive had the arguement many times.i was mearly passing comments on a very good job done on the "ned kelly".and as for the late frank hinchliffe i had the pleasure of doing quite a bit of buissness with him on several occations.and he come to see me when i lived in lowestoft for some advice and even bought a model of me to turn it into a kit.i am defenatly "NOT"trying to be clever and good luck to whatever people want to build but i take my hat of to any body who builds scratch models.
regards tyrawlercook


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## tomarack (Apr 30, 2007)

Ocean going ships own by (late) Czechoslovakia were sold (at the end- after partition of CSFR in 1993))and money were fraud by Viktor Kozeny,private dealer, now at Bahamas.CR wants him to arrest for financial plotting now.
Nevertheless our Czech republic lost a pretty packet of money. CR has no ocean going ships at present 
Tom


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

tomarack said:


> Ocean going ships own by (late) Czechoslovakia were sold (at the end- after partition of CSFR in 1993))and money were fraud by Viktor Kozeny,private dealer, now at Bahamas.CR wants him to arrest for financial plotting now.
> Nevertheless our Czech republic lost a pretty packet of money. CR has no ocean going ships at present
> Tom


Thanks Tomarack, I wondered what happened to those ships. It's not all beer and skittles being a Western Democracy!

John T.


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## Jim MacIntyre (Mar 11, 2006)

Ah what the heck - I know I said in Tomarack's other thread I wouldn't get into it here but I will. I have the greatest respect for Neil and Trawlercook for their modelbuilding achievements and can only hope to meet such standards one day. But... 
I started many years ago with the Revell plastic kits and over time discovered one could have a very nice display model if I took the time to paint and rig them. After a couple of models I soon discovered the ratlines were not to scale so I made my own (from scratch ??) Later motorization became the fad with the Vosper MTB and so on. 
One day I bought a Billings kit of the harbour tug 'Samson' at a yard sale - what a deal, couple of dollars, only to get it home and find most of the frames and half the superstructure were missing. Being a canny Scot I wanted my two dollarsworth from it so I had to scratchbuild all that was missing - cutting frames out of posterboard and eyeballing the shape of the hull then when all looked right moving on to plywood. Fortunately what was NOT missing were the plans. As a result I ended up with a very nice little tug which I decided to power and radio control. The "Samson" still runs and competes to this day over 25 years later. 
I am now in the process of building ships for which there is no 'kit' - models of real ships that I sailed on years ago. However although the hulls and superstructures are built by hand from plans my objective is to get them into the water as soon as possible so I work in scales that give me access to commercial fittings ( railings/lifeboats/bollards/winches etc.)
So it boils down to what makes each person happy - for instance a member of our model club brought in a small plastic ship to 'Show and Tell' a couple of months ago, unpainted and a bit rough looking.... (this man does research you would not believe and has built many hig priced models on commission over the years) .. all became clear when he explained his three year old son had built it from a kit.. and had done it on his own with very little help from Dad. 
Anyway getting a bit wordy here which always exposes one to 'broadsides' 
so I think we should all get on with our hobby at whatever level we feel comfortable and IF one day we can produce models to the standards of Neil, Trawlercook and Tomarack we can sit back and enjoy them on display or on the water.

P.S. to Neil 
Lasercut styrene is not all I cracked it up to be.. tends to melt and distort.
Cheers 
Jim Mac


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

cheers Jim. as you say. its the pleasure you get from your model building that matters, not what you build it from. My grandad always said to me when he was teaching me to build model boats at the age of 8, more years ago than I care to remember."there's no such thing as a bad model, lad.the only badness is in decrying what others have tried their best to do". There is always someone much better than I, and I'm always learning from others. that's what makes it so much fun and so pleasuable to me.


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