125ft 1st Class Torpedo Boat, 1885
Off we go again on another build, this time a Victorian 125ft First Class Steam Torpedo Boat. HMTB 75 was built by Yarrows on the Thames in 1885. these vessels carried 4 single tubes designed to handle the new Whitehead Locomotive Torpedo, designed by Robert Whitehead in 1866.
They were 125ft in length and 13 ft in the beam and only 8 ft draught, these little vessels could maintain a speed of 19 knots for up to two hours, steam being provided by a locomotive type boiler with refinements by Yarrows. total heating area was 1200 sqft with a grate area of 30 sqft, producing steam at 123psi. Engine was of the compound type, and produced top speed at 376 revolutions. they originally carried 5 torpedo guns, one in the bow and two either side, but the bow tube was eventually removed, They also carried a Hotchkiss 6pdr quick firing deck gun and 2 Nordenfeldt double barrelled machine guns, also removed. The lack of the distinctive 'turtle' fo'castle made these boats both wet and uncomfortable, their crews of 16 (mostly stokers) certainly earned their 'hard lying' money.
The model is based on a glassfibre hull, plan and some fittings from Chylds Hall Model Shipyard, 870mm long and 85mm beam, electric powered on six volts.
So, lets make a start. First job is to sort out the shaft, this requires a 150mm tube and a 220mm shaft, so an 8 inch x 4 mm shaft was altered to suit. Cut the tube to length, minus the thickness of the bush, knock out the bush from the off cut and refit into the tube. Cut the shaft to 220mm and replace in tube. Also needed is an A frame, this was made from a 1/2 inch length of brass rod, drilled and reamed 4mm for the shaft and reduced slightly in diameter make the bearing part. two 'legs' were then silver soldered into slots cut in the bearing.
The hull is now drilled to take the stern tube, which is lined up and tacked in place with superglue. The A frame legs need cutting to size and fitting into slots in the hull. That is the progress so far for day 1, more to follow.
Today I fitted deck supports and cut deck from 1.5mm plastic.
They were 125ft in length and 13 ft in the beam and only 8 ft draught, these little vessels could maintain a speed of 19 knots for up to two hours, steam being provided by a locomotive type boiler with refinements by Yarrows. total heating area was 1200 sqft with a grate area of 30 sqft, producing steam at 123psi. Engine was of the compound type, and produced top speed at 376 revolutions. they originally carried 5 torpedo guns, one in the bow and two either side, but the bow tube was eventually removed, They also carried a Hotchkiss 6pdr quick firing deck gun and 2 Nordenfeldt double barrelled machine guns, also removed. The lack of the distinctive 'turtle' fo'castle made these boats both wet and uncomfortable, their crews of 16 (mostly stokers) certainly earned their 'hard lying' money.
The model is based on a glassfibre hull, plan and some fittings from Chylds Hall Model Shipyard, 870mm long and 85mm beam, electric powered on six volts.
So, lets make a start. First job is to sort out the shaft, this requires a 150mm tube and a 220mm shaft, so an 8 inch x 4 mm shaft was altered to suit. Cut the tube to length, minus the thickness of the bush, knock out the bush from the off cut and refit into the tube. Cut the shaft to 220mm and replace in tube. Also needed is an A frame, this was made from a 1/2 inch length of brass rod, drilled and reamed 4mm for the shaft and reduced slightly in diameter make the bearing part. two 'legs' were then silver soldered into slots cut in the bearing.
The hull is now drilled to take the stern tube, which is lined up and tacked in place with superglue. The A frame legs need cutting to size and fitting into slots in the hull. That is the progress so far for day 1, more to follow.
Today I fitted deck supports and cut deck from 1.5mm plastic.
Liked by Colin H
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