Another resurrected boat (15 years on a shelf)

Here is a look at the boats at Sonstraal Dam, home of the Northern City Model Boat Club, where on 26 February the Annual Record Day hosted by the Western Cape Model Boat Club brought more than 140 boats to the dam.
While some were just floaters, and some sank trying, there was a good collection of models actually in action.
One of them was the 1,5m Steam Tug, Miamota

The video was taken with an iPhone mounted in front of the bridge of the Smit London Tug boat with LOA of 1.7m

Harbor Models Steam Generator!
I have tested the steam generator.
And it worked like it should.
It makes quite a bit of smoke!
It also smells like live steam.
It should add some great detail.
To my model tug Brooklyn!

Westbourne is a Port of London Authority steam Tug from the Caldercraft Mini-Fleet Range - it is 1:48 scale. This model was discontinued a few years ago but I did manage to purchase a brand new boxed one via ebay a couple of years ago.

During her time Westbourne was hired by the Royal Navy as a rescue tug. She saw service with them between October 1916 and July 1919 in the HM Dockyard. Prior to that she was on general towing service duties on the Thames.
She can be found mentioned in “SHIPS OF THE ROYAL NAVY, 1914-1919 - by TYPE & CLASS
Section 3. SUPPORT and HARBOUR VESSELS”

Following the first world war ‘Westbourne’ was one of three tugs attached to the Port of London Authority (PLA) Dredging Service, they were the "Westbourne", "Thorney" and "Brent", they were all fitted with a drag and under running gear.In 1940 during the Battle of Britain. ‘Westbourne’ and many other tugs were used in assisting the berthing of these large ships that entered the Thames.
The photos show from box to construction plus her on the water.

A pleasant day out on the water with my mate Rod and his steam tug Imara and Sweet Sue.

Both these models are scratch built Durban tugs in 1:48 scale.

Built J.R. More between 2011 and 2012 and is 41 inches in length. The original oil fired tug was built 1961 on the Clyde and was one of the last steam tugs to be built on the Clyde. This tug still exists at the Durban Museum and is undergoing restoration.

Started Sir William Hoy in 2013 and is 45 inches in length and I am still working on the fittings and finishing. The original coal fired tug was built 1929 in the N.E. of England.
Both model tugs have twin motors geared down 6 to 1 and have differential steering.

Fighting Cock was one of the fleet of North West Tugs (Liverpool Screw Towing and Lighterage Company) steam tugs, built by Cammell Laird in 1953. The model is built on a Kingston Mouldings Sun tug hull, the superstructure is scratchbuilt from styrene, with many fittings from Mobile Marine Models. The motor was 'rescued' from a mainframe computer data drive, and is direct drive to the propeller. Power is from 12V gell cell batteries with a speed control by EA Electronics. Both hull and motor were given to my father many many years ago, and the model was completed approx 7 years ago.

This Model of the J. R. More tug which was one of the very last large Steam Tugs built on the Clyde in 1961.

Scratchbuilt from the 1:48 scale plans of a sistership the F.C. Sturrock with various modifications for J. R. More. Powered by twin 12v geared motors.

The J. R. More Tug is a large tug and still exists as a Museum exhibit at the Durban Maritime Museum and well worth a visit in South Africa.

My thanks to Keith Marks who was a Master of J. R. More and the F. C. Sturrock among others for his photographs, help and interest during the construction of this model and is now a good friend.

This video was taken at the Sumner Ponds which is used on alternate Thursday by the Southwater Dabblers MBC.

Video is not very good quality but will remake with a better video.

J. R. MORE - LAST OF THE LARGEST STEAM TUGS BUILT ON THE CLYDE. The best looking tugs ever built!

This model is scratch build at 1:48 scale of the SAR&H Durban tug J. R. More, which was the last large steam tug built on the Clyde in 1962.
It took over 2 years to complete this model, which was my first scratch build from the modified plans of a sister tug called the F.C Sturrock, which was also stationed at Durban as the shift tug for that harbour. Other tugs of the class were also stationed at Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

The J. R. More was the newer day tug in Durban, most often used to service the Union Castle ships and others in, out of Durban and remembered by so many visitors to South Africa of that time.

This model tug on the water has differential motor control, software linked with the rudder, can go about on the spot and a delight to sail as a model, capable of 6 or more hours on the water. Working Rotating Radar, lights and woop-woop sounder as per the original tug. I would also like to install the Telegraph bells, however these would drive fellow modellers to distraction, as they were a very distinctive sound and very regular, Implanted and well remembered by the crews and those in and around the harbour, even today. The engines on the other hand were almost quiet and by all accounts very reliable.

This model is ballasted mainly by two 7 Ah 12 Volt SLA Batteries for the main drive motors and a 2 Ah 12 Volt SLA (Aft ballast) for the Lights, Radar and Sound unit. All up weight is 14Kgs and capable of above scale speed from the two MFA 6:1 ratio Geared Motors driving two 4 bladed 70mm screws.

This model has onboard charge regulator circuit, built-in minature dual volt meter to allow quick on-board voltage inspection and single plug-in charge and regulator socket for charging all 3 Batteries together.

The actual full size J. R. More tug still survives and can be visited at the Durban Maritime Museum in Durban, South Africa. Local supporters are undergoing essential repairs, restoration and preservation with private and company financial support.

J R More is the only surviving large steam tug left of this class and as Important to the skills of the Scottish shipbuilders of the Clyde.

This was scratch built apart from the fibre glass hull which I purchased.
Model is 65" long with a beam of 10". Power is by electric running via a gearbox at 300 rpm. Ihave taken almost 2years to complete the model working most days on it. Attention to detail was the order of the day.
I am using a Planet T5 Tx and Rx, 5 channels. I have a smoke generator pushing steam out of the twin funnels,synchronised to forward speed, faster the revs, faster the steam. Conventional rudder operation.
Have an operating Radar, ships horn, simulated steam noise varies as speed is altered, full navigation lights,all cabin lights can be switched on and to keep the 106 passengers happy I have a Banjo Band playing to complete the scene. Have sailed it recently at Peterborough and performs really really well. Have to say it tends to attract a lot of interest.
I am now constructing the Ayton Cross tug in 1:32 scale, with all the detail I want.Plan is to tow the Jeanie Deans around when completed as well assailing her

As the name suggests, this is a scratch build sort of tug. The hull is based on a (very small) Pinacce photo of a model steam open boat. I did not fancy making a steam unit (time is the problem) and I had had an idea of doing a tug for quite a while. I liked the shape so started in the usual way. I wanted to keep the cost down and so almost everything is scratch made, though a few bits were "borrowed" from where I work - an engineering firm. Most of the work on this model is more of an experiment for my next tug which will also be from scratch but will have everything working. The "Archer". The winches are at the moment none working, the doors do not open, I have no idea if there is any tug that looks anything like this but I am very pleased with the result. I hope you like it.

W165 was built by Roger Forlines, he's a member of Shelton Scale Ship Modelers R/C boat club.

This boat took six months to build and is to Scale as laid down by model manufacture, the boat was weathered to depict a long voyage on the north seas.

Also, the Jim Wilder tug, this took four months to build and has been built to look like a turn of the century steam tug which worked the San Fransisco bay area.

The last picture it is dressed up for Christmas.