1/160 (N Scale) Robert E. Lee EXTENDED

I didn't see this.

        My museum has a member that can find these. When we did the " Golden Spike" event in Promontory Utah,We needed lots of them. Don't worry that they are model railroad parts. they will be right !

Oh Gosh!

      Has it been 10 months? Sir, I can only say this, I liken your work to my own. You're sick man. You need to stop before you turn proffessional. Great, great work.

Finally, the customized decal sheet has arrived. And beside it, the first of the customized N scale items: horses, two wagons for settlers, engineers, buckets, and feeding troughs. This is just a brief update, photos will come soon. I am going to be hospitalized, that keeps me off from posting.

I am still not successful: I entered "N Scale" as search string, then I had to decide if those are toys, ships, helicopters or RC boats. I opted for "toys".  Inside toys, I get the options of "figures" and selected them. But there I see only a few H0 figure sets. And they are also not in the 1860s fashion style as required for this 1860s ship diorama.

But anyhow, not important as I am 3D printing my figures, and also make them available to everyone else who is interested to use 19th century figures for their own scenes.

If you go to their website, N scale figures are illustrated.

Happy modeling      Crackers   

Walthers

Hi, thanks. I went to their website but could see only H0 figures and items. Maybe i did not search correctly (I searched for "N Scale").

Can you post a link to their N scale figures? Thanks again. :-)

AMain Hobbies has N scale figures of horses, boxes and barrels that would be appropriate for your steamboat modeling project.

Happy modeling   Crackers    

Another 3D designer whom's services I am using for this project, is "CB", he's making the horses and covered wagons of the settlers for me.

CB's website is: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/cb-s-designs.

I would love to receive these photos. But I am located in Jamaica. However, a frien d of mine will leave the USA in two weeks and come to jamaica. If you really want to send out those special photos (think twice), then please send them to him, and he will bring them to me. But My suggestion is, to make cheap colored photocopies of those special photos, or even to get digitasl copies of them and e-mail them to me.

I'll PM you.

Hi;

 Being as how they are old,old hard copies from back then, I can get you copies done on a copier.I don't have the negatives anymore either .

NOTE; Never mind the Hippie in the photo of the " River of Commerce " I had just gotten home from seven months in the Hospital. They wouldn't cut my hair.

 I will send them if you post your address in the Message Box. P.S. the Edgewater Princess is H.O.Rail Scale.

It wouldn't be a problem for me, if you publish those photos in this thread, too. It is kinda related, and can give me additional ideas.

There are also some paddle-wheel river steamboat groups on Facebook, and I am a member of some of them. Publish the photos there, too, and let me know.

Anthony !

 Very nice photo of the Far West model. If you can Try to get to the Little Rock Convention Center Hotel site .See if they still have any existing photos of their " Edgewater Princess" that I built for them . If not contact me in the message site and I will send you a photo ( copy) and my River of Commerce model for the Legislative Library in Little Rock( Again  copy ) .Both were done in the eighties. Well, actually the RoC was done in the late seventies and the Edgwater princess was delivered on the day Before I was Traumatized by weather and a tornado caused passing, of a child and the destruction of my business. 

     I tell you this to give some background. The River of Commerce was brass, paper and balsa wood as well as plastic .I had to build it pro Bono to get recognised ! The Edgewater Princess was built because of my friendship with a Board member of Cromwell ,Levy Trumper and Smith, Architects and Engineers  .All from Evergreen Plastic and Brass.

 I had left the firm about a year before to spend more time on my company. I did specialized design drafting. Restoration and Modernisation for the V.A.Hosp System .Plus I did Orthographic Projection drawings  and such. Unusual skill? Nah. Just loved doing it !

       The " Princess " was almost in the Lobby of the Hotel. It was at the Entrance to the original Edgewater Lounge .You should've seen the Riverboat Artwork .I don't know for sure, But I think some were painted around the time the boats existed. If not they were darned good copies, because none were Prints !

Thanks for the great comment!

I actually know the Far West from a painting of that time, or maybe from a later time, not sure. First time I am seeing this ship as model! Wood or plastic? Seems it is wood?

I have plans for the steamboat FAR WEST. If I did not have a project to be completed, I would be inspired to build this model after watching your thread. Great build. I will continue to follow your progress.

Happy modeling     Crackers   

Great insight here! Thanks, Tanker-Builder, for this information. And please feel free, if you have more information on those ships, to share here. Your information might even influence the one or other detail on my ship!

Thanks also for the compliment about my flags! I aim to have one of the most amazing models of the REL when it is finished one day. There will be over an hundred persons on board, and all dressed correctly to the late 1860s! All those extra thigns are in the making as I speak. A number of items have arrived here already but not yet added as other items that are not yet here have to be added first.

Alright, once again: any more knowledge you have - please share it! It will help me a lot!

Note:

   The numerous Robt.E.Lees and many others were painted often as needed .The bigger packets were the luxury Steamers of their day. There were at least 8 Lees, 12 Natchez's, and 11 J.M.White's among others . Low pressure boilers didn't take kindly to safeties being capped for more speed .

    It was at least a weekly happening in the Port newspapers to read of another steamer , Big or Small that had blown up! Some was from Plain bad maintenence too. As far as painting many went through collor changes as a matter of budget cuts aas well. I know of two Lees that were the colors of the Confederacy Blu-Grey Uniforms. One J.M.White was painted the colors of the Union battle Flag ie Red/White Blue.( See U.S.Navy 1860's)

     Your Bunting looks good .The Fourth would still be Celebrated on these boats .Also something as mundane as Opening day of the freight and passenger season on the rivers ! Much Ado there .Boats hung with flags ,Bunting Calliopes ( if they didn't have one ) and Bands on the fore -upper deck. Dances and Cotillions once in port .

 There were many that had one thing most models don't show .A Full rail around the top deck .Remember the Cabins on the Texas deck were sometimes used for " First Class Passengers " The further away from the Boiler deck the cooler it was !

    P.S. I forgot to mention .I am taking the Natchez and the Lee and creating The Largest of the J.M.Whites on record . When Done I'll try to post it .

UPDATE

I am lucky and honored to welcome the 3D developer and artist Hrishikesh Adsul who will add his 3D expertise to this project of miine. Hrishikesh is developing the 3D models for the N scale people that will be on the ship, while I give the numbers and type of persons and fashion designs. Those people will then be 3D printed.

Image: the engineers of the Robert E. Lee

There will be engineers, the steam engine workers, the deck hands, officers and the captain, cabin crew, and many many passengers. Some of the passengers will be settlers, goign "westwards". Their covered wagons will be on board, too!

Hrishikesh's URL: https://hrishi7276.artstation.com/

UPDATE

"A Special Day"

Why not to dosplay the Robert E. Lee as she would have been on a very special day! When looking around, each existing model of the Robert E. Lee shows how she would have being seen on a regular day. But there were days, when ships were decorated, in the Olde West. And so - let's do it!





Now my question to those among you with background knowledge of those orignal ships: is the distance between each tricolore okay, or are they placed with too much distance in between (on the side of the ship, not the front)?

UPDATE

Pro-Aging Skin Creme

Okay, time for a small update again. Now as before I am waiting for the arrival of a number of items that I need for this ship to arrive, probably by middle of end of April. meanwhile, I can go ahead with some detail painting and the aging (weathering) of a number of parts. And that I did. In the following photos, the model is just loosely put together, no glue yet, as i have to remove many parts to place those additional items on
their places later on.

Before



After



Can you see the subtile difference?
Right, railings are now in mahogany (or mahagony?) and I applied the "pro-aging skin creme" to those balustrade decorations. They needed precision paint work, i could not use a traditional brush. Instead, i used a thin pointed plastic piece for the exact painting.

CapnMac82

Check your local shops for "Flickering tea lights."

Hirnsausen

the "Flame flicker effects control LED light

Check your local shops for "Flickering tea lights."

These can be dissassembled to give you the flicker effects on the cheap, you just need to bypass the battery clips and use your power supply.

They are about US$1.49 over here (versus about 79¢ for a wax tea light), which makes them excellent for kitbashing.

Hi,

That looking great.  It looks like a fun build.  Can't wait to see more.

Pat

UPDATE

Some More Cargo

Still waiting for many more essential and defining parts to arrive (ordered online from other countries or 3D models being made and 3D prints to come), I just added a few more of the smaller parts by multiplication from existing original parts.

 

Painting almost done. But the rings of the barrels will be some hard work to come...



Any feedback? Would love to hear from you all.

Just some photo fun while I am waiting for more parts to arrive...
"Vintage Photos" and "Hatching Sketches".

 

UPDATE

Multiplied Items

Yeah, now it is done - some of the item types are niow multiplied! it was quite easy, andthe quality of the details is excellent. I used too much resin, though - what was too much went into a sea shell.








Painting them now...

Great advices! Big honest thanks! Much appreciated!

I will hay bales there, but they won't be a big part of the cargo, thus not covering up the entire cargo deck. and also not so many that they reach the next deck (but i saw the same photos, I copied many dozens of them into my computer). At the moment, what you see on the photos, are N scale items. But I think, they look too small, and I try to find the same in H0 scale. The rectangual bales were so tiny in N scale, that I did not even make copies of them.

Do you have access to "HO Faller HAY ROLLS and BALES 180907"? Can't get it in Jamaica. And buying on Ebay, the sellers want to send it in parcels instead of a medium or large letter, I cannot afford that. I am wondering, if you can get it, if I could transfer the money with Paypal to you to buy that item and send it to me inside a letter?

And the same with the "Flame flicker effects control LED light fake fire simulation props scenery FEC1P". I can get it on Ebay, but shipping is extremely expensive as they send iut as parcel, too, instead inside a regular letter. I have one, but need two more (for each chimney). Can you get those? And most importantly: do you have a Paypal account i can transfer to? And do you have the time?

Glow: I put already a video on one of my above posting shere, showing the glow. At the moment, it is "hand.made" glow flickering, as soon as the first controller arrives, it will look better.

Hi;

    I like your Bunting .Now that would only be used on a special occassion like the Fourth of July . Also at the dock at Christmas . It was Not commonly kept in place during regular steaming season .

    I also liked your photos ( Aged to Photogravure style .) That is neat . Photogravure , to my knowledge was a browntone that was imparted by the printing process .The " Buffalo Evening News and the Arkansas Democrat" , Newspapers used to print the Sunday inserts that way .

 One more thing .I hope you don't think I am being Picky here . The Boats are my specialty In Proffessional modeling .The Engine Room area you speak of when referring to the boilers is Misguided .The Engine room was between the Paddle-Wheels and therefore NOT visible on the outside .

     Before these bigger boats , there were many where the engine was a " Walking Beam " type .The walking beam was visible above the top deck roof . There were many of those still around as smaller freighters in rivers where the  "Big-Uns "couldn't go .

Hi There ;

 To answer your question ."The History of SteamBoats on American Rivers" states . (Library Copy ) while it was possible to have the larger boats exist for years ,It was more common to have them Burn , Blow Up or get salvaged after running firmly aground without the ability to back into the water again . 

 The Steamer Robt.E. Lee as pictured was more than likely the third or fourth one .The Natchez was number three and the famous J.M.Whites went to seven . It was quite common to cap safeties from more steam ! . Boom ! , was the result .

 If you put that glow under the firebox end of the boilers that will be a nice effect . That's the end closest to the wood piles .On those , You can use very small twigs ( Clear Coated ) to be your replacement for the horrible looking wood stacks in plastic .Looking Good -Sir !  T.B.         P.S. You need to remember Cotton Bales back then were stacked to the upper deck completely obliterating a view of the engineering spaces ( The Boilers ) .Also those bales were squared off for transport .Boxed and secured cargo went into the hold ! .