Nick's Seidel Radial engine.

Nick's Centaur 60 cc Gas engine

Nick's Wyvern 40 cc Gas engine

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Brian M’s boat, SS Great Britain

Brian’s, SS Great Britain undergoing sea trials on our portable pond.

Nick’s engines

Bob’s Steam Trawler

The following pictures are of a steam trawler that Bob is building.

It is the St Nectan from Mountfleet Models and is 69 inches long with a displacement of around 55 pounds.


The steam plant is a self-designed and built centre flue boiler with ceramic gas burner. There are two water feed pumps, these are the Stuart hand pump for initial priming and a Stuart steam powered pump with automatic control for normal topping up during sailing.


The boiler is fitted with automatic pressure control of the gas supply to the burner. Gas supply is from custom built tanks that are removable from the boat though they can be refilled whilst installed.

Fresh water for the boiler is carried in a tank near the bow of the boat and the volume of gas and water should provide around 2 hours of non-stop steaming.


The engine is the Stuart compound launch engine built from castings by Bob. The boat and its machinery have been on the slipway since 2001 but as of January 2016 are nearly complete. The engine has been run in on compressed air as has the steam pump.

Radio control of the rudder, engine speed and direction is provided with additional control of a gas shut-off valve and fire extinguisher for emergency use!

This 30 cc, Sealion engine was started by Fred Pearce, then continued by John Loveday and then completed by Nick. The original plans featured in the Model Engineer magazine in the late 1950’s. The combined work has taken over 50 years to complete.

Sealion, 30 cc engine

Alan K’s boat, Thames Steamer Alaska

Pictures of Alan’s scratch built model of the Thames Steamer Alaska.

Click on the video below to see Alan sailing his boat at Cheddar Lake.

Alan has kindly displayed a friend’s scratch built sailing yacht. The full description can be seen in the picture below.


Click on the 2 pictures below to enlarge them.

Alan W’s boat

Nick has found these photos from his album, they show the Club at Wroughton Airfield circa. 1988.

Both photos show Bill Woolfall and his Rotary engine. The right hand picture also shows Fred Pearce (in the dark brown jacket). In the centre at the far side of the pool you can see Brian Freegard.


Click on the 2 pictures below to enlarge them.

Wroughton Airfield show 1988

The maiden voyage of Rob’s yacht took place at Coate Water in October and Rob said the following:

“I am pleased to be able to say that first time out with only a moderate and fluctuating breeze it sailed better than I hoped. In and out of the harbour three times. The first two under sail only and the third time under auxiliary power since time was getting short!

Having spent so many hours designing and building the thing my wife insisted on taking a picture of me with the model. I am 5ft 6ins tall so it gives an idea of the overall size”.

Click on the pictures below to enlarge them.

Rob’s new yacht - Star Majer

Members Models

Pictures

This section shows projects that members have been working on:

George’s boat John H.Amos

George has been working on a scratch built model of the John H.Amos, which is a paddlewheel tugboat built in Scotland in 1931. The top two photos also show the cake version that was made to celebrate George’s 90th Birthday (please refer to the 2019 News for more information).

Initial float testing on the pond at the Uffington 2017 Show.