The Steamboating Forum

Hi i'm Guillaume near Lausanne, I'm 42 and i'm steam machinist to the Leman lake paddle ships
I have a mahogany hull 19,5 feet, built in 1939.
The machine is Musgrave NDC type, home built, the boiler is a flash boiler type.
Today i'm about to finish the boiler and i hope a making test soon.

For the rest i collect the old workshop machines, and i ride with a old Harley Davidson

Thank you for welcoming me among you

Howdy and welcome. I too have several Old Harleys. Currently I'm restoring a 1965 Harley Servicar for my wife.

Indeed, welcome!

Any pictures you might post would most interesting.

Mike

Welcome! I've always wanted to ride on the Swiss paddle boats..

Welcome aboard, Guillaume!

On your behalf, here's a link to your very interesting web site about your steam launch Isabelle (especially the topic about your engine scratch-built from an old steam pump).

I am SOOOO impressed! With the engine, the boat and the workshop. My congratulations!

I have several of these old pumps here and there in the grass. Much too large to use as feed water pumps in any boat I will ever own but now I am looking at them with new eyes.

I am intrigued but alarmed by the geometry and the valve gear needed for his engine configuration but given that the cylinder casting is the single biggest complication of most engines, what is to keep one from building it as a twin, orienting the crankshaft at 90 degrees from the way he did it? A twin with single expansion. Shifting the valve gear motion around to the side of the engine would be easy to do. I can think of at least two ways to do it right now. Has this been done?

Mike

Mike, there are a couple guys in the UK that have done exactly that, with GREAT results.

Excellent workshop! We have two old pre 1914 lathes both of which we hope to restore one day.
Also The first engine fitted in the restored “Shamrock” in the 1970s was made from a duplex steam pump cylinder,this engine is still going strong in “Tarka” And all Roger Mallinson's subsequent engines are based on this design.
Keep up the good work.

Regards Jack

Thanks for your welcome,
Modify a steam pump is not a good idea! too much trouble for too little benefit. I never want to repeat.
But the machine will with air run very good. Next time with steam..

The machine "ndc" is shown on page 7 of the magazine "steamboats and modern steam launches" of December 1961.
And there :http://www.nmes.org/
For information my machine is a "compound" with the cylinder hp 50mm and 80mm lp.

@steamboatjack: old towers must always be carefully preserved

@mtnman Wow the servi-car is a collector's dream! I don't have a collector motorbike, my bike is a meltingpot of 1965-1970 pièces. Maybe the next bike be realy a collector's item