Saturday 21 November 2015

Heather Bell in miniature...

I have been working on a model of Heather Bell, the 1937 wooden working boat on which we lived for a while from 2003.  I thought it would make sense to use model railway scales as it was most likely to end up on a model set-piece.
There was also a chance a friend might take a mould so the model could be used as a basis for others, like the butty it would have towed sometimes or another wooden boat, built by the prolific Nursers, like HB, but a bit different.  It is made in 4mm-1ft scale and is therefore 280mm long.

Here's the progress so far:-

Made from 60 thou. styrene sheet, with detailing in other thicknesses.  The bow is planked in
styrene sheet, too, but inevitably required a small bit of filler as these bits move a little while the solvent dries.  The bow of these old wooden boats is a lovely shape and that deserved to be shown as well as possible. It's what sets them apart and is so often badly done on other available models.  Not that I would buy a kit anyway!
To my surprise, this all only took three afternoons, 'twixt chores and shopping, etc.  I rarely get going before lunch!
The boat has its correct lining plank, gunnels, internal sheeting called sheering, internal keelson and engine beds.  Being full hull, so that it can be viewed as if empty, a hole will have to be cut in the baseboard to take it.  Accuracy has its price!

Today, because of the foul weather and lack of sleep thanks to a very nervous Shar-Pei called Alfie, I still got the shape tidied, the forecabin and back cabin made, the half round rubbing strips on and have started cutting out doors for the engine 'ole and back cabin's interiors to be seen.
The half round is made by scraping round styrene rod to a half round section and sticking on in their positions.  They make all the difference and I will take more pics tomorrow if the light allows.



11 comments:

  1. The hull is a surprisingly pleasant shape, and the bow especially so. A nice example of how to go about modelling the old fashioned way...although I don't fancy trying to wrestle with the 60thou! I look forward to seeing the cabin come to shape. I suppose you could pop it on a 4mm scale canal and just pretend it was empty? Although I guess it would still displace a fair amount of water. Very nice, anyway Martin!

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  2. Thanks, Iain. The wooden boats were generally a very nice shape. The 60 thou. bends between fingers surprisingly easily. An empty boat sits lower at the stern, by a foot or so. Those early diesels were big and heavy!

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  3. Oh yes, I had forgotten about the engine :-)

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  4. Is that this Heather Bell? http://www.iwmprints.org.uk/image/742853/ministry-of-information-photo-division-photographer-the-narrowboat-heather-bell-heads-for-the-collieries-through-the-industrial-midlands-to-collect-a-fresh-cargo-during-1942

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  5. Yes, James, that's our old girl. Those photos (of which we were given originals) helped us with the restoration. We also had Daphne March's twin daughters and son visit a few times and they filled us in with colours and other details. They were with us a couple of times when we and the boat were shown on Discovery Channel's Waterworld. We were also visited twice by Sonia Rolt, who died last year. Heather Bell was the only other boat mentioned by name in Tom Rolt's "Narrow Boat", the book that saved the canals. Tom and his first wife Angela used to have tea on HB whenever they met at Tardebigge during the War years.

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    1. Martin, I guessing you are aware of Pat Warner's "Lock Keeper's Daughter" telling of her childhood at Tardebigge. It does a good job of removing any notion of romance from the story of the canals.

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  6. Not one I know, James. The beauty of Rolt's books is the lack of romance in their writing, even though he was not unaware of the possibilities for a more romantic way of life when used for leisure. However it was bloody tough for the real working boatmen and women.

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    1. Highly recommended. I've never looked at those lock keepers cottages in the same way since reading it. Progress definitely has its good points.

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  7. I shall have to try and pick it up.

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  8. Available for a penny on Amazon, plus postage of course: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lock-Keepers-Daughter-Pat-Warner/dp/1858580757

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  9. Chris has ordered one as I type. Thanks, Gents. There can't be many books on canals I haven't got now!

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