So here is the entry where I explain in excruciatingly boring detail, how I plan to do this. There are three main winches:

1. Most forward, controls the movement of the “crab”, forwards.

2. Middle, controls the vertical movement of the load, and will be the one being powered in this build.

3. Rear most, controls the backwards movement of the crab.

The middle winch is driven from a shaft below the large gear. On one end of this shaft, I have placed a large pulley, with a band drive going down to the engine room subfloor to another pulley on a crank, to demonstrate to the investors (or the part of me that thinks I’m insane for doing this) that it works. This crank in time will be replaced with a shaft and another pulley connected to the engine. As for the engine it’s currently in the custody of Royal Mail. It needs a new flywheel, and I have to order a new globe valve so I can regulate the speed. Both of these are coming from Stuart Models. Unfortunately the inlet and outlet ports are threaded 1/4-32 tpi which isn’t exactly the most common ME thread, and Stuart’s are of course the only people who make anything in that size. So I had to cave to there rather high price. The engine seen the picture is a Microcosm Q1, which I’m think about selling. Oh and if anyone wants to know about the book on the canal comment below and I’ll put everything about it in the next entry, probably tomorrow. 
 

stay healthy,

Douglas