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Scalescenes barge prototype ?


21C123
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Hello

 

I’ve recently built up one of the scalescenes steel barge kit, scaled up to O gauge. 

Does anyone know of any photos of the prototype ?

 

I am trying to work out a couple of things, the mooring arrangements when the wharf is higher than the barge and also the towing arrangement. The suggested bollards don’t really make sense for either of these. 
 

thanks 

 

Roger

 

FCCD0216-3462-40BE-823B-F01AF536F96B.jpeg.0d4f1d7bf64eabb8de5ceae218c3809b.jpeg

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These are the nearest I have on file. The Osney lighters have paired bollards. The mooring lines are fastened with figure of eight hitches. On the Thames lighter the bollards have cross-pieces to stop the lines rising.

 

Environment Agency depot Osney Oxford 24 6 2014.jpg

Tower Bridge from the mouth of the Neckinger.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
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Thanks both 

 
John, your thread was one that encouraged me to have a go at this model. 
 

Phil, that’s an interesting collection of barges there, gives me some ideas thanks.

 

Roger

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2 hours ago, 21C123 said:

Thanks both 

 
John, your thread was one that encouraged me to have a go at this model. 
 

Phil, that’s an interesting collection of barges there, gives me some ideas thanks.

 

Roger

There were, and maybe still are, a whole cluster of retired lighters, less than half a mile downstream from Tower Bridge in central London. Some are houseboats, some as the one shown above are gardens and there's this one, a bike park. I have a more distant shot showing it much more crowded with bikes.

Houseboats & bike park Thames 9 8 2006 4net.jpg

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Mooring is no problem.  Ropes will lead forward and aft to some extent (it might be very little; it might be a lot) from the boat, and they will be slack. If it is tidal, they may be very slack, depending on whether anyone will be around to adjust them. If you imagine the ropes being tied off on the dock (with a bowline, perhaps) before being secured on the boat, then you will get the turns on the bollards on boat correct: the line to the shore is on the bottom in the middle, and the figure of eight turns are above it. It won't pull up off the bollards, honest. Ropes will touch the edge of the dock wall, but since they will be slack this does not much matter. If there is any current, then there will probably be one or more springs (ropes tied to the shore at one end of the boat and tied to tbe boat at the other end) to resist this, but I never saw springs being used with barges on canals.

 

I cannot answer for how the boat would be towed ( I don't recall ever seeing them towed), but separate lines port and starboard would make sense to me.

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On 04/10/2021 at 08:13, Jeremy C said:

I cannot answer for how the boat would be towed ( I don't recall ever seeing them towed), but separate lines port and starboard would make sense to me.

 

Typically tow is a single line to the single central forward bollard. On the Thames and other wide rivers two barges may be lashed together alongside each other using the port and starboard bollards, the Lines from the barges to the tug would still go from each of the central forward bollards to the tug forming a V. The kit must represent a powered barge, as you will note in the pictures above unpowered barges do not have tillers, this would explain the lack of a forward towing bollard on the model plus the raised prow which would just get in the way of a towing line. To represent an unpowered barge just remove the raised prow and the rudder/tiller at the stern and add a central forward bollard perhaps 3 scale feet back from the bow, You could optionally also add a fairlead right on the bow as this helps when towing.

 

That said there are barges with high prows, though less common in the UK they do occur and in this case they do indeed use a line from both port and starboard bollards out to the tug though you would normally expect the lines to pass through Hawse Holes in the raised prow plate 

 

Double tow https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fphotos%2Fcirca-1965-a-tug-towing-two-river-barges-on-the-river-thames-london-picture-id3423793&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gettyimages.com%2Fdetail%2Fnews-photo%2Ftug-towing-two-river-barges-on-the-river-thames-london-news-photo%2F3423793&tbnid=aAQSNW1F_9bpoM&vet=12ahUKEwiZscLrl7PzAhUbMRoKHW9iCj4QMygJegUIARDIAQ..i&docid=-D7vpgOh5XXwTM&w=1024&h=782&itg=1&q=towing thames river barge&ved=2ahUKEwiZscLrl7PzAhUbMRoKHW9iCj4QMygJegUIARDIAQ

 

High Prow barge being towed https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fc8.alamy.com%2Fcomp%2FD23MT1%2Ftug-boat-towing-an-empty-barge-on-the-river-thames-in-the-pool-of-D23MT1.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alamy.com%2Fstock-photo-tug-boat-towing-an-empty-barge-on-the-river-thames-in-the-pool-of-52942625.html&tbnid=TiTKW2grK5XGwM&vet=12ahUKEwiZscLrl7PzAhUbMRoKHW9iCj4QMygIegUIARDFAQ..i&docid=mmkvnFNVwxskuM&w=864&h=1390&q=towing thames river barge&ved=2ahUKEwiZscLrl7PzAhUbMRoKHW9iCj4QMygIegUIARDFAQ

 

Hope that helps

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I made the bollards on mine from plastic tube etc.  The kit does provide info on building the tiller but the arm is made from plastic strip..

 

Always great to add to the knowledge base.

 

John

Edited by brossard
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In views I have of the Thames lighters, as unpowered barges are classified, are seen being towed singly, in pairs, two abreast, also four in two pairs, two abreast being propelled and in one view the tug is towing alongside the lighter with lines to the bow and stern. I have seen our local lifeboat bringing in a trawler, initially on a long stern tow, but on arrival in Newhaven harbour they switched to alongside towing, so that it is easier to position the towed vessel against the quayside.

Edited by phil_sutters
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Was tempted by this download, but needs to be swim headed, ie. hull fore and aft cut away, for my interests around the Thames and Medway. The hull design looks more continental to me. Have printed off the cargo ship, in 4mm, which I hope to build soon.

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