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Mike -
Thanks for sharing your cogitations about the Mysterious Middle Passarelle Deck. I seem to recall a "passarelle" discussion in one of Carl's threads. Perhaps he will see this conversation and weigh in.
Given that impenetrable wall, I would not bother with the invisible deck unless you were planning a removable superstructure to render it visible.
Incidentally, I finally took a peek at the comments on Neptune in my copy of Ropp (Theodore Ropp, The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy 1871-1904, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1987, revised edition of 1937 dissertation edited by Stephen S. Roberts).
He doesn't say too much. On page 58 and 59, Ropp mentions the four first-class battleships Hoche, Marceasu, Magenta and Neptune laid down simultaneously in 1880-81. This as part of a discussion of design and construction methodology that included beginning ships "before their designs were completely settled" and then immediately incorporating "every gadget invented during their construction." He then describes the initial design and subsequent design changes of Magenta as an example, noting that one result of all the design changes during construction was that it took thirteen years before Magenta was completed. On page 59, Roberts added an 1887 image of Neptune from the U.S. Naval Historical Center (as the NHHC was called then) collection. I am sure you have a better-quality copy of this image, but I scanned it faute de mieux.
On page 97, Ropp notes that the four sister ships were begun in 1880 and goes on to say, "As originally conceived, all had the same high freeboard, armored waterline and barbette towers, moderate speed, secondary 5.5-inch secondary armament, and three 100-ton guns [13.4-inches, changed during construction to four 13.4-inch guns {p.58}] as the Baudin.
On page 301, as part of a discussion on French naval gunnery, Ropp notes that during 1897 trials, Neptune achieved "26 percent hits at 3,000 to 4,000 yards with the new method . . ."
And that's it for Neptune from this source.
I look forward to continuing to observe your superb build.
Don
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