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USS Cimarron Civil War gunboat
While waiting to see if the itty bitty boat howitzers for the Clyde can be built as is or not, I decided to double down on the little guns and made a model of the Cimarron. This 205 foot double ender had six of those little guns, plus two large guns. I am also going with the fully rigged sails as well, something I have not tried yet. I like this ship, and I think, other then the little guns, it should be a pretty simple build. I have to add the rigging still, and a little more deck clutter. The ship had four foot high solid bulwarks then a high railing above that to support the awnings. So a bunch of small details yet to go.
CT
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#2
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Looks really good!
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#3
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That looks spectacular, Corey!!
I would love to see this one fully rigged as well...by the way, you mention this one was designed to go in either direction...rudder on both ends...do you know whether she was rigged so the sails could be reversed as well, or was it just the propulsion unit that they used for that? Cheers! Jim |
#4
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Very interesting model.
The iron and sails. Ever a good election. |
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Thanks guys.
Jim I do do not know about the sails. The ship appered to have a 6 degree canter to the masts. So I am guessing that the ship sailed in one direction only but you never know. These schooner rigged side wheelers could sail on wind alone but from what I gather they were slow and hard to maneuver. The steam was primary,with sail as supplementary. But i guess if you are low on coal, a little wind is better then nothing! CT
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#6
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Yeah, Corey, you're probably right, would be difficult to re-rig the masts efficiently, and probably not the best mode of propulsion for the river...most likely the paddle wheels were the reversible mode used.
You're doing a great job designing this vessel, mate! Cheers! Jim |
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I seem to recall that this kind of vessel was double-ended for service in rivers or other narrow channels. The concept was based on ferryboats. They had rudders on both stern and bow and machinery suitable for use on both directions. They were not intended to sail in both directions, just steam in both of them. That way if caught in an ambush, they could easily reverse their way out. The sailing rig was normally furled and strictly for use in an emergency or to extend the range of the fuel supply.
BTW George Fielding Eliot wrote a novel in the 1950's about service in the US Navy during the Civil War that might be relevant. The book is called "Caleb Pettengill, U.S.N." and the hero ends up in command of a double-ender. It is long out of print, but I found a copy at ABE Books a while back and a quick check there shows it still available very cheaply. The writing and story isn't that great, but the author knows the details of his topic very well.
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Building - JSC - 1/250 SMS Emden |
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Cool. Thanks for the info and the lead on the book. It strikes me that the double ender concept was reinvented later with a number of armored cars! Many had two driving positions and a full set of revers gears so they could drive backwards with ease and speed.
I am actually surprised so many Union ships kept their sails. Most had their top masts removed like on the USS Hartford during most of it's Civil War activity. The masts being used at that point for look outs and rifleman only, with no sails. The double enders were furnished with the full length masts and sails throughout the war. Of corse, about 1/2 of the Navy ships used by the Union were sail driven only, due to the rapid expansion of the fleet. I guess those schooners and sloops were useable for blockade duty on the coast. I need to make and armed schooner with sails only one of these days. I have not done a sailing ship yet. Anyhow, this boat will be up for grabs soon! CT
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#9
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The sails would have been used for inshore work, not in the rivers, so no need to reverse them. The double enders were built for blockade duty, not river duty, but the reversing ability was a necessity in the bays and inlets and shoal water.
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Fred Bultman |
#10
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I will make this available in 1/250 scale waterline for consistency, but I am also making a full hull model in 1/150 scale as well.
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