Q: is there a resource for a general marine railway & cradle layout?
the internet is taking me down a rabbit-hole.
I am looking for an engine powered winch, rails, wooden cradle, perhaps concrete bulkhead, all that would handle a 40' boat. not interested in a Navy specification hauling station, but rather something a privately owned one man boatyard would come up with to stay afloat (pun intended).
technology & methods not to exceed 1949 standards & materials, and probably given circumstances, much earlier equipment repurposed for the job.
thanks
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
marine railways cradle
southpier
Alberta, Canada
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Posted: Monday, January 28, 2019 - 11:58 PM UTC
RobinNilsson
Director of Member Services
Stockholm, Sweden
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 02:26 AM UTC
Small wooden shed, say 15 x 15 feet to protect the winch from the weather, tall enough to stand upright inside.
Double doors facing the slipway, say 4 + 4 feet.
Electric winch inside with larger cables to the main switches and to the winch. The winch has a drum about 2 feet in diameter, size the rest accordingly, source from some ship model accessory parts. A steam winch can be rebuilt by removing the steam cylinders and adding an electri motor + axles and maybe a gearbox. Could also be handcranked if the owner is too tight fisted to waste money on electricity ....
Use railroad rails for the railway. The rails should be a boat width away from each other to reduce the risks of tipping.
H or I beams to make up two carriages, just some square frame where wheels can be attached underneath and supports and cradle on top. Carriages connected to each other with iron rods, different lengths of rod so that shorter and longer boats can be accomodated. Could also be chains. Make the carriages approximately square (width = length).
Cradles are shaped from square timber, placed on top of each other and bonded together with iron strips bolted into the timbers. Add supports for stanchions on the outside of the cradles. The cradles carry the weight of the boat and the stanchions help to keep it upright and to aid positioning of the boat over the carriages/cradles when the carriages are hidden down in murky water. Align stanchion with mark at side of boat.
Wheels are not regular railroad wheels, make simple cylinders with flanges on both ends. This is not a high-speed operation so the wheels only need to carry weight and not slip of the rails.
Foundations, use concrete laid in two parallell strips, square cross section 10 by 10 inches. Use the fasteners from the railroad rails or simple bolts cast into the concrete and "weld" the rails in place.
Assume that wheels, rails, H or I beams need to be bought, the owner can cast concrete, weld and work with wood.
The above is patterned on the slipway at my sisters place.
/ Robin
The idea with the stanchions, ignore the rest
This one is a little bit to fancy for your one man operation
Size is about right
The wheels at my sisters has flanges on both sides, matter of taste I suppose, note the different sizes of steel beams
Rails on concrete, looks simple. Boats can go sideways too ..
Concrete blocks to use as anchors for jetties and buoys,
down the slipway, pick up with jib & winch on workboat, move to position and winch down slowly
This works too but those slabs are way too modern ...
Blocks for the winching
Multiple rails for larger boats
Double doors facing the slipway, say 4 + 4 feet.
Electric winch inside with larger cables to the main switches and to the winch. The winch has a drum about 2 feet in diameter, size the rest accordingly, source from some ship model accessory parts. A steam winch can be rebuilt by removing the steam cylinders and adding an electri motor + axles and maybe a gearbox. Could also be handcranked if the owner is too tight fisted to waste money on electricity ....
Use railroad rails for the railway. The rails should be a boat width away from each other to reduce the risks of tipping.
H or I beams to make up two carriages, just some square frame where wheels can be attached underneath and supports and cradle on top. Carriages connected to each other with iron rods, different lengths of rod so that shorter and longer boats can be accomodated. Could also be chains. Make the carriages approximately square (width = length).
Cradles are shaped from square timber, placed on top of each other and bonded together with iron strips bolted into the timbers. Add supports for stanchions on the outside of the cradles. The cradles carry the weight of the boat and the stanchions help to keep it upright and to aid positioning of the boat over the carriages/cradles when the carriages are hidden down in murky water. Align stanchion with mark at side of boat.
Wheels are not regular railroad wheels, make simple cylinders with flanges on both ends. This is not a high-speed operation so the wheels only need to carry weight and not slip of the rails.
Foundations, use concrete laid in two parallell strips, square cross section 10 by 10 inches. Use the fasteners from the railroad rails or simple bolts cast into the concrete and "weld" the rails in place.
Assume that wheels, rails, H or I beams need to be bought, the owner can cast concrete, weld and work with wood.
The above is patterned on the slipway at my sisters place.
/ Robin
The idea with the stanchions, ignore the rest
This one is a little bit to fancy for your one man operation
Size is about right
The wheels at my sisters has flanges on both sides, matter of taste I suppose, note the different sizes of steel beams
Rails on concrete, looks simple. Boats can go sideways too ..
Concrete blocks to use as anchors for jetties and buoys,
down the slipway, pick up with jib & winch on workboat, move to position and winch down slowly
This works too but those slabs are way too modern ...
Blocks for the winching
Multiple rails for larger boats
southpier
Alberta, Canada
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 05:28 AM UTC
thank you for posting the pictures & prose. actually, a combination of pictures #2 & #3 are pretty much what I was thinking of in my uneducated mind's eye.
not sure how the bilge blocks would be set, but i'll continue to do some digging. I did give in and order some stripwood. as much as I enjoy styrene, I think silvered wood accented by plates & nbw castings will make a better presentation.
Q: anyone know of a casting winch which would be applicable? not stream powered but engine - electric motor preferred. i'm not up to scratchbuilding that, too!
thanks
not sure how the bilge blocks would be set, but i'll continue to do some digging. I did give in and order some stripwood. as much as I enjoy styrene, I think silvered wood accented by plates & nbw castings will make a better presentation.
Q: anyone know of a casting winch which would be applicable? not stream powered but engine - electric motor preferred. i'm not up to scratchbuilding that, too!
thanks
RobinNilsson
Director of Member Services
Stockholm, Sweden
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 09:37 AM UTC
Blocks.
The purpose is to support the hull of the boat/ship.
First of all the keel needs to be supported, if the keel isn't a straight line (merchant ship or barge vs deep hulled sailing boat) the keel blocks need to be positioned and shaped so that they support the keel. The need for support depends on the condition of the ship.
On both sides of the keel there will be supports for the sides of the hull, these can be timber stacked in layers and each layer is cut to follow the shape of the ship at that position.
A slip-carriage seen in a low angle, wheels can barely be seen at the lower edge
Blocks under keel
These small tugs had vary tough skin so they only needed two supports each side. A weaker hull will need more support
...or only one support each side .....
Somewhat "busier"
This works too, a few thick planks held up at an angle by other planks or adjustable steel supports ...
a bit more "industrial"
yeah right, looks really carefully done .......
almost as if a ship modeler had built the cradle/supports ...
My purpose with these images is to show that it can be done in many ways as long as it works.
If it was a slipway and cradle built to handle only the owners boat then it would probably be tailored to fit that single boat exactly.
If it is a commercial operation which handles boats of similar size and shape the supports could be mostly fixed and then they and bits of planks to fill out where it is needed.
It is also valuable to be able to partially remove bits of the support to be able to get paint on all parts of the hull ...
/ Robin
The purpose is to support the hull of the boat/ship.
First of all the keel needs to be supported, if the keel isn't a straight line (merchant ship or barge vs deep hulled sailing boat) the keel blocks need to be positioned and shaped so that they support the keel. The need for support depends on the condition of the ship.
On both sides of the keel there will be supports for the sides of the hull, these can be timber stacked in layers and each layer is cut to follow the shape of the ship at that position.
A slip-carriage seen in a low angle, wheels can barely be seen at the lower edge
Blocks under keel
These small tugs had vary tough skin so they only needed two supports each side. A weaker hull will need more support
...or only one support each side .....
Somewhat "busier"
This works too, a few thick planks held up at an angle by other planks or adjustable steel supports ...
a bit more "industrial"
yeah right, looks really carefully done .......
almost as if a ship modeler had built the cradle/supports ...
My purpose with these images is to show that it can be done in many ways as long as it works.
If it was a slipway and cradle built to handle only the owners boat then it would probably be tailored to fit that single boat exactly.
If it is a commercial operation which handles boats of similar size and shape the supports could be mostly fixed and then they and bits of planks to fill out where it is needed.
It is also valuable to be able to partially remove bits of the support to be able to get paint on all parts of the hull ...
/ Robin
RobinNilsson
Director of Member Services
Stockholm, Sweden
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 09:52 AM UTC
Winches is a bit tougher
https://www.modelbouwshopnederland.nl/c-1319417/winches-tug-winches/
You would be looking at a winch with a single large drum and then cogs and gears to "look the part" it is playing.
A multi drum winch which can pull 1000 tons is the wrong type
for a small one-man operation.
The winch from Italeris BergePanther could be an option ...
/ Robin
https://www.modelbouwshopnederland.nl/c-1319417/winches-tug-winches/
You would be looking at a winch with a single large drum and then cogs and gears to "look the part" it is playing.
A multi drum winch which can pull 1000 tons is the wrong type
for a small one-man operation.
The winch from Italeris BergePanther could be an option ...
/ Robin
southpier
Alberta, Canada
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Member Since: December 11, 2009
entire network: 546 Posts
KitMaker Network: 146 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 11:39 AM UTC
thank you & for the winch link, too.
I find the pictures reinforcing the "make-do" theme which most private boatyards adapt from necessity. I intend to glean bits from each of the pictures you posted.
thanks again.
I find the pictures reinforcing the "make-do" theme which most private boatyards adapt from necessity. I intend to glean bits from each of the pictures you posted.
thanks again.
RobinNilsson
Director of Member Services
Stockholm, Sweden
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Member Since: November 29, 2006
entire network: 6,693 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,042 Posts
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 06:16 PM UTC
Post pictures of the result