HMVS Lonsdale Colour Reference

The very similar-looking Nepean and Lonsdale. Note the black hulls, white upper works and buff funnels. And the reddish forecastles.

HMVS Lonsdale WIP

This is as far as I've gotten so far with the Torpedo-Boat, HMVS Lonsdale. I finally got the hull sanded down to my satisfaction and started to build the superstructure out of basa wood block, carved and sanded to shape. I'll be giving the exposed balsa a thin was of putty or plaster that I'll sand down to give a smooth finish.

Stern view of the torpedo boat showing off the armoured conning tower to good advantage.

The bow of the Lonsdale. This is something of a fudge because I really only had a diagram of one of the New Zealand TBs to hand along with a sketch from a contemporary illustrated paper to base it on. The sketch disagrees as to the layout of the boat as displayed in the NZ TB plan.

Let's say there is a certain amount of "guesstimation" going on here.

Side view. I'm pretty pleased with the low, racy lines of the torpedo boat. She looks fast. I'm tempted to stick a two-barrelled Nordenfeldt in the forward cock-pit, just for the look of it.

All I really need do now is make some torpedoes from some 5mm dowell, rig their launching gear, create some railings and then a ventillator and funnel. Oh, and stick a rudder to the stern.

Work-in-Progress: HMVS Nepean

I've cut the hull ftom two laminations of 5mm balsa which then got stuck together with PVA/White glue and allowed to dry, carefully weighted.

The "step" between the two laminations was then filled with a commercial wood-filler and smoothed off with a wet finger (useful tool, that!) before leaving to dry. It still needs another 24 hours drying time to really harden up, then I'll sand it smooth with fine sand-paper and fiz up any irregulatities that I find.

HMVS Albert - Photo Feature!

I'm getting ready to start building some models of the Victorian Navy; in this case the HMVS "Albert". These are pretty well the best visual references I've come up with, so off I go. I think the only thing I really am feeling the lack of is a good, scaled side elevation. I may have to cariacature her a little, which I don't mind doing, provided I can capture the character of the vessel.

A side profile of Albert. Please click on it or any of the following images for larger versions.

A Deck plan of the Queensland Gunboat HMQS "Gayundah" - a gunboat of Albert's class and layout.

Picture is of Albert in Portsmouth in 1884, prior to her leaving on her epic delivery voyage. Note that she is rigged for sail to supplement her fairly small coal bunkers.

A very interesting picture of Albert in the Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown. obviously she is there for some fairly major work as her rear 6" BL gun has been removed altogether, giving a very clear idea of the layout of her rear deck. Note also the hatches at the rear of her deck-house. The ship in the Background is South Australia's "Protector".

A shot of Albert later in her career as a lighter - note the derrick she now sports aft.

Albert in the Graving Dock again, this time giving a good view of her bows. Note the shutters either side of her 8" BL gun-port. Without them, Albert would be a wretchedly wet ship in any kind of sea.

Albert side-by side with (and masking!) her rather elusive bigger sister, the Victoria. A good clear shot, demonstrating Alberts' side layout.