Topic starter
27/10/2017 1:31 am
Hello everyone. I am ready to start drawing plans for the sidewheel rafter Clyde built about 1870. I am not finding much info about the boat. I have only found one photo of the boat and no dimensions. I have also read someplace that this boat may be the first iron hull steamboat but not sure how true this is. Any help from any of you would be appriciated. I am finished with the Marion model and winter is setting in and im ready for a new project.
13/11/2017 1:57 pm
There is considerable information on the CLYDE in Edward Mueller's book "Upper Mississippi River Rafting Steamboats" (pg. 51). If you are unable to locate a copy let me know and I'll send you the information.
J.
Topic starter
14/11/2017 2:06 pm
Thank you Mr. Canavit. I found a copy online and ordered it. I am starting to find bits and pieces of info but nothing significant. I like the looks of this boat and my last model was a small boat that i built in a larger scale and still fit in the back of my Land Rover. The Clyde fits that profile. It is going to be built in 1/24 scale like my last model. They will look good running together on the pond.
27/11/2017 2:55 pm
The CLYDE..
That's exciting you're planning to build a model of the original 1870 sidewheel rafter, CLYDE., the first iron-hulled steamboat on the Upper Mississippi River. By 1875, the CLYDE. was converted from a sidewheeler to a sternwheel which remained in operation until October 1941. The photo you mentioned of the original sidewheeler is likely the only one known considering the short time the boat had sidewheels. The attached photos show the 1870 sidewheeler, 1875 sternwheeler, and the Arrow Transportation version.
27/11/2017 3:05 pm
I see that two of my pictures have gotten an error remark and cannot be seen. Here's a link to my Rafter Clyde II Facebook page that contains there, and other, shots of the original rafter if various configurations. See: https://www.facebook.com/pg/rafter.clyde.steamboat/photos/?tab=album&album_id=453058108097517