Vintage Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack Engineering Model

While my Father was working as an Electrician for the Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR) in the Juniata Locomotive Shops in Altoona, PA, during the late 1950's, he attended college classes at the Altoona, PA campus of the Pennsylvania State University in order to obtain a Degree in Industrial Engineering. One of these courses involved design engineering and required the student to prepare a set of drawings from a group of candidate transportation vehicles chosen by the course instructor.

My Father was given an assignment for a steam paddle boat which required much research before he could proceed with this course project. My Father subsequently completed the project assignment and this design engineering course. In 1962, several months after his graduation, my Father decided to build the steam paddle boat he designed. In addition to my Father's excellent electrical and mechanical engineering skills, he was superb wood worker. Based on his limited free time, it took my Father approximately 6 months to complete the building of this Wooden Steam Paddle Boat and Display Rack as shown in the first attached high resolution photograph.

The left side view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the second attached high resolution photograph. The steam paddle boat is constructed from multiple types of wood. The length of the steam paddle boat from the front (bow) to the end of the rear paddles is approximately 20 inches long.

Its height is approximately 9 ¾ inches high without the platform and 10 ½ inches high with the platform. The length of the lower deck is approximately 14 inches long and the top deck is 8 ¾ inches long. There are six windows that measure approximately 1 inch high by 5/8 of an inch wide and each has a plastic glass covering. There is also a center door that measures 1 7/8 inches high by 1 1/8 inches wide. The stern (rear) of the boat contains the paddle wheel which has an outside radius of 5 ½ inches.

The paddle wheel is held on by a center rod that is ¼ of an inch in diameter. The paddle assembly is held on by a side support that is 7 inches along the bottom and 5 ¾ inches long the top.

The height of this side support varies from ¾ of an each on the left hand side to approximately 1 ¼ of an inch on the right hand side. In addition, the top deck has a railing that covers the length of the deck and its height is approximately 1 3/8 inches high. There are nine vertical railing balusters and their height is approximately 1 inch high and their width is approximately ¼ of an inch wide. The pilot (wheel) house is located on the top deck and its length is 3 inches long and its height is 2 ¾ inches high. There is a round 5/8 of an inch diameter port hole (window) centered on the right side of the wheel house. The roof extends over the wheel house by approximately 1/8 of an inch on the right side as well as the other remaining sides. There is also a silver steam whistle stack located on the right corner of the wheelhouse roof.

Its height is approximately 1½ inches high and its width is 3/8 of an inch wide. Also located on the top deck is the two steam stacks and their height is approximately 4 ½ inches high and their diameter is ¾ of an inch. The steam stacks have sprocket caps at their top and their longest length is 1 ¾ inches long and height is ¾ of an inch high. The weight of the Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is approximately 3 pounds, 10 ounces. The Wooden Display Rack will be separately exhibited along with its dimensions at the end of the item description.

The right side view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the third attached high resolution photograph. This side of the steam paddle boat has several similar characteristics as contained and noted within the right side's description.

However, this side contains one significant difference. There is a ladder from the lower deck to the top deck. The ladder's height is 3 inches high and its outside width is approximately 1 inch. The front (bow) view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the fourth attached high resolution photograph.

The widest width of the steam paddle boat is 7inches wide. The lower deck has a cabin window that is approximately 1 ¾ inches wide by approximately 1 inch high. It also includes a plastic glass covering. The upper deck exhibits the front side of the railing that covers the width of the deck and its height is approximately 1 3/8 inches high. There are five vertical railing balusters and their height is approximately 1 inch high and their width is approximately ¼ of an inch wide.

The wheel house has a front window that is approximately 2 inches long and 1 3/8 inches high. This window also includes a plastic glass covering. Lastly exhibited are the two steam stacks along with their dark sprocket caps. The rear (stern) view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the fifth attached high resolution photograph.

The rear paddle at the end of the lower deck actually spins and is predominantly exhibited along with two round port holes at the rear of the cabin. These port holes are ¾ of an inch in diameter. The upper deck exhibits the rear side of the railing that covers the 4 ¾ inch wide deck. An un-obstructive view of the two steam stacks along with their dark sprocket caps. The height of each stack is approximately 4 ½ inches high and their width is approximately ¾ of an inch wide. The top view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the sixth attached high resolution photograph. All of the steam paddle boat's characteristics have been previously noted, except for the width of the upper deck roof which is 3 inches wide and its length is 3 1/4 inches long. The width of the railing is approximately 3/8 of an inch wide. The bottom view of this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack is shown in the seventh attached high resolution photograph. Exhibited are the boat's two main components, the hull and the paddle wheel. The hull's width is 5 inches wide and its length is approximately 13 1/8 inches long. The front view of the Steam Paddle Boat's Wooden Display Rack is shown in the eighth attached high resolution photograph. The length of the display rack is approximately 6 2/8 inches long. There are two "U" side brackets that are ¾ of an inch wide connected by two round wooden rods that are 3/8 of an inch in diameter.

The length of the two wooden rods are approximately 4 ¾ inches long. The side view of the Steam Paddle Boat's Wooden Display Rack is shown in the ninth attached high resolution photograph. The length of this side is approximately 6 5/8 inches long. The highest end points are 1 ½ inches high and the center height are approximately 1 inch high.

The round ends of the 3/8 of inch wooden rods are exhibited within the side bracket. The top view of the Steam Paddle Boat's Wooden Display Rack is shown in the tenth attached high resolution photograph. As exhibited in the previous photographs, this Hand Crafted Wooden Steam Paddle Boat & Display Rack Engineering Model is in extraordinary condition for being over 60 years old. There are some minor scratches, but they only add to the patina of the boat.

It would be a great addition for any novice or professional collector of wooden river paddleboats or nautical themed items. Photographs are an important part of my description; please review all photographs before purchasing. If my photographs and or description are lacking something of importance, please ask questions prior to purchasing. This item is in the category "Toys & Hobbies\Models & Kits\Boats & Ships". The seller is "mikvahe-0" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.

Unit of Sale: Unit of 2
Custom Bundle: Yes
Year Manufactured: 1962
Item Length: 20 inches
Vintage: Yes
Item Height: 9 3/4 inches
Style: Georgian
Features: With Stand
Item Width: 7 inches (Widest Width)
Assembly Status: Ready to Go/Pre-built
Color: Natural Wood Finish
Scale: Unknown
Set Includes: Display Rack, Boat
Material: Wood
Age Level: 17 Years & Up
Subject: Wooden Steam Paddle Boat
Brand: Unbranded
Type: Boat
Customized: Yes
Skill Level: 4 – Advanced
Model: Engineering
Theme: Nautical
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Item Weight: 3 lbs 10 oz