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[jviewing]

Hi everyone, just a few pictures of my new build the 1870 breastwork monitor HMVS Cerberus. The model is based on David Hathaway's excellent cardboard kit. I have only got as far as hull construction, the superstructure shown is just a cardboard mock up.
Jeremy

[Colin Bishop]

Wonderful! It's great to see somebody building these early ironclads.

Colin

[jviewing]

Thanks Colin, you are very kind, I will post more pictures as the build progresses.
Jeremy

[RickF]

Good luck with her,  Jeremy. I'm building one at 1:48.

Rick

[jviewing]

Hi Rick. Thanks,  is yours as built in 1870 or is it the later 1880 version with the shorter flying bridge?
Jeremy

[RickF]

Jeremy,

I'm building her as she would have been after her first major refit in 1879, when the two pole masts were replaced by the single "military" mast, but before the flying deck was shortened.

You will find, as you go along and compare the paper model with photographs available on the excellent Cerberus website, just how many differences there are between various people's interpretations - not just Hathaway's model, but the commercially-available Webb plans. I have been researching this ship for over four years and even now I keep coming across new facts about her. Several modellers have already described their work on various forums - Edward Pinniger and Dirk Rabenschlag have both produced splendid models and are well worth looking up.My own first attempt, at 1:96, based on the free Hathaway model, was abandoned in favour of a more detailed and more accurate version at 1:48.

Please feel free to email me with any queries - but I don't pretend to know all the answers and experience has shown that for every question answered, at least two new ones emerge!

Rick

[jviewing]

Hi Rick, thanks for your very helpful reply. I have been thinking about building her for the last two years and finally got round to it after Christmas this year, when I received the webb plans from the Australian Cerberus web site. Like a lot of people my interest was sparked by the fact that the original vessel still exists, but is rapidly deteriorating in its role as a breakwater. It must be the only example of its type in the world, it was the first along with its sister ship to be built in that configuration. With hindsight a shame it could not be rescued in the 1980's, but we are all aware that the cost of ship preservation is often prohibitive.
The Webb plans are useful but cover the wrong period for my build and also seem to have a variable scale between the separate drawing sheets, must have drifted when copied.  I have used David Hathaway card model with the shortened flying bridge as the basis for my superstructure mock up, but like you suggest I intend to research the detail from the wealth of photograph available on the internet. Are you aware of anyother drawing sources, other than the NMM?

Best regards Jeremy

[RickF]

Hi Jeremy,

I haven't tried the NMM, as I have been able to get most of what I need for free - apart from the Webb plans.

The Australian National Archives has some plans (mostly early configuration) on http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ResearcherScreen.asp . I first discovered these about four years ago, copied them all then lost them when I retired and moved everything from office to home PC. Thanks to John Rogers, Fleet Engineer of the Victorian Navy and Friends of the Cerberus President, I was recently able to find them again. He seems a helpful and approachable guy and can be reached through "Ask A Question" on the Cerberus website.

Rick

[Edward Pinniger]

Looking very good so far! I definitely envy your skills at scratchbuilding a plank-on-frame wooden hull. I've been practising building some cheap wooden kits recently and will hopefully attempt a scratchbuild using this technique eventually.

It's interesting how many people have been inspired by David Hathaway's card kit to scratchbuild a model of Cerberus. I built a 1/96 static waterline model a couple of years ago (this was my first large-scale scratchbuild), representing the ship in its later refitted appearance with the shortened upper deck and single mast:


One of the best I've seen is a 1/100 scale R/C model of Cerberus in 1870 fit, built by "Egberth" - you can see the build thread here on modelwarships.com.

The deteriorating state of the real ship is a great shame. 20 years ago it could definitely have been saved but given the current world economy and the collapsed + rusted state of the hull, I have my doubts now of anything more than the guns + some of the fittings being recovered for museum display! (though I have read that preserving one of the turrets is a possibility).
Of the historic preserved ships in existence today, it's surprising how many - such as HMS Warrior and SS Great Britain - owe their survival as much to luck as anything else, via being used as mooring piers/store hulks/etc. or just rusting away in a backwater. Cerberus could have been one of these, but it looks like it wasn't quite lucky enough!

[jviewing]

Hi Ed, sorry for the late reply and thanks for making contact.  I looked up your model following RickF's comments quite an achievement for me. Only hope mine looks as good when finished. We tried the hull on David's pool at the weekend and the motors and props worked well, although I need to pay some attention to ballasting. My next move is to finish the hull and paint. then on to the deck with the planking.
All the best Jeremy

[victorian]

Here's a couple of views of Jeremy's model complete with mock-up cardboard superstructure.

[RickF]

Looking good Jeremy.

Can I make a plea, here. I know its your model, but I see from the mock-up that you are perpetuating an error that has bedevilled all I've seen so far, from the Hathaway card model to a 1:48 national prizewinner. That is, the crew heads, which are the prominent feature forward of the breastwork. These are invariably model as being similar, but slightly larger than those for the officers aft. This is, in fact not the case. The heads consist of a two-part structure - an open-air section, reached by climbing over a high ledge; and an enclosed part, where the WCs are. Hopefully the photo below will make this clear.

Early photos seem to indicate that the officers heads were also like this, but were later roofed over. The crew heads never were, as photos taken in the 20th century of the hulk under tow still show the open structure. It's a mystery to me why even the Webb plans show them closed in, as the plans from the Australian National Archive - if you study them closely enough - show the correct arrangement.

Good luck with your model.

Rick

[jviewing]

Hi Rick.  Thanks for the information, I noticed the cutout in the crew head on the the web pictures, but was unsure of the actual layout. As you point out the Web plans and the card model both are incorrect. Your photo is invaluable and much clearer than anything I have found to date. I have had no luck finding plans on the Australian national archive web site, other than gun information and delivery voyage sail layout. The cardboard mock-up superstructure is just a copy of the card kit and pretty rough. But serves a purpose as I have been using it to seal the deck opening in the pool. My main effort at the moment is to finish the hull with hawse hole detail and reinforcing plates. Have considered what level you will ballast your 1/48 model to, will it be at the waterline? I was thinking of using a ballast tank with a pump, so I could vary the models displacement according to weather conditions at the lake.
Best regards Jeremy

[RickF]

Jeremy,

I have downloaded all the relevant plans from the archive and, provided your mailbox will handle it, I'll send them all to you. PM or email me with your address.

Using water for ballasting really is building to scale - that's what the original ship did, so as to reduce her target profile - in theory at least. That was the primary use of the pumps, to flood the double bottom. I shall just ballast mine to the waterline and trust in the size of the hull and a good hatch coaming of at least an inch.

Cheers

Rick

[jviewing]

Hi Rick, thanks for the reply. I will PM my e-mail address. I have managed to download copies of the upper and lower deck and details of the pumping arrangements from the Australian national archives recently. But the main plan remains elusive.
Best regards Jeremy