Full Size printed Plans Rhine PUSHER TUG L 27 1/4 in B 9 3/4 in for RADIO CONTROL

Not a KIT or MODEL

Listing is for Full Size Printed Plans and Building Article

EGRETE

PUSHER TUG

FULL SIZE PLANS PRINTED PRINTS ON TWO SHEETS 36” x 24” and 32” x 24”

EIGHTEEN DIGITAL PAGES HISTORY, BUILDING NOTES and PHOTOS

(Not all shown(

1/32 SCALE

Length 27 1/4 in

Beam 9 3/4 in

Twin Electric Motors

RADIO CONTROL

By David Metcalf

 The Rhine runs nearly 1 280 km to the North Sea; most of its pollution is through the low countries. Near its head and through Lake Constance it is still relatively clean. Linkage to the Rhone was finally made in 1985, the latter being some 811km of navigable waterway. This connection linked the large ports of the North Sea to the Mediterranean.

The Egrete would appear to date from about this time of the linking of the two systems. The tug has been designed to push multiple or single barges up to a dead weight of 5000tonnes. The most unusual feature of the model is the raising bridge and wheelhouse, designed to operate when two layers of containers are carried on the barge in front. Raised it allows the crew to see exactly where they are going, and is lowered to pass under the lowest bridge on the whole network. All heights of the vessels that operate on the system are designed about this one bridge.                     

The Model

Now let's take a close look at the model itself. You will see the hull and superstructure are no more than boxes. The stem is raised at the back to allow for the low water level months, enabling the largest size props available to be used. The ship itself has fixed propeller shafts with steerable Kort nozzles; I have used two 'Ripmax' SchottIe drive units. Let's now run quickly through the boat.

As stated before, the back is raised for the prop units, the hull shape rapidly fills out to accommodate the largest possible pusher engines. The winch on the stern is enclosed for safety's sake; the large back deckhouse is partly engine room and partly crew accommodation; the small lower deck house at the front is for the main winch which keeps the barges tight up to the bows with cables that pass through the four sets of bow rollers.

 Thank you for looking Rose