"Post Apocalyptic Steamboats / Steamships Likely?" Topic

Like this one here:

link

Thanks,

Dan
link

These kinds of things take a lot of dull, routine maintenance to keep running, not to mention a lot of technical know how. They blew up quite a bit in their early years. The boilers and such are, I'm sure, a lot more stable but probably a lot more complex now. In a post-apoc setting I'm not sure they make much sense. Where do they get all the fuel from? I think post-apoc bass boats running on moonshine much more likely.

Depends upon how soon after you're talking.

Early on, seems like salvaging old stuff would be easier and better. Once the old stuff is mostly gone, these would be easier to make from scratch.

Fuel's easy, once some organization starts happening again – wood just grows.
-Kle.

I would bet that steam would make a comeback. I doubt any boat in regular use would be quite as rusted as the one in the picture. Rust is the enemy and the crew can be kept busy scraping and painting. You could also press passengers into light maintenance like that for passage. The people with the knowledge to run them would be very valuable commodities indeed. Simple steamers and launches would probably be very common once a way to build the steam engine components is set up. You would not be able to ski behind them, but they should get you there.

I agree – while they require some tech, steam is fairly low tech – and they use fairly simple fuel, so post-apoc steam would be a good candidate as the driving force for "modern" nations

The Brits ran a pretty big empire on steam and horseflesh

Hmm. I guess that simple ones, without big paddle wheels, aren't that out of the realm of possibility:

This is interesting:

link

And this is very inspiring:

link

Dan

I like the second one. Read P. J. Farmer's "River World" for steam ship building a la Sam Clemmons.

Steam is a fairly easy technology to understand and yet just as easy to die from.

I have worked on all sorts of steam systems…from large kitchen steam lines and boilers to industrial steam heating systems…and they all came with horror stories.

A fine crack along a high pressure line can cut you deeply, even removing digits.

A boiler with a hard water deposit blockage with a blow back on the relief value, breaking it and spraying scalding water in all directions.

Boiler technology can quickly become a bomb.

But that said, a well maintained and supervised system is easy enough…heat, water, container, pressure lines, steam engine/motor, and then your end result of spinning a wheel, turning a gear shaft, etc.

Salt water steam usage adds to the potential danger…salt encourages corrosion, corrosion creates weak spots, weak spots are the big red buttons of hot steamy death.

This zombie boat convoy is just too funny:

link

Dan

Possibly, though there is a very limited chance of finding a salvageable steamboat and engineers to run the steam engine, compared to sailboats and internal combustion boats.
Steam power may have come first but it came to generations who could work and learn. Today with the computer-driven civilisation losing more and more, with people having to be led about since they can't take their eyes off their phones, people will keep dropping skills from society until there are no more. I find much of my job is simple programming that the customer could be doing themselves, but they are mostly too helpless to read the instructions; they fall apart at the idea of having to sew on a button. Anything that isn't delivered to them on screen or by headphones doesn't exist, and wanting it makes you an inferior being. They can't dress themselves, can't speak, can't get the phone off the side of their head while driving, and hardly ever appear sober.
Most of them will die almost immediately. Most model engineers aren't survivalists…
If crew for a steam engine will be to few, might I suggest stirling-cycle or flamelicker engines? Just as energy-inefficient but without the boiler…
CC, paddle wheels came before screw propulsion became truly viable, think why…

"CC, paddle wheels came before screw propulsion became truly viable, think why …"

Well, the whole paddle wheel thing wouldn't be a matter of when the discovery was made. It would be more a matter of which one is easier to make and maintain by just a few people.

A small to medium boat doesn't really need paddle wheels.

Dan

The point is- Do you wish to model one? If so, it would be well tended and clean looking. Few let their hard labor going to waste to rust and graffiti.
Steam engines need water more than combustibles. Let your stowage reflect this. What is the purpose of your steam driven craft? Build to said purpose.

….not so tough. A few chunks of Styrofoam, a paper towel and a Popsicle stick should do it. …and don't forget the glitter. …..aaaaaaah get back!!! My eyes!!!!

…yep, I'm a jerk. Really though, if you want to understand steam, just try a history or two of steamship evolution and railroads. I had to do it myself for a semi-failed VSF concept. Quite an eye opener. Hey, Nuclear subs are steam driven!

All you need to re-create the steam era is a library of Lindsay's technical books. Though it'd probably be easier to use some big rig engines instead…. ;)

Dan, Excellent way to turn a threat into a resource. Pretty soon they'd be a shortage of Zombies.

I for one would asume Diesel power before going back to steam for smaller boats and ships. In general marine diesel engines are simpler than the equivalent steam engines.

CC: precisely- two or more circular formoers and a bunch of planks.
Then again some riverboats were being built with paddlewheels well into the 1920s, with diesel engines…

I for one would asume Diesel power before going back to steam for smaller boats and ships. In general marine diesel engines are simpler than the equivalent steam engines.

Simpler, sure.
Also requiring far better materials and machining.

An electronic, solid-state computer can easily be considered simpler than a mechanical computer. It requires higher technology to make, though.
-Kle.

Connecting a few "islands" like this would be awesome:

link

link

This should be really easy to make in 15mm, don't you think?

link
link

Dan
TMP link