Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MODEL, BARONESS

Date Range From

1980

Date Range To

1990

Materials

WOOD, STEEL, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

31.7

Length

78.2

Width

12.6

Description

MODEL OF PADDLE STEAMER HAS BROWN WOOD BASE WITH TWO MATCHING SUPPORTS. HULL IS REDDISH-BROWN ON BOTTOM AND WHITE ABOVE. DECK IS SIMULATED LIGHT COLOURED WOOD PLANKS. STEM IS NOT ANGLED, HAS ROUNDED NOSE WITH TWO BLACK CUBES AND TWO HOUR GLASS SHAPED HOOKS ON THE NOSE. A NUMBER OF BLACK PEGS SUPPORT A SECOND LEVEL. A LADDER CLIMBS AT THE FRONT OF THE BOAT TO THE SECOND LEVEL, AND DIRECTLY BEHIND IT IS A BLACK BOILER WITH TWO STACKS. THIS HAS A WALL BEHIND IT. AT THE BACK IS AN ENGINE ROOM THAT IS SQUARE AND PAINTED WHITE WITH BEIGE DOORS ON THREE SIDES (TWO HAVE GOLD NAIL HANDLES), WINDOW COVERS AND WINDOW FRAMES. THIS ROOM IS HOLLOW INSIDE. AT THE BACK IS A RED WATER WHEEL WITH FOUR WHEELS THAT ALL HAVE SPOKES, AND ARE JOINED TOGETHER BY A BLACK PIN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WHEELS. AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE ARE RED BARS THAT JOIN THE WHEELS. THERE IS A RED CLAMP UNDERNEATH EITHER SIDE OF THE WATER WHEEL WITH TWO EXTENSIONS OF THE DECK WITH RECTANGULAR OPENINGS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WHEEL. POLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE END OF THESE, AND EXTEND TO THE ROOF OF THE ENGINE ROOM. THERE IS A GREY WALL WITH A WHITE ROOM THAT HAS A SLANTED ROOF AND BEIGE DOOR WITH ROUND GOLD WINDOW AND HANDLE ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROOF OF THE ENGINE ROOM. A WIRE IS ATTACHED TO THE POLE SUPPORTS IN THIS AREA, AND ARE ANCHORED Y HOOKS ON THE ROOF, WHICH THEN RUN THE LENGTH OF THE SECOND FLOOR AND FALL TO THE MAIN DECK. ON OTHER SIDE OF ENGINE ROOM ARE TWO STACKS, THEN WHITE UPPER DECK ROOM RUNS OVER MOST OF THE DECK. HAS A LADDER TO ITS ROOF, A SQUARE ATTACHMENT WITH WINDOWS ON EVERY SIDE, AND THE WHITE ROOM WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE BUILDING HAS THE WHEEL IN IT AND WINDOWS ON ALL SIDES. ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS CONTROL ROOM IS A SIGN THAT READS "BARONESS" IN BROWN FELT. THE ROOM ON THE UPPER FLOOR HAS TWO BEIGE DOORS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING. IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE.

Subjects

TOY

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

DONOR STATES THAT HE HAS ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST IN SHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CANADA AND OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. THE BARONESS HAD ITS HULL LAID AT COALBANKS AND FLOATED DOWN RIVER TO HAVE THE MACHINERY INSTALLED IN MEDICINE HAT. LUMBER TO BUILD THE SHIP WAS HAULED BY BULL TEAM FROM THE PORCUPINE HILLS SIXTY MILES AWAY, OR SWIFT CURRENT 260 MILES AWAY. WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AT MEDICINE HAT ON JUNE 1, 1883. WAS CONSTRUCTED SO THAT COAL COULD BE CARRIED IN LARGE AND CONVENIENT AMOUNTS BETWEEN COALBANKS AND MEDICINE HAT. THERE WAS A DEMAND FOR COAL AS THE C.P.R. MAIN LINE HAD BEEN COMPLETED. DIMENSIONS OF THE BOAT WERE 173 FEET (L) X 30 FEET (W) WITH TWO HIGH PRESSURE STEAM CYLINDERS 15 INCHES (D) AND THE LENGTH OF THE STROKE WAS 5 FEET. THE MODEL'S SCALE IS 5/32 INCH TO THE FOOT. THE DONOR BUILT THIS FROM PICTURES AS NO DRAWINGS OF VESSEL WERE AVAILABLE. HE HAS BUILT OTHER MODELS OF SIMILAR SHIPS FROM THE 1880-1900 ERA. THE BARONESS WAS BUILT BY THE GALT COMPANY (NWC&NCO.) TO REACH MORE EXTENSIVE MARKETS. IN ITS FIRST SEASON, THE WATERS WERE NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR NAVIGATION EXCEPT IN SPRING RUN-OFF. IT TOOK ONLY EIGHT HOURS TO GET TO MEDICINE HAT, BUT THE TRIP BACK TOOK FIVE DAYS AND BURNED ALMOST AS MUCH COAL AS IT HAD DELIVERED. ONLY 200 TONS OF COAL WERE DELIVERED THAT YEAR. THE NEXT YEAR THE ALBERTA AND MINNOW WERE BUILT AND ALL THREE VESSELS FAILED TO DELIVER THE QUANTITY OF COAL ENVISIONED BY THE NWC&NCO. IN 1885 THE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY BRIDGE WAS COMPLETED AND THE MORE EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION BY RAIL WAS THE SOLUTION. THESE BOATS WERE LEASED TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DURING THE RIEL REBELLION, AFTER WHICH THE BARONESS WAS RETURNED TO MEDICINE HAT AND DISMANTLED FOR MECHANICAL PARTS TO BE USED IN THE GALT NO.3 MINE, THE REST WAS LEFT TO DECAY UNTIL WASHED AWAY BY THE FLOOD OF 1902. FOR MORE HISTORY SEE "BOATS AND BARGES ON THE BELLY RIVER".

Catalogue Number

P19940018000

Acquisition Date

1994-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail