A 19th century plating half model for the construction of a hopper barge.
The piece was carved from pine with inked plate size marks. It is secured to a wooden hanging board with nail holes, ready for hanging. One of the annotations reads ‘Hopper Barge’.
~ Dimensions ~
The model is 32.5 inches long, 4 inches wide & 4.2 inches tall. It weighs 1.10 kg.
~ Condition ~
The piece is in very decent condition, a few areas of minor wear. The inking is clear and protected under varnish.
~ Hopper Barge ~
A hopper barge is a kind of non-mechanical ship or vessel that cannot move around by itself, unlike some other types of barges. Designed to carry materials, like rocks, sand, soil and rubbish, for dumping into the ocean, a river or lake for land reclamation.
Hopper barges are seen in two distinctive types; raked hopper or box hopper barges. The raked hopper barges move faster than the box hoppers; they are both designed for movement of dry bulky commodities.