Sternwheeler Power Requirements

To expand a bit on the above post: Even using a diesel engine at ~1800 RPM, as in typical generator service would require a reduction gearing in the 25>30:1 ratio.
That's some serious reduction, it's going to take a lot more that some truck transmission to do that.
To do that with single-stage reduction would require some massive gear boxes.
If you can use a transmission that will give, say ~4:1 reduction in 1st gear, thence to a truck rear-end with ~4:1, thence to a final chain drive at ~2:1 you'll be getting in the ballpark.
Hydraulics work good, but they do make a LOT of noise, and the controls, valves, coolers, pumps for the coolers, accumulator tank(s), and huge amounts of high-pressure supply lines can push costs into low earth orbit.
Blow a fitting/hose? You don't even want to contemplate that scenario.

 

Keeping the brakes is a good idea; cheap too. I think that the axle of a farm tractor or a forklift will have lower gearing (high ratio) which may work better with a large diameter wheel.

 

My thoughts were, (if using a differential of some sort,) is that the spider gears need to be welded-up.
Of course, that eliminates the ability to only drive one wheel.
Having "normal" differential action will not work unless you are constantly shifting the brake levers back and forth/on-an-off.
A differential will always transmit its torque to the axle with the least amount of "traction", as it were, and in the water the wheels will constantly be seeing different loads from one side to the other.
Sternwheel boats tend to "wag their tails" a bit anyway, (slew?), and in practice the use of split-wheels was very un-common, actually fairly rare.
The boat will need rudders both ahead and abaft the wheel, at least three, and the ability to use the fore/aft rudders independently is a good feature.
The aft rudders have great leverage for warping/turning, and the forward rudders can alter the flow into the wheel, as well as increasing turning effort.

 

Right angle wormdrive gearbox, from sumitomo heavy industry for example. Not a problem. Differential drive steering seems more expensive, vulnerable and complex than would be worthwhile, but if required, then clutch/ driveshaft/ welded up differential/ pair of standard 3 speed transmissions/ sumitomo worm drives.

Single differential steering has been used, but works poorly as
@rangebowdrie pointed out.

For more info than anyone normal could ever want, see Dr R M Ogorkiewikz book "technology of tanks" from Janes books. Incredible read.

 

Roller chains, sprockets and housed bearings are industrial utility items and a two stage reduction could easily be assembled with standard parts and flat plates.
Differential? yes and no; if one wheel starts to turn faster than the other - boat level - the load on that wheel will be greater and the differential will compensate. If the boat heels, the raised wheel speeds up due to reduced load and the diff. can't compensate, just like a car on ice or mud.
But thinking a bit more about this, the effect of stopping one wheel and trying to manouvre with the other wheel so closely spaced and at the stern might not be very effective - might be better off with one wide wheel (see post 18) and maybe a bow thruster!

I was on a steam paddle ferry/cruiser in Switzerland with both side paddles fixed to the engine shaft, no clutches. We went up a narrow river about half a mile to a stop and I thought the boat would manouvre with thrusters to turn and leave but no, he reversed the half mile down the narrow river, very impressive.

 

The bottom line is that the OP has to determine the total hull resistance first. It is the one value that drives all others.

 

Absolutely. It will define speed range, power required to reach that speed, which in turn will define gear ratios, the torque the system must be designed to manage, and the like.

 

I live on the Apalachicola River in Florida, it has a history of Steam Powered Paddlewheel boats. The”Samuel Floyd” once owned by actress Debbie Reynolds will be arriving there shortly. While designing to build or attempting to purchase my own Mississippi style riverboat, I came up with a plan to build ……..a bolt-on self-powered large PROPULSION SYSTEM. A Paddlewheel Assembly that can be attached or removed from any boat……by simple disconnection. The design is in progress, and the building. A better description is a “UNIT” that can be moved from place to place, attached to any suitable floating vessel, then removed and used elsewhere. The CONCEPT behind this INVENTION is so simple, it should be available world-wide. Am interested in boat builders, or dreamers, who would like to take part in this creation. Talking about sharing ideas, not $$$…lstevenspakart@aol.com.