Steam Punk Engine Competition

[southern]

STEAM PUNK ENGINE

For our second competition we are leaving the idea/concept entirely up to you. Our themed title is `Steam-Punk Engine` and that says it all.

We want you to design and build a vehicle from the turn of the century (that’s the 1899-1900 not the more recent one!) that would feel at home on the set of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The vehicle needs to be Steam Powered but be science fiction rather than science fact. The type of vehicle is entirely up to you so that can be a plane, train or automobile or even a weapon of war. You can design a gigantic airship or brass submarine just make sure it needs steam to make it run!

A passage from WIKIPEDIA to help understand the Genre:

`Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. Fiction in the steampunk genre is set in the past, or a world resembling the past, in which modern technological paradigms occurred earlier in history, but were accomplished via the science already present in that time period. The genre typically falls into the realm of science fiction.`

Draw your Influence from the Steam Punk genre:

The league of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Sky Captain
Voyage to the Centre of the Earth
Time Machine
Bruce Sterling
Neale Stephenson
Robert Louis Stephenson

More links to help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9094/STEAM2.html
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...s/steampnk.htm
http://www.spookylibrarians.com/steampunk.html
http://www.republika.pl/steampunk/chrono02.html

So...if are you ready to put your skills to the test with the second contest here at www.subdivisionmodeling.com then read these rules and start your threads.........


1. Participants will start a thread for their entry. Please follow this naming convention:

Steam Punk Engine:<your forum name>:modeling entry

Mods will move/edit incorrect entries

2. All programs and tools are allowed for modeling your entry.

3. Show all concept sketches if used

4. IMPORTANT: The challenge is as much about providing guidance to other modelers who would wish to attempt a similar project. Structure your thread as if it were a tutorial and provide text and images to support your workflow.

5. Entrants are encouraged to show wireframes, and flat-shading where possible

6. Entrants are encouraged to post often. NOTE: There are no no limits to the number of images you can add to a given post.

7. This is a two month challenge. Contest begins on Sunday 6th March and ends at midnight Sunday 30th April (gmt)

8. Entrants retain the rights to their model. Entrants grant the use of their images, names and posts for purposes of SubD.com site promotion.

9. Sub-D Moderators and Editors are encouraged to enter but cannot win.

Prizes:

There will be a single winner and the prize is made up of:

1. A Hexagon 2 and Carrara 5 Pro Licence.
2. A Get Into ZBrush DVD from KURV Studios
3. Modeling NIERD DVD by Polyloop

Judges:

Thomas Roussel from Eovia
Glen Southern
Wes `Kurv` Beckwith
William Vaughn (Proton)
Cris Palomino
Teyon Alexander
All Subdivisionmodeling.com moderators and editors

[southern]

Neil provided us with a passage of Steam Punk Narrative from his extensive collection. Use as inspiration if needed.:

Major Thomas Ruskin looked back towards the huge Empress of India Class transport that had been his home for the last two months. The ship sat in the red dust of Amphitrites Patera Space Port, the aft parts still glowing a dull red even though the furnaces had been extinguished. The insect-like natives had already started to unload the cargo and carry exports up the gangplanks into the interior, reminding Ruskin of an ant colony he had once seen while serving in Delhi. It was late afternoon, the sun was now low in the pink sky and both Phobos and Terra were visible. It was already getting cold. He settled his pith helmet onto his head, scratched at his luxuriant sideburns and lead his thirty highlanders towards Fort Napier, about a mile from the landing ground. Their own hired bearers pulled a cart carrying equipment and weapons. Two natives scurried ahead to announce them to the guards at the entrance.
As Ruskin approached, a staff officer appeared from inside the camp, spoke briefly to one of the guards who then pointed to Ruskin and his men. The officer left as quickly as he had arrived, strolling back towards the administration buildings at the centre of the camp.
“Major Ruskin?” The guard saluted smartly and waited for Ruskin to acknowledge. Ruskin checked him for a second before returning the salute.
“Sir, You are to immediately and take your men to patrol to the edge of Hellas Planitia. If you wait here for your written orders and a map to arrive, they will be here in a few moments. Would you and your men like some tea? I can get a char-wallahs to bring a samovar over.”
“Tea would be excellent.” Ruskin turned to the thirty men who stood at attention nearby. “Sergeant Major Wilson, tell the men they are to have ten minutes for tea.”
“Second platoon, First Company, Green Watch!” Screamed Wilson, “Stand easy!”
The men relaxed, made tripods of their Dreyse repeating rifles, took off their sun hats and undid the top buttons of their khaki tunics. Some brought out tobacco pouches and lit pipes.
Ruskin’s batman arrived at his side and saluted before presenting him with a mug of tea.
“Put a drop of connie-honey in it, sir. Local milk’s not fit for tea, sir.”
“Well done Jones. Fetch my Webley-Kaufman and the box of Mr. Wainwright’s patented hollow point bullets. Thank you.” Ruskin sipped at his tea. In India they grew excellent tea, but something happened to it after it arrived at London’s East India Docks so that when it arrived on Mars it produced something akin to brown paint that was only made drinkable by adding condensed milk or brandy.
Jones returned with a polished wooden box that contained the Webley-Kaufman pistol. A cardboard box of Wainwright bullets had a jolly picture of a gentleman shooting a chap in a turban. Under the picture was the proud legend “When you have to make every shot count you can rely on Wainwright’s patented bullets. Guaranteed to stop with one shot, or your money refunded.” Ruskin handed the mug to Jones, loaded the weapon and secured it in the stiff leather holster. The natives had arrived with a samovar and were now filling the enamelled mugs of the waiting highlanders.
“Like me to knock some of the dust off your tunic, sir?” Jones asked. Ruskin glanced at his scarlet tunic. It was still immaculate, as good as the day he had bought it from Messrs. Goodalls. “Boots are losing their shine, Jones. A polish wouldn’t harm them, jump to it!” Ruskin sat on the edge of an empty crate of .357 smokeless cartridges that the natives had placed their samovar on. Jones produced a footstool, boot polish and brushes. Ruskin relaxed and enjoyed his tea. An orderly approached and saluted, then offered him an envelope. Ruskin returned the salute, placed his tea on the crate and opened the orders. He glanced at them and the map before returning them to the envelope.
“Five minutes, Mister Wilson.”
“Five minutes, my lads. You heard what the officer said.” Wilson called to the men around him.
Jones finished cleaning Ruskin’s brown cavalry boots and put his brushes away. Ruskin gave him the tea mug to clean and tucked the swagger stick that Jones brought him under an arm.
“Gentlemen-” Ruskin stood up to speak.
“Silence you lot, while the officer speaks!” Wilson screamed. The men paid attention, gathering in a semi-circle a few feet away from Ruskin.
“Gentlemen, we are going into the desert, so fill up your water bottles at the fountain. There are likely to be natives, but I know that each one of you boys are worth ten of them. We have the excellent Dreyse patented repeating rifle, the honour and traditions of Her Majesty’s Green Watch and the best damned soldiers on Earth and on Mars. So, are we ready, boys?”
“Three cheers for the Green Watch, my lads, then fall in!” shouted Wilson.

The sun had set by the time they reached the place indicated in Ruskin’s orders. The natives were wearing their usual thickly padded clothing, which would make it difficult to kill them. It was said that they had discovered a wireless telegraph and an engine that ran without coal. There was nothing wrong with such ideas, of course, but if the British Government had not seen fit to adopt them, it was because they were inferior to what they already had.
They had had left one of their kind on guard. Ruskin peered through his field-glasses, trying to make out details through the dawn shadows. Their vehicle was small. At the front there were conventional car wheels, with a curving mudguards, a spare wheel and a brass edged tool box. The windscreen and side windows had been replaced by metal plates. Similar riveted armoured plates covered the doors. The rear part had a tracked assembly, like some of the agricultural machines he had seen at the Great Exhibition a few years ago. Brass handrails ran the length of the body. There was a turret with a weapon on the rear section, probably a two pounder firing a fixed round. The whole thing was too damned small. If the body contained the boiler and coal, the crew must ride on the outside. He would capture it from them before they could get up steam. He turned to the sergeant Major behind him.
“Mister Wilson. The men are to form a line and advance at a walk. Hold fire until we are within a hundred yards. There’s a twenty guineas bounty to share if we capture the vehicle in working order”

Three hundred yards away the native guard spotted the scarlet tunic, screeched a warning and his companions leapt up and entered their half track. The motor started on the second attempt, rattling until the oil got around everything. The guard checked the engine dials, fed more oil into the burners to raise the boiler pressure further, saw everything was well, then, raising the engine speed, started the hydraulic pump that powered the turret.
The driver put the vehicle into gear, released the clutch and the half track lurched forwards and departed in a cloud of dust and oily smoke.

“Well done men. They’ll not be back, we scared them off. They must have had steam up after all.” Ruskin called. The men had not had a chance to fire their rifles, the vehicle had departed so quickly. “Mister Wilson, supper break, one hour. Jones, put the kettle on, we’ll have some Darjeeling rather than army tea.” Ruskin stared across the Martian desert after the departing half-track. He wanted to ensure it was not returning. The men were disappointed, of course. They would have enjoyed showing the natives who was top dog, but there would be other encounters. Ruskin was concerned about the vehicle, but the top brass would not want to hear that the natives had better equipment than the army provided. It would sound like cowardice. After all, every man was worth ten natives, they were all well armed. What could the Martians know?
On the north side of Olympus Mons, in a cave, a stocky native stacked a copy of a Dreyse bolt action rifle alongside thirty others. By the time he walked back to the production line, another would be ready. The British said their men were each as good as ten Martians, so they needed a weapon that would even up the odds. They were not skilled inventors, but they recognised a good design when they saw one and made excellent copies. The British allowed them to work in their factories, but never thought that they only worked to learn and copy. Soon the British would learn the real meaning of the phrase, ”attack is the best form of defence”.

[southern]

Adam has added this link:

http://web.mac.com/adamaf/iWeb/Site/...0pictures.html

Full of Steam engine parts for possible reference.

[Adam]

Also check this out: Steam Punk transformers! No, really - Optimus Prime transforms into a steam train!

Adam

[Grendel]

A great subject matter, don't forget Steamboy the anime and Wild Wild West they are set in that era as well and full ofperiod gadjets.

[scibor_jackal]

Nice : ) sounds like 2 month without school

[axylfyre]

would a "walking machine" be considered a viable entry for this contest? Or similarly, a prosthetic walking device, that is powered by steam, something like this http://steamwars.com/steamwarsconcept22.htm

[xtrude]

Without having looked at the pic, but replying on the subject of Steam walking machines... why not?

Heck, if I was venturing in some stange jungle or w.h.y., it would be very nice, and wise to have one of these here transport devises...

Way cool topic...

[Norman]

After looking at the pic and reading the description, I think it might fit.. but.. it just odd..

[jason]

http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/
http://www.idwpublishing.com/titles/...mers/hos.shtml
http://www.80days-game.com/index80d.htm
http://www.jaspermorello.com/gazette...entSelection=3