Update.
Basic parts all glued together, sanded flush, few gaps puttied, steps and rounded areas refined.
The upper edges were roughed-in using a Dremel router table and round-over bit.
Still have to make the rear plate/rocket nozzle area.
Having to do some thinking about it, as Ramus's proposed "175 tons of thrust" is approximately
1,556,878 Newtons, more than the thrust of the current Atlas V SRB at 1,270,000, and not much
below the Soviet NK-33A at 1,638,000.
In other words, way beyond anything available in 1875. I'm thinking a cluster of large powder
rockets as the nozzles would be simple. They'll be rubber enhanced rockets, of course, ~65
odd years ahead of time for that composition, and
way ahead of time in terms of output.
My Archer resin rivet decals finally arrived.
They've been in transit since the 14th, they came
out to Seattle, and then, for some reason the USPS sent them back to North Carolina.