Hello,
We strongly believe that the craftsmanship and hours already put into this model make her of museum quality and we have already approached the Steamboat Museum in Windermere to take her, sadly they have declined our offer and so we are also looking for somewhere we can house her on a loan basis too if anyone can help with that.
Oliver
unfortunately the Windermere steam boat museum are having their own problems at present and have been for some time. It is also a sad case that most of these small museums don't have the staff to look after the large as life exhibits let alone models, as beautiful as yours is. in fact I think from memory they had a model of Branksome in the museum which was the original model built by a magnificent modeller called Keith Townsend if memory serves me. He then released a limited number of replica numbered kits of the same model. View here.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23271/lot/22/?category=list and that at 20 - 30 k was only number 07 of his limited number of kits. think what the museum has to insure his original for.
also NOW ADAYS, in our "sue anyone mentality", small museums are somewhat loathed to take models on "long term loan" because of insurance pay-outs and law suits should someone's beloved model be damaged or stolen from the museum. I know that Fleetwood museum, which is now run by a rust, is desperately short in funds, and don't take donations with great heart, and if they do, the models which take up space which sadly few give more than glancing looks these days, put them straight into storage in the damp cellars.
To be honest, working or not, it would be better sat on a nice sideboard, not near radiators in your own house just for you to look at with joy and nostalgia.
Jim.
just as an afterthought and having looked at the engines on both your model and the model at Bonhams, are you not sure that this model you own might be one of the limited number of kits Supplied by Keith Townsend..... those kits sold in the 1980's for [ at the time] an astronomical £2500.00 + VAT