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[tradboat]

William Fawcett Paddle Steamer 1828 Model


Good morning everybody



I recently purchased a model made in 1935 and in need of re-rigging in places, including a replacement bowsprit or a repair to the existing one.   She must have been built from a plan originally and I wonder if anyone has any rigging details? - she was the first P&O ship as I understand it and built in 1828.  The nice thing about the model is that she has a message under the fore-hatch that she was built by a lad of 16 or 17 and took six months to complete. She is approximately 32 inches  over the deck and has a beam of 9 inches across the paddle boxes.


Any help would be much appreciated. Photos when I get her properly cleaned ...


Cheers


Charles

[Colin Bishop]

Here are a couple of crops showing the Science Museum model which is no longer on display. They may be of help.

Colin

[tradboat]

Colin thank you.  I wonder if there is access to the Science museum reserve collection - I will ask them and let you know how it goes


In the meantime many thanks for the pictures - I have rigging to replace with hemp and a dolphin striker to make up (that's why my bowsprit was broken). Pictures as soon as that is done.


Cheers


Charles

[Colin Bishop]

I think many of the models are being transferred to the National Collections Centre in Wiltshire following climate stabilisation after being taken off display at the Science Museum

https://www.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/about-us/collection/national-collections-centre/

There was originally a proposal that the Science Museum models would be transferred to the depository at Chatham Dockyard along with those from the National Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum but it all fell through and the models initially went to the Science Museum's own repository pending transfer to Wiltshire. This all seems to be taking a long time and there may not be any public access in the meantime.

Colin

[tradboat]

Thanks Colin


As a Group (Vintage Model Yacht Group), we visited the collection at Chatham some years ago. You could then by appointment.  Even then they were talking about moving the collection to a new venue.  I remember a very nice woman talking to us about the restoration of flags and pennants on very old models - craft of a very high order.  I have three to do on Fawcett (although she is only 85), goodness a hard act to follow.


Again many thanks


Charles