Medway
Queen - Railway Wagon Project
On Thursday 20th May, 1937, a special
train with a capacity for 540 passengers left London Victoria, bound
for Portsmouth and Southsea, from where the people transferred to the
Medway Queen to take part in the Coronation Naval Review at Spithead.
The passengers stayed overnight in Portsmouth and made the return trip
on the following day.
This event is commemorated by the container numbers (37) of the latest
wagons commissioned from Dapol to promote and support the restoration
project for the paddle steamer Medway Queen. Medway Queen was built
in 1924, and served until withdrawn in 1963. The ship is famous for
her 7 trips to the Dunkirk beaches during the evacuation in 1940. After
withdrawal she was used as a club and restaurant before falling into
disuse. The New Medway Steam Packet Company was the ship's original
operator and has now been re-incorporated as a registered charity for
her preservation. Although the company did not run it's own wagons it
is quite believable that a steam ship operator would do so.
Wagons
Currently Available
For
00 Gauge
As
with the previous container wagon this model is available in green on
a GWR wagon and in blue on SR. Approximately 80 of each have been manufactured.
Click
for Order Form
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For
0 Gauge
"POW Sides" rub-down
transfers are available for 0 gauge. These have similar lettering to
the N gauge models and can be applied to the vehicle of your choice.
The transfers are priced at
£9-50 per set and a selection of appropriate Slater's wagon kits
are available to go with them.
Click for
Order Form
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PAST
AVAILABLE 00 GAUGE WAGONS
A conflat wagon and container
bearing the number "66" to remember the opening of the Medway
Queen Club on the Isle of Wight. The containers were available in green
on a standard Dapol GWR conflat (illustration courtesy of DapolLtd.)
or in deep blue on a SR conflat. Priced at £11.75 each
(Photo copyright to Dapol Ltd.)
Although the New
Medway Steam Packet Co. did not have private owner wagons it is entirely
believable that a steam ship operator would run such wagons to carry
coal and other commodities. The "wagon project" began in 2003
with the aim of making that same provision in the popular model railway
scales; allowing you to have something a bit different on the layout
whilst promoting and supporting the preservation of PS Medway Queen.
These private owner wagons, for 00 railways, have been commissioned
from Dapol Model Railways to promote and support the restoration project
for the paddle steamer Medway Queen.
Medway Queen was built in 1924 and served in peace and war until withdrawn
in 1963.
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The first vehicle was
a 7-plank open wagon for 00 which sold well in a variety of liveries
with running numbers 19 and 24. The ship was built in 1924 and it has
become a tradition that wagon running numbers reflect dates from the
vessel's history. An N gauge version of this same wagon (No.24) was
produced in 2006 and it too sold very quickly.
In the short and medium terms the granting of Heritage Lottery support actually requires the society's fund raising efforts to increase. We have to raise the necessary partnership funding; and then we will want to go on to fund the engine refurbishment and a replacement boiler; and then ….. The wagon project will play a part and we have ambitious plans for 2007 including an N gauge version of the vans and something "completely different" for 00.
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All wagon sales are in support of
The Medway Queen Preservation Society and the
New Medway Steam Packet Co. Ltd. (Reg Charity 296236)