paddle steamer ferry waverley excursions kingswear castle maritime publication medway balmoral queen paddle steamer preservation society psps maid of the loch museum archive royal daffodil caledonia jeanie deans monarch london southend glasgow rothesay general steam navigation company p and a campbell red funnel cosens ryde model plans engine paddle wheel pleasure steamer river thames firth of clyde solent firth of clyde cca coastal cruising association wss world ships society monthly sea breezes ais live andrew gladwell picture gallery swiss lake lucerne royal eagle golden eagle queen of the channel jeanie deans caledonia consul embassy monarch freshwater totnes castle tom lee postcard handbill belle steamer southend pier margate pier psps scottish branch blog clyde river steamer club west highland club doon the watter dampferzeitung tramscape wessex branch whippingham clevedon penarth largs dunoon crested eagle tower bridge national piers society wheel box book lake geneva dresden souvenir waverley timetable

The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society Collection is the largest and most complete archive of material relating to paddle and pleasure steamers in the UK.

The Collection has been formed over a period of 50 years and contains over 32,000 objects covering the development of paddle and pleasure steamers that once plied between seaside resorts around the UK. The collection though continues to reflect the pleasure steamers that are operated today by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society: Waverley, Balmoral and Kingswear Castle.

Material in the Collection is rich and diverse ranging from the wheel of the Princess Elizabeth, telegraph from the Consul, and a richly decorated Dining Saloon chair from the Clacton Belle. It also includes thousands of photographs, handbills, models, souvenirs and ephemera showing well-loved paddle steamers of the past. The Collection is an amazing resource for researchers interested in maritime history, local or family history or those that just want to rekindle happy memories of a day at the seaside!