Model of the hull of an early paddle merchant steamer (ca. 1830), scale 1:48.

Contemporary, whole, rigged model of an early coastal paddle steamer, c. 1825. Scale 1:36

miniature paddle steamer is a rare contemporary model of an early form of steam-driven coastal vessel. The ship was powered by a steam engine which drove the paddle wheels at each side. The sails could sometimes be used in favourable winds to reduce fuel costs and offered reassurance to passengers who were still unaccustomed to steam navigation. The model cannot be identified with any certainty, but the most likely candidate seems to be the SS Albion, a 270-ton steamer launched in 1831. She carried passengers and goods on a regular service between Bristol and Dublin. Her career ended when she ran aground off the Welsh coast in April 1837.