"Years ago I sold them through Bonhams in London but you never see them again or know what happens to them, so I get more pleasure donating them to museums."

Isle of Wight scale model maker Michael Langley has donated a beautiful model of paddle steamer Freshwater, to the Freshwater and Totland Archive Group, based at the West Wight Heritage Centre.

Michael was inspired by the display Piers and Steamers that was at the heritage centre last autumn, so spent 350 hours between October and January created his latest masterpiece.

The model has the minutest of details, the scale being 1:120, and is set as a waterline model, all enclosed in a purpose built glass cabinet.

It can be seen on display in the museum window, on Avenue Road, Freshwater. 

The original paddle steamer Freshwater was built by J.S White’s, Cowes, in 1927 for Southern Railway and served the Yarmouth to Lymington Route as a standby/spare capacity passenger ferry until 1959.

It stayed busy with trippers on Saturdays in the summer, especially with holidaymakers who were staying at Brambles and Norton holiday camps.

The formation of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society is directly linked to the demise of the PS Freshwater.

Specifications, as held by the society, are: 159ft long, breadth of hull 23ft, Draught 5ft 8in, beam over paddle boxes 42ft 6in, gross tonnage 264 (118 net), dead weight tonnage 60, passengers 436, crew 12.

In 1959 it went into lay-up at Southampton Docks awaiting sale.

In 1960 it became Sussex Queen operating between East Sussex Piers and finally in 1961 it became known as Swanage Queen.

In September 1962 a Belgian ship breaking yard took the ship.

Michael has had the hobby of scale model making for most of his adult life, and he is now 76.

He said: "I'm very pleased to see it on display. Over the years I've donated many models to museums, from Folkstone to the IW. 

"I enjoy making them, but I can't keep them all! Hopefully it will encourage more people to go in and enjoy the heritage centre."