In Bristol, work continues in the engine room, with the positioning of machinery, there was a slight delay as the crank shaft had to be repaired, once the repair is complete the crank shaft and paddle shafts can be installed.

The boiler room is no complete. Deck laying is complete on the forward Prod Deck and the Main Deck. The spring beams have been attached. Work still continues to progress at the after end.

In Gillingham, the fresh water and sewerage tanks have been transported to Bristol, and they steel workers are now working on a watertight door as well as the fabrication of the Fender rubbing strips.

The windows are now complete, the hit and miss vents, upon which we were awaiting delivery, have now arrived and have been fitted. Oak timber has been delivered for the bow rudder and work will soon start on shaping it.

The carpenter apprentices have been working on an extension to the office/visitors center. It is making good progress and now has a roof, work will soon start on the fitting out of electrics and plumbing to provide a working kitchen area. The apprentices are making the doors and windows themselves, and once these are done the interior fitting out can commence.

Things are looking up for us here at Medway Queen Preservation Society, we hope you think so too!

At Albion Dockyard in Bristol, work is coming along nicely, the engine is now fitted into the engine room.

Recycled timber from the Medway Queen is being laid, its nice to see old materials from the Queen being re-used.

A lot has happened this August, the ship is coming along nicely, and is continually making better progress.

At Bristol, the engine room has been shot blasted and painted, and the main Cylinder block, the Condenser, the Edwards air pump, the Hotwell tank and all A frames and connecting rods that connect to Cylinder block to the A frames where the slide valves are located. The smaller machinery and small tanks have already been installed prior to the shot blasting of the Engine Room.

From the Viewing Platform, the ship is now beginning to look like a working mechanical area rather than an empty space.

A photo of Chris Camp and David Abels in the Engine room.

More progress has been achieved laying the deck timbers with more on the Prom Deck, but more importantly on the forward Main Deck.

The Counter, or Poop Deck has been prefabricated, and is waiting to be installed as soon as the ship is ready to receive it.

Riveting is being done, within the boiler room at the minute, hand pnuematic riveting is being done on the ship.

At Gillingham Pier, the fendering has now been installed onto the Quayside, and are only awaiting the cross road trench to be dug.

A photo of Gillingham Pier instructor on a boom lift, drilling the fendering into the Quayside.

The fabrication of the freshwater and sewerage tanks is ongoing, mechanical restoration work also continues as does work to complete the windows. Shortly, work will go ahead on the bow rudder and following some layout planning, we will begin work on the internal fit out of the ship, furniture, prefabrication of panelling etc.

A photo of our Belgian friends aiding in completing the windows when they came over for a visit.

A photo of a mock up window being placed in the ship to see how it would look, and it looks great!

At Gillingham Pier, were getting ready for the Queen to be back by cementing in the bollards, and the fendering has now been installed, (fendering is used to prevent the paddle boxes from damage).
Its all coming along nicely here. So right now we have two bollards, cemented into the ground, and both fenders up, once they are in we will be drilling them into the side of the wall, once he have our truck hired.

Our carpenters have been working on the wood for the paddle boxes, as well as building the office a cabinet to hold our PPE gear, as its starting to clog up the office!

Our volunteers that come and help us every week are keeping busy by installing framework for power supplies that are needed to power the machinery in the workshop.