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 Key
Dates
1904: Kingswear Castle's engine built by Cox &
Co. of Falmouth for the previous vessel of that name and transferred
to the present vessel in 1924.
1924: Kingswear
Castle built and enters service on the River Dart in Devon.
1939-45: Kingswear
Castle requisitioned by the Navy and initially used as a stores
depot at Dittisham pier but later used by the US Navy for use
as a harbour tender.
1961-62: Reboilered
and extensively replated.
1965: Kingswear
Castle withdrawn from service at the end of the season.
1967: Kingswear
Castle purchased by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society
for £600 for preservation.
1967: Kingswear
Castle was slipped, surveyed and battened down and towed to
the Isle of Wight where she arrived on 28th August to join the
Medway Queen.
1969: First
sailings under PSPS ownership when she was steamed to be filmed
for a TV programme 'Bird's Eye View'.
1970: On 6th
October, Kingswear Castle was towed down the River Medina
to East Cowes ready to be towed to the River Medway.
 1971:
On 16th June, Kingswear Castle began her tow to the River
Medway arriving two days later.
1971: Kingswear
Castle arrives at her new home at Medway Bridge Marina to
undergo restoration.
1970s: Restoration
continues at a very slow pace.
1979: Restoration
begins in earnest after many years of inactivity.
1982: On 20th
November, the boiler is steamed for the first time.
1983: On the
weekend of 4-6th November, Kingswear Castle sails out into
the Medway to undertake steaming and manoeuvring trials.
1985: Kingswear
Castle re-enters service on the River Medway as well as undertaking
a number of cruises on the River Thames.
1986: Kingswear
Castle won the National Steam Heritage Award.
1987: In June,
Kingswear Castle carries Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
during the General Election campaign.
1995: Kingswear
Castle became overall winner in the Scania Transport Trust
Awards.
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