On display in the Maritime Museum, Belem, Portugal

Wonderful set of models Keelman, thank you. The Portuguese obviously take pride in them. Unfortunately I think we had so many in the NE that we ignored them, like the rest of our maritime/shipbuilding heritage. We have so much of it, we don't need to preserve it and all of a sudden its all gone.

Most of the models from around the NE have now been moved to the Discovery Museum in Newcastle and locked away in store because they don't have the floor space to display them. Many of those that are on display are filling gaps in wall space much like paintings do, so they are not easy to walk around and really appreciate. In the main "shipbuilding" room there is a glass case that is the height of two floors containing a selection of small models. The models are displayed on racks in the case and most of them are way above your head, so a waste of space.

I see that the Mining Institute in Newcastle have recently got a lottery grant to maintain and preserve their wonderful library, building and collection. There are various preserved steam railways trying hard to preserve some of our NE railway heritage, but where is the shipbuilding equivalent? How many plans have there been to preserve our shipbuilding past, all of which have come to NOTHING. Ship models are about all that we have left.

I agree with your sentiments entirely Dave.
I'm sure you would find the museum at Belem most interesting. The collection has some really fine models covering a wide range of both sail and steam vessels, and the Royal Barges are not to be missed. There are a handful of early aircraft too.
I almost always pay a visit to the museum on my trips to Lisboa, the 3 euro entry fee and the fact that the waterfront is a few minutes walk away are a bonus!

The Liverpool Maritime Museum has a good range of models, well displayed.
NRM at York has some of the railway steamers but some above head height and I think quite a few still in the warehouse which I was able to visit some year back, I guess they will always be low priority below the locos/carriages but they are as much a part of railway history.