Description

DELTA QUEEN LARGE, RC READY, RIVER BOAT

FULLY BUILT R/C READY/COMPATIBLE AND READY TO DISPLAY LIGHTED MUSEUM QUALITY DISPLAY MODEL

LARGE MUSEUM QUALITY MODEL
Dimension approx.: a HUGE 48.00" L x 12" W Model
The model is COMPLETELY built, NOT a model kit
LIGHTED - LED LIGHTS pre-installed (power supply not included)
epoxy laminated hull for operational strength and waterproofing
RC READY - hatches open for easy installation of your RC equipment, propeller(s) and motor (not included)

Delta Queen — Last of America’s Overnight Steamboats

Among the great riverboats of the United States, none carries a legacy quite like the Delta Queen. Launched in 1927 and today recognized as a National Historic Landmark, she is the last authentic overnight passenger steamboat still afloat — a living artifact of the golden age of American river travel.

The Delta Queen’s story begins far from the Mississippi, on the River Clyde in Scotland. In 1926, William Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton fabricated the hulls, engines, and lower decks for two sister vessels: Delta Queen and Delta King. Shipped in pieces across the world, they were reassembled at Banner Island shipyard in Stockton, California. On June 2, 1927, the Delta Queen entered service, immediately becoming one of the most luxurious riverboats ever built — a million‑dollar floating hotel with rich woodwork, elegant staterooms, and the quiet power of her Scottish‑built steam engines.

She sailed the Sacramento River between San Francisco and Sacramento, carrying passengers, freight, and produce. Her overnight accommodations and refined atmosphere made her a favorite of travelers during an era when riverboats still held a touch of glamour.

By 1940, highways and railroads had overtaken river travel, and the Delta Queen was laid up. But World War II brought her back to life. Requisitioned by the U.S. Navy and painted battleship gray, she became YFB‑56, a troop ferry and floating barracks on San Francisco Bay. She carried as many as 3,000 military personnel per trip, transported wounded servicemen, and served as a training platform — a far cry from her days of polished brass and river sunsets.

Declared surplus after the war, the Delta Queen was auctioned in 1947 and purchased by Tom Greene of Greene Line Steamers. Her journey to her new home was extraordinary: towed down the Pacific coast, through the Panama Canal, across the Gulf of Mexico, and finally up the Mississippi to Cincinnati. On June 30, 1948, she began her first Ohio River cruise, inaugurating a new era as the queen of America’s inland waterways.

For decades she carried passengers along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers, becoming a beloved symbol of American steamboat heritage. Her graceful lines, sternwheel propulsion, and warm wooden interiors made her a floating time capsule.

In 1989, the Delta Queen was officially designated a National Historic Landmark, cementing her status as an irreplaceable piece of American history. From 2008 to 2014, she served as a floating hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before being moved to Louisiana for restoration work. In 2018, Congress granted her a long‑sought exemption allowing her to legally return to overnight cruising, pending inspection and certification.

The Delta Queen is rich in stories: the death of Mary Becker Greene aboard the vessel in 1949, whispered tales of ghostly footsteps and voices, and her appearances in travel documentaries and paranormal investigations. Yet her most enduring story is simply her survival — a wooden‑hulled steamboat from the 1920s that continues to endure into the 21st century.

At 285 feet long, with room for 176 passengers and powered by 2,000 horsepower of steam driving her sternwheel, the Delta Queen remains a masterpiece of river engineering and craftsmanship. More than a vessel, she is a cultural treasure — the last overnight steamboat of her kind, still carrying the spirit of America’s great rivers.