Atlantic Dock in 7mm

[Stephenwolsten]

I have been experimenting with crude attempts to stitch together several images of warehouses etc, to make a photographic back scene.  This screen shot shows a simple method of aligning images on  the computer screen. to gauge the effect.  If stitching non-panoramic images together works, I will move on to having something produced properly by photo editing software.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[simontaylor484]

The street lights are brilliant and the backscene looks good too 

[Stephenwolsten]

Atlantic Dock will need a lot of cobbles (actually, setts)!   I bought this sample product from Spain as an experiment and like the slightly raised 3D surface and flexibility.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[Stephenwolsten]

The (now preserved) steam tug Kerne was regularly berthed at East Princes Half Tide Dock.   The tug pulled barges across and up the Mersey.  The scene in the picture will be reproduced in model form, but with a colour scheme reflecting that of the 1950s/early 1960s.   The waterline model is being scratch built in 1:48 scale by veteran Thames tug master and modeller, George Boyd.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[Dava]

Lovely model of the ‘Kerne’ & very interesting work on the dock landscapes here. I’ve been looking at aerial views of Leith Docks & need to make a site visit to see if a micromodel is feasible as well as gathering details.

 

Dava

[Stephenwolsten]

12 hours ago, Dava said:

Lovely model of the ‘Kerne’ & very interesting work on the dock landscapes here. I’ve been looking at aerial views of Leith Docks & need to make a site visit to see if a micromodel is feasible as well as gathering details.

 

Dava

Thanks for your comments.   There is a Facebook group for dock railways that may be of interest: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rtDockRailways.   My Pinterest Boards also have dockland images eg the layout Board and the urban and industrial landscapes Board.  https://www.pinterest.co.uk/stephenwolstenh/boards/.

 

[Stephenwolsten]

Over lock-down I was inundated with online adverts for photo books.   I eventually succumbed to the daily offers and made this quick mini-book documenting the early stages of layout construction and prototype pictures, a bit like this thread.

[Stephenwolsten]

The finished model of Kerne, now complete with fenders.  With thanks to George Boyd for his craftsmanship and expert knowledge.

[Stephenwolsten]

Does anyone have experience of this method of adding check rails please?   It looks a neat, simple solution that saves soldering and a lot of fiddly work.

[hayfield]

Stephen, is the track to be ballasted or inlaid

[Stephenwolsten]

3 hours ago, hayfield said:

Stephen, is the track to be ballasted or inlaid

Hi, it's a trial to see if this is a quicker, cheaper way to create the visual effect of inlaid track with setts.   I realise that dock railways had specially shaped rail with a groove but it is not really feasible to replicate this type of track.   There will be no ballast anywhere on the diorama, and we are seeking to avoid the modelling clay method because of the large area to be covered.   This is why I am looking at surfaces such as Redutex.   Thanks for your interest.

[hayfield]

12 hours ago, Stephenwolsten said:

Hi, it's a trial to see if this is a quicker, cheaper way to create the visual effect of inlaid track with setts.   I realise that dock railways had specially shaped rail with a groove but it is not really feasible to replicate this type of track.   There will be no ballast anywhere on the diorama, and we are seeking to avoid the modelling clay method because of the large area to be covered.   This is why I am looking at surfaces such as Redutex.   Thanks for your interest.

 

Stephen

 

If the track base is hidden all you need is to ensure the rail is held in gauge, the number of sleepers used and their position is irrelevant

 

Another method is to use copperclad sleepers either with or on their own and solder the rails to gauge. It was quite common in the past in fiddle yards only to use every third sleeper.

 

I would not worry about what it looks like (as it will be hidden) but what will work best/easiest to install

[Michael Edge]

Is there no combination of rail that you can use in 7mm? In 4mm I use flat bottom rail on its side in the web of the bullhead, the edge of the bottom flange looks a lot more like the groove rail actually used. Two rails won't look right, especially as you can see down to the sleepers in what should be a groove.

[daifly]

On 11/09/2020 at 21:04, Stephenwolsten said:

 I realise that dock railways had specially shaped rail with a groove but it is not really feasible to replicate this type of track.

Not always. This is Swansea South Dock area where much of the inlaid track look like this as you have mocked up (albeit with a very large flangeway!)

Dave

 

[kitpw]

Stephen, I associate grooved rail wth light rail/tramways rather than railways - see this link for an illustration of embedded railway track https://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/2-track/svih0ih8.jpg which suggests that the method/picture you posted on Friday last is pretty much correct.

 

Kit PW

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/blog/2502-swan-hill/

 

[Michael Edge]

Nearly all of the MDHB system was laid in grooved rail, it's a heavier version of tramway rail. Most of it was inset with granite setts although some areas were concreted,

[Dava]

The Aberdeen Harbour railways had paved track inlays in which the running and inner rail surfaces were the same width, as here:

 

The photo archive can be searched at: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/special-collections/aberdeen-harbour-board.php

 

Dava

 

 

 

[Stephenwolsten]

Thank you to everyone who has advised me about re-creating the appearance of grooved rail.   The Aberdeen Harbour example is particularly welcome, and the linked photo archive includes this close-up photograph.

 

[Stephenwolsten]

Progress on the quay wall by Monk's Gate Models. 

 

In 1824 the remarkable Jesse Hartley (1780 - 1860) became Dock Engineer and, by 1860, had increased the size of Liverpool's docks from 46 acres to 212 acres. All the old docks were modernised and he was responsible for the design and execution of numerous new docks both to the north and south of the Pier Head.  The  random pattern of the granite is a 'trademark' feature of his docks.   Hartley's background was as a stonemason and the quality of the work he supervised was so good that it can still be admired today. He had a fondness for so-called 'Cyclopean' masonry using irregularly-shaped stones carefully fitted together. In constructing quay walls, huge stones might be used but a similar style with smaller stones was also used extensively.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[Stephenwolsten]

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[sir douglas]

interesting steps

[Phil Traxson]

On 20/09/2020 at 19:37, Stephenwolsten said:

Thank you to everyone who has advised me about re-creating the appearance of grooved rail.   The Aberdeen Harbour example is particularly welcome, and the linked photo archive includes this close-up photograph.

 

 

Not sure whether this will help but this is my attempt at inset track for my dockside 0-16.5 layout "Port Wynnstay Quayside".  I used code 100 track with the check rail of "N" rail (code 80?) held to gauge with a few gapped, copper clad sleepers between the main sleepers and glued to the base board on spacers to make them the same height as the running rail. It just happened that the smaller rail sat neatly on the chairs of the running rail at just the right height too . "Slaters" coursed stone sheets were used for the cobbles/paving. The dummy inset point levers are 7mm standard gauge resin castings I mastered and made for my own use, but are available as part of my "Port Wynnstay Models" range.

100_1064 by Phil Traxson, on Flickr

 

I think if you click on the picture it will take you to my Flickr pages, then go to Albums, "Port Wynnstay Quayside", and there are other pictures with captions describing the methods I used 

Edited September 25, 2020 by Phil Traxson

[sir douglas]

this is the inset track on Overlord, its filled in with polyfiller and the tiebars have styrene rectangles over them for access

[Stephenwolsten]

3D printed capstans by Chris Ward.  Hand made bollards and quayside by Richard Ellis, Monk's Gate Models.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Stephenwolsten

[Stephenwolsten]

Albert Dock before restoration, showing capstan and bollards.