Information/photos sought of area around the standard gauge locomotive shed at Ridham Dock

[Martin Kelly]

Hi there!

 

Inspired by this photograph of an ex-SECR/BR P class locomotive outside the small shed at Ridham Dock: 

 

 

I'm looking for other pictures or information about this building and its immediate environs, track layout etc during the late 1950s/early 1960s. I'd also be interested in information about freight traffic and wagon types seen at this location.

 

Thank you in advance for any clues!

[Gordon A]

National Library of Scotland OS maps is one source of information.

[Nick Holliday]

Britain from Above has some interesting aerial views of Ridham Dock, dating only from 1930 and 1936 and concentrating on the docks themselves, showing the narrow gauge tacks mainly, but on some the standard gauge tracks are visible in the distance, such as here.

[Nearholmer]

it had the perfect scenic break for a small diorama https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Through_the_seawall_to_Ridham_Dock,_1983_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1612231.jpg

[Gordon A]

5 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

it had the perfect scenic break for a small diorama https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Through_the_seawall_to_Ridham_Dock,_1983_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1612231.jpg

Why the two opposing check rails in a straight piece of track?

[MartinRS]

49 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

Why the two opposing check rails in a straight piece of track?

Looking at the 'pop-a-map' function on the Geograph page (https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1612231) the line crosses a small bridge over a drain, hence the checkrails. You activate the pop-a-map function by clicking on the map at the above page. You can also go to the 'More Links for this image' link on the same page where you will find a link to for a selection of old OS maps for the area (https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/591700/168400). Also take a look at grid squares TQ9168 (https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/TQ9168) and TQ9268 (https://www.geograph.org.uk/browse.php?p=151302).

[Martin Kelly]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

it had the perfect scenic break for a small diorama https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Through_the_seawall_to_Ridham_Dock,_1983_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1612231.jpg

 

Yes, I'd already spotted that. It's part of the attraction as a potential mini-layout inspiration. If only I could get some decent images/diagrams of that giant sluice gate thing!

[MartinRS]

32 minutes ago, Martin Kelly said:

 

Yes, I'd already spotted that. It's part of the attraction as a potential mini-layout inspiration. If only I could get some decent images/diagrams of that giant sluice gate thing!

Have a look at the hi-res image here

 

[Nearholmer]

I don’t think that’s the same structure - I think it’s the unloading crane for bales of scrap paper and rags.

[Nearholmer]

2 hours ago, Gordon A said:

Why the two opposing check rails in a straight piece of track?

I reckon they might be something to do with bearing the weight of the gates, or preventing that weight deforming the track.

 

it’s possible that to seal the gate, a baulk of timber was fitted between each checkrail and running rail, then a pad of sandbags laid down. I think there might actually be two gates/shutters, so it’s possible that the space between them was filled with spoil to give a really resistant barrier.

 

I read the structure as two simple guillotine gates, so even if you can’t copy this one exactly, it wouldn’t he hard to design something entirely plausible. Here’s something similar used as a canal lock gate. https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-guillotine-lock-gate-on-huddersfield-narrow-canal-at-slaithwaite-west-23840380.html On this one, I suspect that the big black plate might actually be a counterweight for the gate-proper, whereas I can’t see counterweights on the Ridham one - they may be down and obscured.

 

To me, the map shows the drain at the foot of the dyke stopping short either side of the track-bed.

 

There was a very good German NG layout around a few years back that portrayed a very similar scene on the coast on the other side of the North Sea.

 

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, Martin Kelly said:

 

Yes, I'd already spotted that. It's part of the attraction as a potential mini-layout inspiration. If only I could get some decent images/diagrams of that giant sluice gate thing!

Ratio, and possibly Knightwing, do kits for hoists which look fairly close.

[Tom Burnham]

I wrote an article about the history of the Ridham Dock Light Railway (the standard gauge side, that is) for the 'Tenterden Terrier' (house magazine of the K&ESR) back in 2003.  Text attached - the most interesting period to model would be around 1918-19, when the motive power included an Adams Radial 4-4-2T and there were passenger trains of 18 or 19 non-bogie carriages from Sittingbourne to Ridham Dock for the benefit of workers at the Salvage Depot.

RIDHAM~1(1).DOC

[Nearholmer]

Very educational!

[Tom Burnham]

13 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Very educational!

Yes, some readers thought it was dull at the time. But it was appreciated by the more thoughtful minority.

[Hal Nail]

On 24/09/2021 at 08:41, Tom Burnham said:

But it was appreciated by the more thoughtful minority.

Sounds right up my street 

 

Actually joking aside it is pretty interesting. I went on the Sittingbourne line recently (actually looking for owls rather than railways) and had clocked the line curving away but never got round to investigating what it was.