n-gauge dockside height

[Katier]

I'm starting work on my little coffee table project and in the middle it has a small dock/port. I say small - it'll be around 1ftx18 inches in surface area.

 

What I need to know is what would be a good distance to have between the top of the water ( formed by a piece of suitably coloured foamboard) and the top of the dock where the track is. I am using 5mm foamboard and plan on using strips of the stuff as the packing between water level and trackbed level. Thus I can go up in multiples of 5mm, or 2ft 5". I figured 10ft might be enough so 20mm?

 

BTW the structure of the baseboard is quite simple in that there is an inverted foamboard box that sits over the coffee table ( it literally IS a coffee table project ) then the packing for the trackbed will be glued to that raising up the trackbed foamboard to the correct level. 20mm would therefore involve 4 strips of packing.

 

Does 20mm sound about right or do I need to go higher?

 

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Since only you know the state of the tide on the model, that will do fine. In some ways it is a good idea to represent a dock somewhere toward low water, as that explains why the ships are not moving. Make the 'spring high' tide mark about six scale feet below the dock road surface, if this is a UK coastal port that is being modelled. (You need some extra height above a spring tide to stop the briny excessively slopping all over civilisation in the event of an onshore storm force wind coinciding with the highest tides.)

[Katier]

Yeah it's a UK port Thankyou - so highwater mark at about 10mm or so then lowish water would seem right at about 20mm.

[Kris]

That's a very small tidal movement you are talking about there, just 5ft rise and fall. Looking at the tidal range for Avonmouth for this Sunday, you have a 12.9m range, some 42ft which in 2mm scales to 84mm. I have deliberately picked a site with a large range to make a point here, but you need to consider where you want to set your layout then have a look at some of the tidal ranges in that area.

[Fat Controller]

Yeah it's a UK port Thankyou - so highwater mark at about 10mm or so then lowish water would seem right at about 20mm.

Is it an 'enclosed' dock (i.e. with lock gates) or a tidal one. The former would have a much smaller range- in the latter, it is not uncommon to have a 10' range between high and low tides, whilst Bristol Channel ports have up to 40+ feet.

[Katier]

it could be lock gates off scene as it will be pricked all the way round the perimeter. there will possibly be a small navigable river (or should I make it a canal?) going under a bridge at the top of the layout.

 

more layout details can be seen on my ceeton thread.

 

thanks

[Katier]

Just spotted the scalescenes dock edge. Think I'll use that so need 25mm I think. (Although I'd assume I can cut it to height slightly.)