Loading Docks, how high should they be?

[relaxinghobby]

Whilst making up a loading dock edge from some Wills stone wall bridge sides, I thought that they cold be lower than

the usual platform height.

 

Height compared to a van on the tracks.

 

Loading platform edge resting on cork track base.

That warehouse is crying out for a door under the hoist casing.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Although not outdoor loading docks, www.warwickshirerailways.com has some good shots of the inside of Hockley Goods Depot. These show the platforms to be at about the height of the centreline of the buffers of the wagons. This allows drop doors on open wagons to rest almost horizontal, and short ramps to be put at van doors.

[t-b-g]

http://www.swithland-signal-works.co.uk/plans/13_Platform_&_Wharf%20Walls_.jpg

 

This help? Platforms 3' above rail, wharfs 4'. Of course there were variations but this is what the MS&LR were specifying in 1895!

[The Stationmaster]

Although not outdoor loading docks, www.warwickshirerailways.com has some good shots of the inside of Hockley Goods Depot. These show the platforms to be at about the height of the centreline of the buffers of the wagons. This allows drop doors on open wagons to rest almost horizontal, and short ramps to be put at van doors.

 

Or in depots with later adjustment to/renewal of the deck they are at wagon floor height so that a sack truck can be easily wheeled into or out of a van(fit). This probably reflects the increased use of vans post 1948 and is most likely going to make locos either out-of-gauge or very tight; one depot where I worked had the deck at wagon floor height and was shunted by capstan, at another much older establishment the wagon floor was several inches above deck height and it was BRUTE bouncing time (when the management wasn't looking).

[Fat Controller]

One thing that should be taken into consideration is the height relative to the floor of both loaded and empty wagons. Dad did a few jobs converting old tinplate/steelworks buildings into rail-served storage for SCOW in the 1960s. One (Duffryn, Morriston) had a loading bay- dad's firm were asked to ensure that it had a surface level with van floors to allow pallet trucks to take stillages of tinplate into the vans. The concrete was laid; some trials were run. A snag was soon noted- the SCOW architect hadn't allowed for the relative difference in heights between the floors of empty and loaded wagons. This meant that loaded van doors couldn't be opened or closed next to the platform, as their bottom edges were below the loading bay surface. Until the track was lifted slightly, loaded vans had to be propelled in or drawn out with the doors open.

[relaxinghobby]

 

I've now glued the loading dock wall down thinking that I could build up the height with a

few layers of plasticard paving stones,working in place is hard, it would have been easier to build and paint the dock off baseboard and then glue it in place, but the irregular shape at the back made me think it would be easier to do it on the baseboard.

 

At the back of the wall the gap has been infiled with balsa wood,a long winded way of doing it.

 

There is an old Airfix remnant on the right, one of their glass paint jars, the paint is still in a usable condition,

the cardboard seal has remained sealed.

[Siberian Snooper]

GW loading docks / platforms were 3' 6" above rail level.

 

Cheers SS

[relaxinghobby]

A loading dock for the Metcalf Models factory, different levels, one with loading platform and without platform how does it look?

 

 

 

 

The level on the right is the Metcalf level and it is raised to the right to 3'6" or van floor level.