fulton

My model of barge UVW, gear down, about to go under the SECR viaduct to enter Palican Creek, for Strood Steel Works, with pig iron? Would be coming in on the tide, relying on momentum and the tide to carry her through, the oars are for guidance and poling in the mud. The gear would have to be raised again for unloading.

Small coasters and sailing barges routinely went above the Rochester bridges, sailing barges dropping their gear, motor barges often having a collapsible wheel house, the state of tide had to be carefully judged as at low tide you can almost wade across under the bridges and at high tide there is little air draught, they would normally go with the tide, even today the timber ships using Frindsbury wharfs, near me, arrive on the tide and leave with the tide. Photos, with permission, from "Rochester Sailing Barges of the Victorian Era" by Bob Childs. Dated 1901, barges moored above the bridges, off Janes' Creek, SECR viaduct and Invicta Engineering Works in background, the steel works is beyond the viaduct. Second photo of the SHIELD, undated, moored just outside Janes' Creek.

Yes it would, could even be imported by sea, being transloaded to barges or rail for final delivery

I think the manufactures said it was not a problem with radio frequency, but the cost of testing and approval for UK and European markets, potential sales would not recover these costs.

Found the photo, unless it is a different one, of a Caledonian pig iron wagon being unloaded by hand, they are dropping the pigs on a casting to break them, this could make a nice scene outside my model, another photo shows a stockpile of pigs which would also add interest.

As for operating by yourself, I've done it on a small layout, when my normal help was not available, set out to pace myself and to take things easy, had food and drink ready, asked the layout next door to keep an eye while I had a comfort break, had a good look around before opening, in fact had a good day.

Yes have visited, have always lived in the Medway Towns, for my sins I was a Temple boy, have to be careful with Aveling and Porter works photos, have seen some taken after the move to Grantham, being Aveling Barford, but credited to be at Strood.

Thank you for responses, have found online an ordinary open wagon being loaded, via a chute, with pigs, so the load would just be a random pile, most of my photographic information comes from Britain from Above, after the rail connection had gone, the works feature in the corner of a number of shots. I think that water transport would have played a large part, while only barges could reach the works, Strood Dock is only a short distance away, down stream, for larger ships. I live by what was Strood Dock and walk pass the steel works site, now Hobbycraft, each time I go shopping.

I always took it that the answer was yes, and should be at least 2" (50mm) clear of the floor, as mentioned above some materials are naturally fire retardant, maybe it is academic as our layouts could be full of flammable materials and some exhibitors have bottles of various questionable fluids for track cleaning. At one show the layout behind me was using petrol soaked in a rag, this then went under the layout!

All good advice given above, I always bring a few G clamps, I use them to secure the layout in the van, I once set up at a large show, Dortmund, with no barriers, we had just opened when someone with a rucksack turned around and came within a whisker of demolishing a building, a G clamp holding a piece of packing timber, quickly provided protection for the rest of the show! Remember it is a model railway hobby exhibition, you are there to enjoy yourself, hopefully the visitors to.

I am building a model, in 4mm EM, of part of the Aveling and Porter, Invicta Engineering works, circ. 1920, with its connection to the SECR, North Kent Line, including the rail connected Strood Steel Works, which opened in 1902, closing circ. 1923, was equipped with a single 10ton Siemens-Martin gas fired furnace, business was to produce steel castings, including wheel centres to the SECR. How would the raw pig iron be transported there? which wagon type? the works was also served by water, having a wharf on Pelican Creek and Janes' Creek off the River Medway above the bridges so only barges. Plan below from The National Library of Scotland.

Using Kadees, or any other automatic coupling, it is essential they are perfectly set up, the only way to do that reliably is to use the Kadee 206 gauge, the special pliers 237 make adjusting the droppers easy, as with all these things they are either set right or wrong, any pretending it is near enough will only lead to unreliable operation.

If UPS is being used, and there is VAT to pay, you will receive an email invoice, which you pay on line, delivery slot will then be given, which you can alter to suit, have had a few deliveries that way worked well.

I know this not an automatic coupling, but while the thread has drifted off talking about Kadees, I use this tool made by RIX PRODUCTS, it pulls the droppers apart, turn the tool over and the flat part is handy to align couplings, especially on a curve. The big hand from the sky has never concerned me, I like the hands on approach, I use 3 links on my British layout, as long as you are not reaching too far and have good light I can handle them even with my varifocals!

I am very much like you, enjoy mainly the building and also exhibiting, then what? I had a very successful exhibition layout that when it was retired I stored for twenty years! always thinking to rebuild it to current standards and techniques, then what, take it back to all the exhibitions it attended twenty years ago? I then considered building a new shed for it, but I very rarely operate a layout at home, if I had that extra space I would want to build something new, in the end I gave it away and sold the stock. I did sell another smaller layout, unprompted I had two offers, I was about to move house so that fitted in, got back basically the cost of materials.

Just reflecting, on overtaking, I cannot remember the last time I overtook another moving vehicle on a non duel carriageway, living in the south east maybe it is the sheer volume of traffic on modern roads, similarly main beam never gets used there is always another vehicle in sight or the road is lit. I drive an automatic Ford Connect van, it deals with all situations very well, my last car an automatic Toyota Aygo only got caught out when coming up to a roundabout, there would be a gap, put your foot down, the computer would have a think, "I know lets try first", the small engine would scream away!

Just visited that link, interesting range, apart from the price, the ferry kit looks interesting, but I think it will be impossible for the side joins not to show, they stand out even in their own photos.

I had a spell cycling to work but after witnessing two near misses , I decided it was simply too dangerous and sadly sold my bike, I have since cycled in Germany, where they do have proper cycle routes, not just a white line at the side of an already too narrow busy road.

I did something very similar on my now gone garage layout, in practice it only seen use an as out of service storage road, better the locos on view rather than hidden away, I fitted a Perspex protection strip as the track was close to the edge, as yours is.

As a friend said at the time, the ferry service was kept afloat by water, I believe Perrier.

Thank you will leave in place when I strim that area, also have this bank which I will leave until the end of year.

Hi An curious as to what this plant is, has three flower heads, growing in a semi wild part of my garden, will be cutting this area soon, plan to cut around the poppies.

I was just about to post the same as above, for my new exhibition layout, now working on the back scene boards, will try to not have the information boards looking like an after thought, but will be low tech.

Just my thought, a layout with photos and information, maps etc. you can skip over most of it and concentrate what interests you, I find a digital display tedious as it scrolls, then moves on from the picture that interests you, short silent videos seem to work better, viewing angles can be quite limited as well, on some devices.

Just to update, travelled back to UK today, van checked for stowaways at the Belgium, French border, you now get diverted off the main E40 through a French Police Check point, looks like a semi permeant setup, at Eurotunnel, van again checked for stowaways, I asked about Model Railway Layouts, they only seemed interested in checking for stowaways or excessive amounts of cigarettes and alcohol.