Dock Road (Sheerness)

phileakins

Western Thunderer
As Steve Cook rightly said I am the rather silly person who, a couple of years ago and very publically, elected to build an S7 layout in a year.  Well, I have bits of it, honest!

At the time I had just joined the running team of 'Wadebridge 1860's' and having researched the ex LCDR/SECR station at Sheerness Dockyard for a lot of years, I had in mind a version of the station before the re-building of the 1880's and its later complications.  As it was really only an impression of the station, I decided to call it 'Dock Road' then thought 'Dock Road (Sheerness)' - or 'Sheerness Dock Road'.  You decide, cos' I can't!  :scratch:

Anyway, Templot loaded and the latest, of several, plans is this:

 

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phileakins

Western Thunderer
Well, that seemed to work.  :eek:

Sheerness Dockyard railway station was at the end of the branch from Sittingbourne, opened 19th July 1860, and although built by an independent company was always intended to be worked by the LCDR.

As you see, it had a very .... individual ... track plan at opening, which is how I have plotted it.  This plan was somewhat re-modelled in 1883 when Sheerness-on-Sea station was opened, and then again later with a direct line into HM Dockyard.  However, I have stuck to the original plan as it is much more interesting to work, although I have added a signal box which it didn't originally have and the extended loco shed.  :))

I don't have a ready drawn plan showing the station/goods shed/ engine shed etc, so I'll knock something up and post it.  Suffice to say, a loco can't get to the turntable without entering the goods shed, nor can a loco on shed get to the turntable save via the main line and the aforesaid goods shed!  Plenty of arguments to be had there then.  ;D

I've now built all of the pointwork required (photo's will follow, but, although I have built two ply baseboards I am changing my mind and thinking about insulation board... so track-laying hasn't yet started.  Mind you, I still need a loco.  However that ain't as easy as I have elected to go for battery power and infra-red control (Red Arrow).  Sorry, where does KISS fit in?

Phil
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
"Dock Road (Sheerness)" works for me. :scratch:

Not my Era or interest at all, really, but I'll be most interested in your experiences with Red Arrow:thumbs:

Oh and "Interesting" is certainly one way to describe some of those movements!!!  :shit: :))
 

Jack

Member
If you get a loco sorted I can recommend Bob Fridd in Canterbury if you want it painted in full SECR or LCDR lined livery! He made a superb job of my terrier ... which, btw, is a native of the Ilse of Sheppy  ;)
 

phileakins

Western Thunderer
iploffy said:
Question what is the approximate size of the layout looks good as an MPD

Ian

Thanks for the comments chaps - the layout will be 3 feet by 12 feet + the cassette area.  I see what you mean about the MPD idea.  I'll leave that to someone else though.  I won't ever have enough loco's to fill it!

Here is the plan with the buildings etc added:

 

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Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Hi Phil

Nice to see the plans back up - wondered for a moment if your new acquisition was going to spell the end for Dock Road, can you get both in the dining room at the same time  ;D Looking forward to seeing the trackwork photos.

Steve
 

28ten

Guv'nor
I do like the Victorian period,  and im looking forward to seeing pictures of both this and Wadebridge
 

phileakins

Western Thunderer
Nice to see the plans back up - wondered for a moment if your new acquisition was going to spell the end for Dock Road, can you get both in the dining room at the same time  ;D Looking forward to seeing the trackwork photos.

No, Dock Road (Sheerness) is going full steam ahead - slowly,  I need to sort the baseboards out. I'm not happy with my first efforts and am quite taken with the insulation board idea for lightness and quietness (I do like to hear wheels clicking and not a lot of drumming from the BB) anyone had any experience of using it?

I could probably get both in here, but there would be no room for furniture/people.  I have suggested to Mrs PE that using the eldest son's bedroom would work, but that idea was shot down on the basis that he is still in it!

I do like the Victorian period,  and im looking forward to seeing pictures of both this and Wadebridge

Here are some photo's I took this morning with the pieces laid out in very roughly the right places.  Unfortunately the middle layer of some of the ply sleepers being a lot darker has made the points look as if I've snapped them on a cloudy day.

Each of the two crossovers were built as one unit.  The interlaced points are pure invention!  The track is supposed to be in very light 75lb rail so I have used the 10inch wide sleepers and roughly followed a photo of an LBSC point.  Not that it matters as the ash/gravel ballast used will cover all the sleepers anyway in the style of the period.  I might let a few appear just to show that they are really there.  :)

The plain track sleeper spacings are based on research of the period, for anyone interested, there is a thread on the Templot Club with a suitable .box file to download.  The varying spacings are supposed to show the original track and the later track with extra sleepers. I would really like to use a coarse 00 rail for the light appearance in the yard but the chairs are not suitable.

The points, having loose heel switches, should be 'joggled' both sides, but being ham fisted I haven't found a method of doing this without it looking like it was done by a short-sighted blacksmith on an off day.  Joggles are actually rather subtle things.

First - the view from the end of platform one:
 

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  • From Goods Yard 19-01.jpg
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