This months picture…
Tag Archives: London Chatham and Dover Railway
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Making Quay Changes #6 heading South East
This is the sixth in a series of ‘Making Quay Changes’ posts with the Canute Road Quay being transported to either a different location or era or both. It follows my Making Quay Changes #1 post moving the scene Eastwards, and then back to Southampton with my Making Quay Changes #2 post but in the 1950s , #3 post set in the 1920/30s, #4 Being Industrious and #5 the 07 diesels take over. We now move to the South East with ex SECR motive power being utilised.
Although my usual modelling genre, as regular readers will know, is the Southern Railway between 1946 and 1949, however due to Canute Road Quay has very few visual references to either period or location (yes there are a couple, but hey…) It therefore allows me to change the location and era with different rolling stock, vehicles and details.
For this post we have stayed at Canute Road Quay‘s usual time frame but moved its location slightly. Having deliberately when building Canute Road Quay left the vehicles and other details such as crates, sack stacks and oil drums etc. loose, it enables them to be both be moved around, to give some variety in photographs, and or replaced with other items to different periods.
In this case Canute Road Quay‘s has been transported further to the South East, perhaps through squinted eyes it could on the Medway at Rochester, or or the Channel coast at Richborough Port or Newhaven Harbour perhaps…
The steam locomotives include the Hattons ex SECR P class 0-6-0T, an ex London, Chatham and Dover Railway Kirtey T Class 0-6-0T and even my South Eastern Railway 0-4-0CT crane tank makes an appearance.
The T class 0-6-0T were a class of ten locomotives introduced by the LC&DR (prior to the formation of the South, Eastern and Chatham Railway in 1899) between 1879 and 1893 specifically for shunting duties, with appropriately one of the class being initially used at Dover Docks. Although withdraws started in 1932 two of the class 1602 and 1604 (as my model) lasted until July 1951 and November 1950 respectively. My model is white metal and built from a Q Kit.
The SER 0-4-0CT crane tank number 1302 as per my model, was one of two built for the SER by Neilson in 1881. Like the T class she had worked at Dover Docks and also Richborough although she saw out most of her life at Lancing and Stewarts Lane. She was withdrawn in July 1949 and scrapped at Ashford. My model is built from a South Eastern Finecast white metal kit.
I hope you enjoy this post, the next ‘Making Quay Changes’ post with Canute Road Quay may or may not be set in its usual location, so once again, where and what era will it be…?
Interlopers, beer and letting the chain take the strain at Railex
Last weekend I had the pleasure of assisting talented modeller and photographer Chris Nevard at the annual Railex show, organised by the Risborough and District MRS, with his small but stunning Brewhouse Quay layout. Although apparently set somewhere to the north of Bath, for a while at the weekend it was either transported further South East or a couple of aging Southern locomotives must have been on loan to the brewery company of Marriott, Dent and Foster (can you spot the connection?).
It had to be one of the hottest Railex shows ever with the metal clad Stoke Manderville Stadium sports hall acting very much like slow cooker. However with the quality of the modelling on show, from both layouts and demonstrators alike, coupled to one of the best collection of the specialist model trade under one roof ensured that once again this was an excellent show and the heat was a mere slight inconvenience.
Apart from one switchblade needing a slight repair, Brewhouse Quay operated faultlessly all weekend and it was only the shaky hands of the operators (well mainly me in fact) when trying to couple either the 3 link couplings or the shunting chain that challenged the illusion a little.
One of the features of Brewhouse Quay is the working wagon turntable complete with capstan and wagons are shunted using the chain which in 4mm scale is no mean feat, but yes it can be done, and was a popular operation with the onlookers.
Surprisingly within the first 10 minutes of the show opening a couple of visitors plied Chris with various bottles of beer, one of the advantages of a brewery layout perhaps? I was starting to think we would be inundated if this continued at that rate but alas no.
We did of course have to open and sample the malty beverage, each day, purely to ensure the correct atmospheric environmental ambiance around the layout was created you understand…