Son of Sarre – AKA Queen Charlotte Dock
The replacement layout for Sarre is now being worked on. After quite a bit of planning and discussion we have decided on a two-level urban design. Passenger traffic into a two-platform terminal on a raised viaduct with a fiddle yard at the left-hand side. Underneath there is a large goods yard which emerges from the viaduct – hiding two fiddle yards.
There is plenty of operational scope and Chris is devising a ‘history’ of the location. David L has come up with a heroic Gantt chart with an end date for operation in October! Tim has begun a stand for the new layout on the GOG Forum and this has already attracted a lot of interest after the initial post. We are looking for volunteers to work on the layout, so please don’t be shy.
Queen Charlotte Dock – A History
Queen Charlotte Dock was the first and smallest dock to be built on the Isle of Dogs in East London. Built in 1796 it was named Queen Charlotte Dock in honour of the wife of George III and its success led to the creation a few years later of the London Docks system. Overshadowed by the later and larger docks it largely escaped the public mind but continued as an important part of the London Docks system handling a wide range of goods etc. Indeed, over the 180 years of the life of Queen Charlotte Dock its storage facilities were often used as an overflow capability for the other docks until their closure in the 1970’s.
As with the rest of the London Docks System goods were received and sent all over the country leading to an enormous variety of wagons and other goods vehicles being seen there from many different railway and private owner companies.
During the General Strike of 1926 dock workers at Queen Charlotte Dock carried on working alongside those at Millwall Dock while those at the other London Docks, who were principally West Ham supporters, came out on strike. Bitter violent clashes ensued and to this day the intense and often violent rivalry between the two sets of fans continues.
Incredibly unlike the rest of the London Docks Queen Charlotte Dock was largely
unaffected by the Blitz in the Second World War and indeed none of Hitler’s bombs are known to have fallen on it. This stroke of good fortune contributes in some way to the hive of activity at Queen Charlotte Dock during the period now being modelled.
Report on Queen Charlotte Dock
At the beginning of 2024 the position was as follows: –
- The High Level boards were operational in DCC terms but required some additional work to complete.
- Track laying to the Low Level boards had been finished, but the electrical installations were at an early stage, and the turnout operating units had not been fitted.
- All track required ballasting or infilling.
- The brick facing to the viaduct, the arch interiors, the station building, the signal box and the warehouse buildings were either complete or in an advanced state. During 2024 the following have taken place: –
- High Level
- The track has been ballasted throughout.
- The manual turnout operating units beneath the Girder Bridge have been made and installed.
- The wiring beneath the Girder Bridge has been concealed.
- The platforms have witnessed a population explosion.
- Low Level
- Installation of the Track Bus has been carried out, as has the Ancillaries Bus.
- DC section switching has been installed.
- The Control Panel for the Low Level has been built and wired up.
- The jumper cables between boards, and to the Control Panel have been fabricated and installed.
- A total of 12 Turnout Operating Units and their associated polarity switches have been built and installed.
- The dockside timbering to the front of the layout has been made, fitted and painted.
- Work on ground cover and track infilling has been started.
- Cassettes for stock storage have been built, and work on their loading mechanisms at the rear of the layout has been started.
- Exhibitions attended
- Longfield – January 28th & 29th
- Chatham – July 20th & 21st
- Gravesend – November 2nd & 3rd
- Maidstone – December 28th & 29th
Work Required to Complete: –- High Level
- The DC section switching needs the wiring to be finished and tested.
- The Track and Ancillaries Buses need the connections to their power supplies to have permanent fittings.
- Additional weathering to the viaduct needs to be carried out.
- Platform lighting needs to be installed.
- Low Level
- The cassette loading mechanism on Board 4 needs to be completed.
The circuit boards driving the Turnout Operating Units appear to be losing their settings on occasions. This is under investigation and needs resolving.
Once all electrical work is complete there must be a full systems test of the boards as an entity, including the DC section switching.
Work on ground cover and track infilling needs to be completed.
David Lowe
