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.
