World War 2 drydock

Model Art magazine July 2007 cover has an interesting layout of a German sub in a dry dock where the modeler left the opposite side "wall" off the dry dock to what I think is good effect.  It allows good exposure to detail on and under the hull.  You'll find the mag offered at S.B. online.

Portable does sound kind of silly for somthing so big.     I once built sections of a drydock to be transported on several flatcars.   The sides were steel made from plastic sheets and the rest was assembled with K&M metal mesh and  assorted crap I found in my "junk " bin.   There were also mobile drydocks made from concrete.    They would float them into position and then sink them to get the ship in then refloat the whole thing.

Yes that's exactly what I meant.....thanks I couldn't think of the name for the portable dry dock....thought it was something fancier for some reason

Sorry. I got us a bit off topic.   Do you mean a "portable" dry dock?

I am still working on the sketch's will have them by tomorrow.... I am still trying to buy the needed material but luckily there is a great hobby store in Kingston, NY I go to called J&J Hobbies........also what is everyone's opinion on the dry-dock that is usually put in a bay for minor repairs... the square one...I know its not very descriptive...

“It’s only a model.” — Patsy (Terry Gilliam)

Uh..... Wait...... I dont know.     AAAAAAARRRGGGGG!!!!

European or African Swallow?

What is the airspeed of an un-laiden swallow?

  Sorry......... I,m a BIG Monty Python fan.

The rails are called  Ladder rail. When a railroad puts in a grade crossing in pavement or concreat it uses Ladder rail.  Z gauge model railroad track is 1/260  or 1/280 I think.  It might be a bit tall for 1/350 but as Capn Mac suggested  using C channel may be your best bet.

Please -O- Please post pictures of your progress !!!!!

Subfixer

Great screen caps from only THE greatest motion picture epic of all time!

freem

CapnMac82

subfixer

Sorrrry! Sorry everyone!

 

Now, where did that shrubber go?

I thought I saw him heading out for the Bridge of Death.

subfixer

Sorrrry! Sorry everyone!

It's ok, sub, we'll blame it on the Deck Apes needle-gunning the chain lockers.

The diorama I remember did rather resemble the upper drawing, though.

Now, where did that shrubber go?

Its the 1/350 scale kit.....sorry everyone I forgot to mention the scale im working with.......

Did Josh ever meantion if his South Dakota was 1/350 or 1/700 scale?

When CapnMac mentioned "dio" for diorama in his last post, I mistook him to mean "dia" as in diagram which is why I posted the two pictures above. Please ignore them as they have nothing to do with this thread.

Sorrrry! Sorry everyone!

that would be an interesting thread that i would love to join....

CapnMac82

 

I know I've seen a dio of that dock with CSS Virginia being made from USS Merrimack--but, danged if I can remember where.  And it was a handy way to gloss over having to guess a bit on the hull form.  Since we have a reasonably-good knowledge of the South Dakota's hull, I still kind of think a sort of half-section of the drydock would still work handily.

Do you mean this drawing?

Or this one?

Might even be best to use itty-bitty Palstruct C channel--even though the prototype would have an "E" sort of section.  Which would be about 2.5-3" wide with a ±1.5" rail in the center.  That 3" being 0.009" at 1/350 (1/32" channel being about 10" wide to scale.)

American standard rail gauge is 4'-8-1/2" inside to inside, which is 0.16" at 1/350.  That's a shade over 4mm,   ZZ scale track, at 4.8mm would be a skosh wide for that, but would look good in the non paved areas for being 1/300 (what a person would do with the left-over Skinkasen could be interesting)

The crane tracks (which are also set flush to the pavement) are about 8' to 10' wide, using my potentially faulty memory, and use tracks separate from those used for rail cars.  That would be 0.27" or 6.9mm to 1/350 scale.

HO is 1/87 or about 400% too large for 1/350; N is 1/160, about 200% too large (but, not bad for 1/16" = 1'-0" or 1/192 scale if done carefully).

I know I've seen a dio of that dock with CSS Virginia being made from USS Merrimack--but, danged if I can remember where.  And it was a handy way to gloss over having to guess a bit on the hull form.  Since we have a reasonably-good knowledge of the South Dakota's hull, I still kind of think a sort of half-section of the drydock would still work handily.

GM is correct. The rails are recessed to be even with the surrounding pavement level, with metal plates covering the mechanisms for throwing the rails.

Dockyard rails, particularly around a dry dock or on a pier, are recessed. otherwise stuff can't drive across them. You can easily replicate that with simple plastic strip, set flush in plaster with a slot next to it.

Ok I'm hooked!  Where can we find drydock history, pics and stuff?  Or a new thread so we don't mess up joshdauner's build log :).  Turning basins and shipyards are fascinating stuff indeed.

freem

joshdauner

so I plan on putting railroad tracks on the base along with cranes. Would the Ho scale railroad tracks work best?

I'm not sure, but I think that the rails (minus the ties) of an N gauge track would be more to scale. And even then might be a bit too large.

To the best of my knowledge the Bath Iron Works in Bath Maine never had a permanent built in the ground drydock. All their ships were built on sloping shipways and launched by sliding into the river until a recent modernization of the yard. They now build their ships on a level platform and launch them using a floating drydock.

so I plan on putting railroad tracks on the base along with cranes. Would the Ho scale railroad tracks work best?

Dry Dock 4 in the picture above is to the left of Dry Dock #s 6, 7, and 3. All four were existent prior to WWII. All but #4 have stepped sides. #4 had stepped sides when I first stared working at NNSY but it went through a semi-disastrous modernization where the sides were recoated with a kind of stucco cement treatment that kept sliding off when the dock was flooded. The old walls had been cracking prior to the treatment. The dimensions are very close to the original, however. Now, if they could just build them like they did in the old days there wouldn't be any problems. To the left of DD4 is the building way where the USS Alabama and USS Shangri-La were built.

Here is a shot of NNSY's Dry Dock 1. It is the dock where the USS Merrimac was rebuilt into the CSS Virginia. It is made of granite blocks and was built with pure muscle power. The only modernization it has is the caisson, hand railings and pumps. It is still in use but is limited to smaller vessels.

I agree that the idea expressed above is worth checking out. I realize that this diorama will keep me occupied for some time. m still collecting materials but im going to sketch out the dry dock before making it and buying anything. I will post a picture(s) of the sketch in a few days.

subfixer

The above is what I think  of, several docks in differing sizes in a cluster, down at the end of a turning basin.  The modern docks are all steeper than what mere memory provided mind's eye--such are the failings of memory.

Probably worth the Google Image sercch to eyeball Bath, Maine, bath Iron Works, Brooklyn & New York Navy yards; Philedelphia Navy Yard.

Another interesting idea is expressed aboove--one of the small AM shops turns out Floalting Drydock sections.  Which would make for an interesting display, of a full-hulled ship, but one "afloat" in the AFD. 

One of my memories of when BB-35 had her last major restorarion was going past Galeveston and seeing her full-dry in the FD they were using.

Now, if only my fractured memory would remember if the AFD sections are 1/700 or 1/350 . . .

Don Stauffer

Do a google image search on "drydock" and see if you can get enough pics to do drawings.  I'd guess the size inside would just barely fit a battleship or carrier.

It would depend on the size of the dry dock and size of the ship. The US Navy's largest dry docks can fit a Nimitz class carrier, although the flight deck extends outwardly over the dry dock walls, but an Iowa class battleship fits with plenty of room to spare. I have worked on the Iowa when she was docked in Norfolk Naval Shipyard's second largest dry dock, #4, and there was still lots of spare room in the dock.

The USS Iowa in Drydock #4

Dry Dock 8 at NNSY. The largest type the USN has.