Modelling Sowards Coal Trestle - A Second Time

The amount of coal that was handled on Kingston's waterfront was significant. So, it's not surprising that I have at least four industries that receive carloads of black diamonds. Sowards Coal on Anglin Bay had a coal unloading trestle that I'd previously blogged about modelling. But frankly, I was never really happy with that structure. But one of the reasons was that I didn't have really good prototype photos. So the model was tailored to the available space on the layout and the Walthers trestle I was using. Until now. My sketch (above) shows the office and covered trestle.

I decided to deconstruct the structure. I'd left one side open so the cars on the trestle. But in practice, that side is only visible when entering the layout. While a fellow modeller and engineer was visiting the layout, I was embarrassed that this structure was clearly wrongly-engineered. It would probably fall down! See the end of this post for some prototype photos. The prototype had two distinct sections. Perhaps because it was decided to cover more of it, at some point in the past. The peaked roof was nearest the bay, and the flat roof nearest Ontario Street. So I decided to remove the peaked roof. The original flat-topped shed had been used in at least three iterations on my layout - grain elevator, flour mill, feed mill, and now to cover coal!

I added 3.5 inches of styrene to the front of the shed, including the characteristic braced corners under which cars ascended the trestle. I covered these surfaces, and the now-covered side where the legs had previously been exposed, with cut pieces of grey cardstock. This represents the prototype - were those 4x8-foot sheets of plywood??

The angled side extensions are barely modelled. I don't have a lot of real estate. I snugged the office up to the shed (above) trying to get a good fit. This will determine future scenicking.

I decided that a good substitute for keeping the side open to see the car(s) within was to move the shed a little farther down the trestle from the car bumper. This would allow me to see a car in there, especially with the additional length (and resultant darkness!) that I'd added:

This also mirrors the prototype, which shows that the trestle extended almost to the water! End view:

Archival prototype photos. Trust me, these are cropped and zoomed in from photos showing other things. Nobody was too interested in photographing this coal shed! It ain't City Hall! This shows Sowards' office at left, and the fenced compound. The covered trestle is at centre. Notice the two halves, with the flat-roof longer section at left. The trestle can clearly be seen here extending beyond, right to the water's edge:

Take a look at the height of the coal piles. Seemingly higher than the shed! I'm not sure if this photo actually shows dores on the shed. The office is at left, the water at right:

Slightly different angle, with Fort Frontenac in foreground:

This photo actually purportedly showed construction at Fort Frontenac. But it is the best view of the side of the covered trestle. See what might be sheets of plywood? The sloping side sheds seem to be covered with tarpaper.

Where the trestle meets the bay: