I suspect that the most common use of steel on a heavy-duty loading dock would be a 6x6 inch angle iron imbedded at the platform's edge to protect the concrete from abrasion.
Another possibility - heavy-gauge corrugated stock, corrugations vertical, to retain a rubblestone core under the surface paving. There would be some kind of edge treatment at the top, and maybe an occasional vertical piece of something heavier like scrap rail.
If trucks might back up to the platform a heavy timber bolted to the platform face is almost mandatory.
Following my prototype, the vertical walls of my platforms are stonework, and the platforms themselves have asphalt surfaces between the concrete wall caps.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with high passenger platforms)
Use Evergreen scale sheet styrene to make your own use the same dimensions as the wooden dock and you can paint it with Flowquil aged concrete or if you really want to get creative why not use the real thing. Take concrete or Portland cent and sift it through a strainer and apply is over some wet gray paint or use straight white glue. I've seen it done on a concrete viaduct bridge and it looked excellent. It's on my to try list
Ooh so perfect, Doctorwayne! Yes, it looks like it could be made comnpletely out of sheet and strip styrene. Absolutely perfect!! Thakk you!
You could either sand down the wood somewhat smooth and paint it concrete color or cover it with thin styrene and add some styrene I beam or angle iron on the edges and paint it.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Here's a"concrete" dock, minus the "steel":
Construction is from .060" sheet styrene.
Another of the same type and construction, with a ramp on the unseen end:
And yet another. While construction is the same as the others, this one has a timber (strip styrene) bumper block and steel handrails (brass wire):
This one, also for trucks, has the styrene bumper timbers, but no dock, only the warehouse doors. Looks like space is at a premium in the parking lot, too.
Wayne
Hi all,
I have this Walthers kit. It's a Superior Foods Background structure. I want to make this structure a small auto parts (brake pads, shocks, etc.) manufacuring plant. Here's the dilemma: The trackside car loading dock that comes with the kit is a "wooden" dock. Since this building will supposedly house a plant that makes auto parts instead of processing food, I wanted to make a loading dock that simulates concrete and steel instead of wood. The problem is that I'm not quite sure how to build something that would be prototypically similar, if not correct. Any pictures that anyone might have of a concrete and steel freight car loading dock that I might be able to model would be very helpful. Thanks.