- South Dock -

It's been over a year since we started to build SRMG's new '0' gauge exhibition layout.  Our ambition for this large project is to try to capture the work going on in this part of Swansea's docks in the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties and by modelling the buildings and sights that still exist there today, offer some easy points of connection for old and young people alike into a now vanished but important part of their and the City's history.

We continue with our research needed for this layout.  My thanks go to the Swansea Dockers Assn, David Jenkins at the National Waterfront Museum, John Allnutt and Mike Sarsfield for their help with this.

We put together a team to build the quayside and dock-water boards and then sought out members prepared to build models of the dockside buildings equipment and the ships needed to complete our project.  

  • The baseboard team: Ted Hylton, Bernie Baker, Randall Morris, Mike Brooks, John Rees, David Williams and Phil Skinner. 
  • Track-laying, sound and wiring: Ted, Randall, Scott Rhodes, Steve Day, Mal Rowe, Gwion Davies, John Rogers and Rob Pendry. 
  • Quay and dock painting: Ted and Mike B.
  • Randall Morris has nearly finished building the Seaman's Mission / St Nicholas Church, and hopes to build a model of the 'Oscar Chess' building.
  • Carl O'Connor has built a model of the 'swing bridge'.
  • Mike Brooks has built the two 1920s wooden warehouses plus a further shed for the half tide basin, and hopefully is going to have a go at the 'Coal Board' building.
  • Ray Stroud has built our first model ship, the tug 'Archer' and is set to build a deep sea trawler or two for the half basin.
  • Mike Sarsfield is building us a side-paddle steam tug and has painted the figures we'll be putting on the layout.
  • Mike S. and Alan Cosker have already built and painted some of the warehouse goods we need for our display.
  • I've put my hand up to model the collier 'Druids Stoke' and the steamer 'Brora', and the three hydraulic cranes .
  • Gwion, Phil, Ted, Mike B, Nathan Taylor, Hywel Trick are all helping to build our working 'Coal Hoist' feature.

We've been lucky enough to enlist the help of James Claypole who's built us an excellent laser-cut model of the 'Coastline' warehouse and he's currently working on modelling the Hydraulic Pumping Station.