0-16.5 Narrow Gauge Inglenook

Layout under construction, Buildings placed for effect


Hookton and the Lipp Vale
History
Hookton is a small village on the South Coast of England in the County of Dorset. The Lipp is a stream that is almost a river which enters the sea across a shingle beach creating a hook shaped shingle bar from which the village gets its name.
During the Great Plague of 1665, Hookton could have easily become one of what we now call Plague Villages, just grass covered mounds where once there was life, but Hookton was lucky and refused to die.
There were limited opportunities for the folk of Hookton, you were either a fisherman, worked in the salt pits or if you were lucky worked on the Lords Estate. (*The Gasquet family came just after the Norman invasion of 1066 and where granted the estate by William the Conqueror).
After the Hurricane and storm surge of 1824, when the sea roared over the hook destroying several small boats, the need for a safe harbour became a priority, although in typical Hookton fashion it was a long time coming.
Hookton has, and I am sure that most will express surprise, a railway albeit a narrow gauge one. Started in 1875 and completed in 1877 by Sir Thomas Gasquet* who financed and promoted the line to put Hookton on the map and of course to turn a profit. The line follows the Lipp stream along its shallow valley, so construction was relatively easy with no major obstacles to overcome other than the need for a bridge over the Lipp.
From the harbour, a small collection of inshore boats fish for mackerel, crab, lobster, and shellfish and all is right with the world.
The village consists of the Harbour Office, The Anchor Inn (Palmers of Bridport), Saint Andrews Church, Post Office, Watkins and Potts Chandlery, Legg’s boats, Crumplers General Stores, and dwellings of the locals, namely John Higgins, Harry Bugler, Peter Wellman, and Francis Blake. As usual I have moved thing about such as The Anchor Inn is from Seatown (Bridport) and is in fact owned by Palmers brewing in Dorset since 1794.
In my usual style I have created the story first before commencing the modelling in 0-16.5. I have constructed the baseboard all 4ft x 3ft of it by mainly recycling the materials from my old layout New Level Mill and I have built and laid the trackwork to a simple inglenook design. All the track is code 100 rail soldered to copper clad sleepers, the two points are operated by Cobalt point motors and control is analogue. (So, the only chips will be with a nice steak, a piece of fish or maybe a pie. No fancy electrickery required.)
Foot note: The name Hookton and the Lipp appear in the first of the Grail Quest books by Bernard Cornwell who has kindly given me permission to use the names.
 

I'm looking forward to seeing more of this!

Douglas

(Twor Mee Neetha)

Thought I should detail Hooktons location. I have placed the village of Hookton about where Bradstock is and the Lipp replaces the River Bride. see photo. (welcome to fake Britain)

You came up with an interesting story!
I look forward to seeing the layout in full.

Unfinished buildings converted Petite Properties Kits, St Andrews Chapel, Watkins and Potts, Semi detatched cottage. Chapel from a school, Watkins and Potts from a low relief kit and the semi from a single cottage. The Bell in the Bellcote is from a Lima Royal Scot.

An interesting storyline.

Like both Brendan and Doug, I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.  I wonder which side the Gasquets were on in the Civil War ………………they seemed to have retained their lands.

You are spot on - I am surprised by the railway - why did he build it in the first place ?  Not too much in the way of commercial traffic with just the odd inshore fishing boat……………….maybe it was built from his ancestral pile to the beach so he could nip in for a quick swim…..

Hi Peter, an example of a railway not connected to the rail network ;"Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Hooktons railway could well have been.  Insulated fish van traffic as the railway was quicker than horse and cart. The Lord of the manor was on Cromwells side until of course King Charles II was on the throne. and then………

Some times life throws a curved ball. In my case it was the result of my CT scan. Ok. not unexpected was the Idiopathic Pulmonary fibrosis. What was a suprise  was that scan threw up a heart condition so I'm now under the care of the cardiology consultant.  Modelling will now take a back seat just for while, but in the words from the film" I'll be back,so watch this space. Never say never again.  Just playing around with colours.

Bodging the village buildings all need finishing but just getting the placements before finishing the landscaping.

Hookton update; Just a few happy snaps to show progress. Buildings are not fixed in position as they all require work to finish them and groundwork still to be completed.

A fine set of buildings you have there, which are going to make a great scene.
Michael

Fabulous streetscapes as always. Thoroughly enjoy watching your layouts come together. Hope you are feeling better.

Thank you Michael and Marty, Still bodging away albeit slowly, so here's the latest update. I'm converting 2 Rio Fiat buses into a rail-car. The drive is provided by a motorised van using a Tenshodo drive unit, a sort of push me pull me arrangement. I've also started on the boat with the cabin just placed on the deck for effect, still loads to do and it will need a good clean before painting. Buildings are still work in progress with gutters and down pipes to fit and roofs and chimneys still to paint.

Stop it! Now I have rail bus envy!

The build continues, just a few photos by way of an update. The Rainbow is just placed  as I need to move it to finish work on the buildings. The railcar is still work in progress but I have started to paint some figures well one at least.

Boys and girls, note the weathering of the wall and stonework around the base of the yellow door.
That is how it is done.

Keep it coming.

Needed a water tank so I thought why not incorporate it with a useful building. So Leggs Boats was added with said water tank along with lobster/crab creels, net mending (fabric mesh, cotton with small beads threaded on for corks) crates and a pair of oars made from brass wire with the ends flattened by bashing the hell out it with a large hammer (ears are still ringing) and marker buoys

Gratuitous look around Hookton getting ready for a photo shoot by the master of the art Chris Nevard

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Railcars

Wow - Mr Nevard is coming eh ?  Does that mean we're going to see Hookton and the Lipp Vale in print soon ?