Discussion of my layout plan for Basuto Quay on its dedicated thread led to the suggestion that it would be helpful if I said a bit more about the backstory to the Netherport idea, so here it is.

Branch line to Netherport

Netherport is a fictional coastal town on the Dorset coast, roughly where the real-world Bridport and West Bay are located. The Netherport concept involves an alternative geography, replacing the area between, roughly, Yeovil and the coast with new towns, rivers and topography. The 'feel' of the area (landscape, architecture) is still very much Dorset, however.

The Netherport branch departs the rest of the GWR system at Wanton Abbas, and heads approximately south, connecting stations at the following towns and villages:

• Wanton Abbas - once a small village named for the nearby monastery and located on the river Want, Wanton Abbas grew significantly in the later part of the 19th century with the coming of the railways. The railway junction has brought increased trade to the town, and a growing population.
• Maiden St Nun - a well-established and historic market town, originating as a convenient river crossing where the Want meets the Netherbourne. Outside the town is the Abbey, occupied by a female order.
• Yon - a large village, with a small station (one platform, one siding, similar to Claverdon https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/claverdon.htm).
• Up Nether - a town a few miles inland of the coast. Between Up Nether and the sea the river Netherbourne descends in a narrow valley, which the railway also occupies.
• Netherport - historically a fishing village, that has grown with the gradual development of the port. The Netherbourne meets the sea in a large cove, providing a natural harbour. The river valley sides and the coastal cliffs are steeply sloping, restricting the size of Netherport, which has streets rising up the valley sides. On the west side of the westward headland of the cove a resort has begun to develop, bringing visitors from London and other cities.
• Basuto Quay - with the expansion of coastal and cross channel traffic, and the demand to accommodate larger ships than the historic harbour was suitable for, a new quay was built in the 1890s, named Basuto Quay. The existing harbour railway connection to Netherport station was upgraded to passenger standards and a platform built on the older part of the quay, for trains to connect with the steamer services to France and along to coast.

Traffic at Netherport

• Timber and coal arrive by sea, as does fruit and other produce from the Channel Islands and France.
• Coal also arrives by rail - Netherport is located so that the sea and land routes are more or less equal in cost, so depending on the grade of coal required, it may come by either route.
• The fishing boats based in Netherport general fish traffic.
• Beer arrives in both barrels and bottles from Burton on Trent (MR or LNWR), and breweries in Kent (SECR).
• Wines and spirits arrive from France by sea. There is a bonded warehouse at the harbour.
• Sawn timber, bricks and other construction materials arrive from inland - the nearest brick works is in LSWR territory.
• The many working horses in Netherport require feeding, so provender and straw for bedding arrive by rail from inland.
• The removals, storage and shipping company, Dovetail, sends lift vans (containers) and pantechnicons by rail. Dovetail is also the local GWR Goods Agent.
• There were several foundries (sometimes known as iron works or engineering works) in Dorset, at Dorchester, Poole, Bridport and elsewhere. Hunt and Son, engineers, have a works in Netherport, as well as their works in Farnborough, Hampshire. The works brings in coal, pig iron, iron and steel plate, other raw materials and components from South Wales, the Midlands and the North. Hunt and Son manufacturer a range of products, including agricultural machinery, cast iron items such as drain covers, and marine engineering including steam launches.

Modelling Philosophy

My approach to Netherport is influenced by some of the early modellers, particularly John Ahern and George Iliffe Stokes. The name itself - 'Netherport' - is a nod toward Ahern's Madder Valley and and its coastal town of Madderport. As I wrote regarding my plans for Basuto Road recently, there is a spectrum with, at one end, layouts that accurately depict a location to correct scale, and at the other, layouts that are completely made up, with little reference to any prototype. In between, there are layouts that are based on a location but use compression and simplification to fit the available space, then ones that are based on a particular line or region and drawn elements from several locations, then ones that (like the Madder Valley) drawn more freely from a variety of inspirations, adapting and combining to taste.
 
The Netherport concept, and the Basuto Quay instantiation of that concept currently being planned, is somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, but does it lean one way, or the other? I have mentioned that Ahern's Madder Valley is a key inspiration, and I especially admire his way of bringing together a series of cameos from very different places. How can a tunnel from the Aberglaslyn Pass be only inches from a brick works? And yet the eye just moves from scene to scene, somehow untroubled by the disjunctions in between.

So, my approach is to make a composite scene, bringing in selected elements based on real prototypes (such as buildings) with the aim of creating the overall atmosphere I am seeking. In that sense the approach is theatrical - perhaps unsurprising given my background in theatre and theatre-related education. This may seem at odds with my approach to wagons, as seen previously on this blog, where I am seeking a high degree of detail and historical accuracy. The question, yet to be answered, is whether I can hold this tension and make it a productive one.

I think I can, because, for me, accuracy is only important to the extent that it delivers the character of the item modelled. I have mentioned this viewpoint previously when discussing wagon builds, where I focus on specific aspects of accuracy where it is important to capture the character, and am more relaxed about other aspects. Other choices relate to this - my selection of the 1908 period gives me the rolling stock liveries and vehicle types I find most interesting, including a mix of red and grey wagons.

Of course, the success of my approach is yet to be demonstrated, and I see Basuto Quay as a test bed for these and some other ideas. I've greatly benefited from the input of forum members over the last few years, so do keep your responses coming. Please use the comments section of this post for your thoughts on the overall philosophy, and continue to put your ideas about the Basuto Quay layout design on the dedicated thread.

Nick.