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Oake (OO Finescale)

Oake is a station on the Taunton to Barnstaple line, about half way between Norton Fitzwarren junction and Milverton on the section of double track. Built in 1899 it was a later addition to the line when the villages of Oake and Hillcommon began to expand and local farm traffic picked up. It also served a small quarry near Preston Bowyer. In 1931 the GWR up-rated the line to double track between Norton Fitzwarren and Milverton to help cope with the increased traffic into the West country and Oake received a second platform and a goods loop to allow pick-up freight trains to be kept clear of the mainline whilst shunting.

It has a small goods yard with most outgoing goods consisting of cattle, farm produce and stone. There’s also timber beams sent from here to for use as support beams in the coal mines of South Wales and although diminished by Mix mitosis there’s also a trade in Rabbit for the local meat markets. Incoming goods consist of general produce, farm machinery, fertiliser for farmland and coal.

With the closure of the line in 1964 the station fell into disrepair and the track bed was swallowed up by local farmland, although it can still be made out if you look carefully. The station was pulled down in the 1980’s and the stone used in local buildings. The area the station and goods yard occupied is now a playing field and entrance to a housing estate.

Oake Station never really existed. The double track section of the branch did pass between Oake and Preston Bowyer so isn’t beyond a little licence and if you look carefully you can almost see where the station could have been. The trade is in keeping with the other local stations and the history also falls in line with what really happened in the area. The goods yard is similar to the one at Wiveliscombe station and the loop is from the branch platform at Dulverton station. The station buildings can be modelled on similar ones on the line though with a little licence as it was built several years after the other stations so can have a more GWR feel to them if necessary.

You can follow the story of Oake through the dedicated Facebook page

If you are interested in booking this layout for exhibition then please contact Steve Pike pevenstike141@hotmail.co.uk for further details and infomation.

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