From when my Parents gave me my first train set for a Christmas present as a child, I have had an interest in model railways. I originally started in "OO" gauge, but have also built in "N" and "O" gauge. The last layout I built was my exhibition layout "Holmehurst" which was in "O" gauge, and I exhibited it around the country. Photos of it can be seen by following this link.

I inherited some "OO9" rolling stock from my late father, including a loco I built from a white metal kit for him, and ever since living on our working narrowboat Hadar I have been thinking about building a "OO9" layout.

For those who do not know, "OO9" is "OO" scale, which is 4mm to 1ft, but the track and rolling stock are narrow gauge, equivalent to 2ft gauge in real life. Modelling-wise this means that I can used standard "OO" scale buildings, people, scenery etc. of which there is a far greater range of ready built items and kits to choose from, but it has the advantage that the reduced size of the track and rolling stock means that curves can be tighter than for standard gauge, without losing a realistic look within a restricted layout size.

I had thought about building a layout in our garden alongside our mooring at the Saltisford Canal Centre, but after much thought decided that this would not be practical. However I built a small layout (now dismantled) which sat on the shelf above the display cabinet, in our saloon, which houses my "O" gauge rolling stock. Having finished it, my wife Jo suggested that when we stop selling coal I could build a layout in the hold. As we stopped selling coal at the end of 2016.

I have now built the layout. This is now a full record of the building of this layout and any new additions along the way.

Please feel free to leave comments, I am always interested in suggestions or questions.

Friday 30 November 2018

Ballasting Part 8

Good progress this afternoon with the ballasting through the station almost completed.
IMG_0784b
Keith.

Ballasting Part 7

The 1st two points are now ballasted.
IMG_0780b

Soon followed by the level crossing.
IMG_0781b
Keith.

Thursday 29 November 2018

Ballasting Part 6

1st of the four points ballasted, and good progress on the 2nd.
IMG_0779b
Keith.

Ballasting Part 5

I have ballasted the canal wharf siding and the main line running parallel to it up to the point-work.
This is halfway along the layout.
IMG_0778b
Keith.

Ballasting Part 4

One of the difficult places to ballast, underneath the road bridge.
IMG_0777b
Keith.

Wednesday 28 November 2018

Ballasting Part 3

I have laid the 1st 6 feet of ballast up to the road bridge.
IMG_0774b
Keith.

Ballasting Part 2

Slow progress with the ballasting, but will be worth it in the end.
IMG_0773b
Keith.

The Start of Ballasting

This afternoon, after making all the preparations, like vacuuming the layout, I have started ballasting the track.
It is going to take a while, and I thought ballasting O gauge track was bad enough!
IMG_0769

I am using the end of a teaspoon to drop a small quantity of ballast between, and either side of the track.
IMG_0771

I then use a small paint brush to level the ballast, remove it from on top of the sleepers and to sweep it up along the edges.
IMG_0772
Keith.

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Completed Buffer Stop

Painted, filled with granite chippings and fixed in place.
IMG_0768
This means that everything is now ready for the track to be ballasted.
Keith.

Canal Wharf, Engine Shed & Buffer Stop.

The last few pieces ready for the track ballasting.
The brickwork between the canal wharf wall and the siding track, installed and painted.
IMG_0763

The inspection pit and flooring inside the engine shed painted.
IMG_0764

IMG_0766

The start of a scratch built buffer stop.
IMG_0762
Keith.

Monday 26 November 2018

Sunday 25 November 2018

Further Work on the Level Crossing.

This afternoon I added the white lines either side of the pedestrian crossing.

IMG_0741

I then fixed the level crossing ramps and the pedestrian crossing gateways in place.

I have temporarily removed the other parts of the crossings in preparation for ballasting the track, which I will have to do before I can finally fix the remaining parts of both crossings in place.

IMG_0742

Keith.

Pedestrian Crossing Painted.

This morning I have painted the pedestrian crossing. I have also wired up the level crossing gates control board.

IMG_0740

Keith.

Saturday 24 November 2018

Pedestrian Crossing

Early stages of constructing the pedestrian crossing alongside the level crossing.

IMG_0738

Keith.

Level Crossing Painted

This morning I finished painting the level crossing, it is now ready for installation.

IMG_0736

IMG_0737

Keith.

Friday 23 November 2018

Guttering

Yesterday and today Jo and I have fitted guttering down both sides of the railway room.

It is to prevent any rain leakage past the sheeting should the sealant fail, and also to catch any condensation from under the gunnels, so that neither drip onto the layout.

IMG_0734

IMG_0735

Keith.

Level Crossing Base Colours

I have painted  the level crossing in it’s base colours, and the gates in their final colours.

IMG_0732

Keith.

Thursday 22 November 2018

Primered Level Crossing

Level crossing, posts and gates primered ready for painting.

IMG_0726

Keith.

Level Crossing Servos and Control Board

Having prepared the level crossing components, I wanted to fit the servos to motorize the gates.

Unfortunately I discovered that one of the servos was where the cross beam under the joint of the 2 baseboards was.

Fortunately this beam is 50mm wide, to support the joint, so there was room to remove some of it to be able to fit the servo, as in this photo.

IMG_0723

Both servos and the control board fitted.

IMG_0724

The steel activation rods which will be glued into the servo drives are temporarily in place.

IMG_0725

The gates will be glued to these rods once the control board is wired up and functioning and I can determine the correct location on the rods to fit the gates.

Keith.


Wednesday 21 November 2018

Level Crossing Gates

I have been preparing the level crossing gates and ramps ready for painting.

IMG_0722

Keith.

Tuesday 20 November 2018

Water Cans, Mops and Boat Hooks.

The now painted water cans, mops and boat hooks are added to the 2 working boats.

IMG_0716

And also to Hadar.

IMG_0719

Keith.

Monday 19 November 2018

Progress on Both Platforms

The 1st platform is fixed in place.

IMG_0712

Where the station buildings will eventually go on this side of the station.

IMG_0714

The 2nd platform is finished but not yet fixed in place, but all the station buildings placed where they will be going.

IMG_0715

Keith.

Sunday 18 November 2018

Platform

I have made a start on the 1st of the 2 platforms. I have used Metcalfe paving card that I was given.

I have cut and glued them onto a piece of balsa wood.

IMG_0711

Keith.

Working Boat Accessories etc.

I finished painting all the water-cans, mops, poles, bollards and mooring rings.

IMG_0708

The water cans.

IMG_0707

Mooring bollards.

IMG_0709

I have added 2 of the poles to the model of Hadar.

IMG_0710

Keith.

Friday 16 November 2018

Last 4 Street lamps in the Village

I fitted and wired up the final 4 street lamps in the village.

IMG_0704

IMG_0706

IMG_0705

IMG_0703

Keith.

Thursday 15 November 2018

More Street Lamps

I have added a further 3 street lamps, 6 working now.

This was after a bit of a rewire as I discovered that where they have a black and a white wire, the black is positive not negative as per standard wiring.

I changed the wiring from red/black, to white/black to match the lamp wires, and swapped the black wire over to the positive supply.

IMG_0694

IMG_0699

A further 4 street lamps added, I may add 1 more, thinking about it.

IMG_0702

IMG_0701

Keith.

Wednesday 14 November 2018

Traffic Lights

I have wired up the traffic lights.



Keith.

Monday 12 November 2018

Traffic Lights and Street Lamps

Traffic lights installed, but not yet wired up.

I have also started to drill holes through the baseboard beneath buildings ready to wire up the lights inside them.

IMG_0683

I have also added the 1st three street lamps.

IMG_0684

Keith