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.

Monday 31 December 2018

Building Preparations for Lighting.

Today I have been preparing all the buildings that are having lights in them.
Some of the shops have had to have floors put in to separate the downstairs from the upstairs, so that they can be independently lit.
This is the General Stores, with the upstairs light fitted.
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This is the lock cottage, with a floor fitted, so only the lower rooms will be lit.
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This is the Chemists with the shop front lit separately from the flat above.
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Other buildings have had the upstairs windows blanked off, so only the downstairs rooms will be lit.
This is the rural workers cottages, with blanked off upstairs windows, and dividing wall between the 2 cottages, so they are both independently lit.
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Keith.

Sunday 30 December 2018

Switch Panel Wiring.

Today I completed wiring up the switch panel on the layout. The building LEDs still have to be fitted to most of the buildings, the wiring is terminated at each building.
This only requires the LEDs to be installed and connected at each building.
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Keith.

Monday 24 December 2018

Picnic/Pub Benches

What to do on Christmas Eve? Make 5 picnic/pub benches and 2 umbrellas.
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Keith.

Sunday 16 December 2018

Road Markings Practice

Yesterday I painted a piece of emery paper with asphalt paint in preparation. Today I practiced using the Laser Cut Road Marking Stencils from scalemodelscenery for a zebra crossing and a road junction.
1st I used a Woodland Scenics Road Striping Pen to trace around the edge of the template, then filled in with white acrylic paint, and finally touched up the edges with asphalt paint.
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Keith.

Lighting the Buildings Part 1

This morning I started on lighting the buildings. The station hotel and The Boat Inn lights would be on during the daytime so they are permanently on.
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Keith.

Saturday 15 December 2018

Model of Hadar Almost Finished

This morning I tied off the last lot of strings and hung the poles on them, I just need to neaten the string ends to finish once all todays glue has full hardened.
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Keith.

Friday 14 December 2018

Road Laying Part 8

All the roads and the pub car park are now glued down and painted, a large task thankfully now out of the way.
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Keith.

Thursday 13 December 2018

Road Laying Part 7

Having spent most of the day in Leamington Spa shopping, upon returning to the boat I glued down and weighted the penultimate road section.
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Keith.

Road Laying Part 6, and Further Stringing

The last complex piece of road is now glued down, and the next section has just been glued.
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2nd set of strings now glued on starboard side of the model of Hadar.
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Keith.

Wednesday 12 December 2018

Further Strings for Hadar

The start of the final strings on the model of Hadar.
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Keith.

Road Laying Part 5 and Further Stringing of Hadar

Busy morning so far, I have completed the 1st half of the strings on the model of Hadar.
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Then I glued down the next section of road in the village and weighted it down.
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Then I painted the remaining road from the farm past the station to the canal bridge.
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This now completes that section of road.
Keith.

Tuesday 11 December 2018

Road Laying Part 4 and Further Stringing of Hadar

Jo came up with an idea to stop the ingress of rain into the railway room. The problem has been that the original side sheets are inside of the steel hull, and clamped to it with a strip of oak. When built it was sealed along the full length on both sides with sealant. However it would appear that although we have resealed it, rain still gets through.
Jo’s idea was to purchase some additional sheeting, the length of the hold, and 50cm wide and to attach it along its top edge to the strings holding the side sheets, and letting this new sheeting to hang over on the outside of the steel. I though this was a brilliant idea. Jo ordered the sheeting yesterday afternoon. It arrived 8:00am this morning!
I had to an appointment with Physiotherapy at Warwick Hospital this morning, so when we got back, we had a sandwich for lunch, and set about cutting and fitting this new sheeting on the starboard side. Once finished had to turn Hadar around to be able to do the port side. Once finished we turned Hadar again.
After all this I was able to do a little bit more on the layout. I have glued in place the last section of road surface over the canal bridge which completes the road from the farm to the canal bridge.
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I have also glued down the 1st section of road surface across the canal and railway bridges at the village.
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I have also finished the 2 front strings on the model of Hadar, and progressed further with the sheeting strings.
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Keith.

Monday 10 December 2018

New Shelf and Road Laying Part 3.

I have constructed a new shelf, upon which I can stand my taller items that do not fit on the long shelf over the fiddleyard.
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The next section of road, the approach to the garage and the station car parking area is glued down.
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The next section of road in front of the station hotel is glued down and weighted.
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1st section of road painted.
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The farm road is painted.
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The road from the farm to the station and the garage approach is also painted.
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Keith.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Road Laying Part 2

Today I have glued the next section of road down the hillside from the farm to the station.
I have also cut ready the next section of road, including the approach road to the garage.
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Keith.

Saturday 8 December 2018

Road Laying Part 1

Today I glued down the 1st section of road behind the farm and fixed the roadside wall and gates along it.
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Keith.

Working Boats Front Strings

The finished front strings.
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Keith.

Secure Compound

The owner of the garage now has a secure and gated compound for his valuable vehicles.
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Keith.

Friday 7 December 2018

1st Pub Bench

Today I assembled the 1st pub/picnic bench.
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Located in the pub garden.
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Keith.

Working Boats and Hadars’ Strings.

I am in the middle of adding the strings to the pair of working narrowboats, and the model of Hadar.
the 1st pair of front strings on the false cratch are finished, and I have started the 2nd pair in between the 1st pair and the fire hose. They are complete replicas of how the are done, except for the little rosette at the end of the string which gets tucked underneath, just a tad too difficult to do in this scale!
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the 1st pair of front strings on Hadar finished and the 2nd pair started. I have also started the main strings over the top sheets on Hadar.
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At each stage of gluing the strings I am leaving them overnight to allow the glue to fully harden as I need to tension the strings when applying the next bit of glue.
Keith.

Thursday 6 December 2018

Bollards & Mooring Rings Fixed in Place

6 bollards alongside the lock.
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4 bollards above the lock.
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4 bollards below the lock.
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One of the three mooring rings on the canal wharf.
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Keith.

Wednesday 5 December 2018

More Trees

I added a few more trees today.
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Keith.