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.

This is a full record of the building of the original layout, and having moved into a flat in Warwick and sold our narrowboat, this will now cover the building of the New Hadarford in our flat.

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

Monday, 5 January 2026

Track Laying Part 8

 A job I have been dreading to do as I have never done it before 😨.

Attaching drop wires to the underside of track, then feeding them through the holes in the baseboard whilst aligning and attaching to adjacent tracks.

Bearing in mind that having to heat the rails with a soldering iron to a temperature to melt solder without melting the plastic sleepers and chair that hold the rails is not easy!!

First pair of wires attached to the short length of straight track, having removed the insulation which I kept on so I could handle the wire whilst soldering without burning fingers

Having carefully fed the wires through their holes and successfully joined to the section of track at the baseboard joint

3 wires attached to one of the points with the insulation kept on to be able to hold the wires whilst soldering

Insulation removed from the wires on one of the points and tips of the wires soldered to make passing the wires through the holes in the baseboards easier

First point with wires successfully passed through the holes in the baseboard and joined to the short section of track at the baseboard joint

Second point joined on to the first point and the short section of track

Underside of the baseboard showing the wires coming through adjacent to the panel pins which they will be soldered to
Keith
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Sunday, 4 January 2026

Today was drilling day. Drilling the holes through the 3 baseboards for the drop wires to pass through, then drilling holes for the panel pins and fitting the panel pins which will be used for connecting the drop wires and the feed wires together.

Positions for holes through one of the baseboards marked up ready for drilling

Close up of some of the holes drilled through one of the baseboards

Holes drilled through the central baseboard

Holes drilled through one of the end baseboards

Drilled holes

Holes for panel pins drilled

Holes for panel pins drilled

Holes for panel pins drilled

Panel pins fitted on one end baseboard

Panel pins fitted on the central baseboard

Panel pins fitted on the other end baseboard

Keith

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Friday, 2 January 2026

Curtains to 2025

 


This morning I marked where the final few holes for the drop wires from the track will have to pass through the baseboard that I didn't do the other day. No photo to show, so you will just have to take my word for it until I remove the track ready for drilling.

After lunch I fitted a few curtains to windows of the terrace, but had to stop as my hand was shaking too much for such delicate work, not worth risking it and spoiling it.




Keith

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