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. One 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.

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 14

 Final 4 pieces of fancy wall tiles cut out, and last window glued in. 😊 Just the roof tiles to cut out then I can start building. 😁

Keith

Sunday, 19 July 2026

Castle Mound Parking Spaces Part 2

 Small steps to recovery from my recent stay in hospital, a task I have been dreading, but completed it this morning, marking out the parking bays in the castle mound car park. 😁

Keith

Saturday, 18 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 12

Finally felt like doing a bit of work on the layout this afternoon, not a lot, just glued the paving slabs flooring for the Station Inn,  making use of my wife Jo's small jewellery box and a hand weight whilst the glue sets.




Keith

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 11

Spent a couple of minutes marking out the final sheet of fancy tiles for the Railway Inn, that was enough effort for one day having been in hospital for a week with initially pneumonia which turned into nodules on my right lung and blood clots on the same lung, so taking it very easy at the moment 😊

Keith

The Railway Inn Part 10

 I wasn't very happy with 3 of the windows on the ground floor (circled) having mullions, whilst the other 6 did not, I decided to remove them and to also added a door frame surround to the rear door. First bit of work I have done since 10 days ago before I went into hospital for pneumonia to also discover I also had nodules and blood clots in my lungs 😟


Central window with its mullion removed

The other two mullions removed

The additional rear door frame surround

Keith

Sunday, 5 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 9

The banister at the top of our stairs up to our bedroom is a very handy place to have the Railway Inn plans laid out so I can lay the pieces of wall and roof on whilst cutting pieces out, it helps so I can see what I have done so far and what needs to be done next.

After yesterday discovering the faulty fancy tile sheets, I have found one sheet of fancy tiles which is usable, so I have cut out one set of tiles from this sheet.

3 pieces cut out

3 windows glued in place

Keith

Saturday, 4 July 2026

Another Purchase and The Railway Inn Part 8

 This thatched cottage had arrived in the post this morning whilst we were up in the town shopping. It is the 4th thatched cottage at this end of the layout, I may have to call this area Thatch End? 🤔


Started to work on the fancy tiles of the upper floor of the Railway Inn when I discovered the fancy tile sheets are also brittle same as the brick walls were, the 1st one snapped whilst attempting to cut it, the 2nd snapped whilst testing it. waiting to hear back from Peco which won't be until Monday now. 😢 Yet more delays sadly 🙁

Keith

Friday, 3 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 7

 Good progress today with the Railway Inn, doors, doorways and window surrounds glued in place this morning.


I then went for a walk around Priory Park whilst the glue set. After lunch I made a sander block which I used to create 10 chamfered edges on 5 corners.

I needed a wooden block to make a sanding block, so I used my paint pot holder....

I glued a piece of emery cloth on the underside of my paint pot holder creating 2 useful tools out of one

Creating one of the chamfered edges by rubbing each piece of wall on the sanding block, not a quick job, especially with a further 9 chamfers to create!!

One completed chamfer, just 9 more to go!

2 chamfered corners as they will eventually fit together

Keith

Thursday, 2 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 6

 Having had to wait for a phone call back from the doctor all this morning to book a referral, I wasn't able to start more work on the Railway Inn until this afternoon. I Cut out the last 2 sections of brick wall and cut a window aperture in one of them

I then glued the window in.

Then cut a triangular piece of brick wall to top the large rear wall above the window portal.

I then glued the window in. 

Tea called, so will continue after eating it. 😊

All window apertures now cut in large rear wall.


Final windows fitted to large rear wall.


All the ground floor walls almost ready, they need the corners chamfering, doors, door and window surrounds fitting.

Keith

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 5

 Not a good start to working on the Railway Inn this afternoon. I discovered that the middle window aperture I had cut out yesterday was 5mm too wide!! 🤬 I had to carefully cut a piece of brick wall to size and glued it in, no one will notice 😂.

Repaired window aperture and 3 windows glued in

2 window apertured cut in side wall

Windows glued in side wall.

Keith