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.

Friday, 31 July 2026

Castle Mound Grass

I glued some green flock on the castle mound to simulate mowed grass from the car park entrance to the kiosk, as much as I like static grass, I had problems trying to achieve mowed grass on the old layout, so going for the simple option, but will add static grass to the edges of the mowed grass and the non-mowed areas at a later date. 😊

A bit later on I extended the mowed grass from the kiosk round into the ruins.

All the mowed grass.

Keith

The Railway Inn Part 20

Spray Day this morning, first I sprayed the Railway Inn with grey primer.

Then 1½ hours later I sprayed it with matt white.

Time for a rest🛌 after such hard work! 😴

Keith

Thursday, 30 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 19

This morning before going for coffee at our local Community Centre I was going to primer the Railway Inn when I discovered I had not applied the fancy brickwork to the tall chimney!

Upon returning home I added the fancy brickwork.

From a different angle

Then I realised I hadn't added the chimney pots!! So I added them.

Then I realised I hadn't added the chimney flue inspection hatch!!! So I added one.

Then I realised I hadn't added the 6 window cills!!!! So I added them.

1 window cill added

2 more window cills added

4 window cill added

Last 2 window cills added

Then I realised I hadn't added the roof tiles to the slopes of the tall chimney!!!!! So I added them.

Tiles on 1 side of the chimney slope

And on the other side

All ready for primering tomorrow then! 🤪

Keith

Wednesday, 29 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 18

Things were going really well with creating the Railway Inn today until..... See caption for details. 😢

2nd Chimney stack built and crown added

Internal walls for the ground floor added.

Internal walls for the first floor added.

I discovered whilst fitting the internal walls the floor had dropped at one end of the building so I had to carefully prised it apart from the walls and reglued it where it should be.

4 transoms created for 2 parts of the roof.

2 sections of roof glued together with 2 transoms glued in place.

3 sections of roof glued together with 2 transoms glued in place.

Central section of roof glued together with 2 transoms glued in place.

Chimney glued in the central roof.

Central roof from underneath.

All 3 sections of roof.

This is the unfortunate bit, the central roof doesn't fit!

Something has gone wrong dimensionally, I am leaving it now until tomorrow for when I have got over the disappointment. If I cannot fix what I have done I will have to create 2 new section of roof tile and a new chimney, the only roof tiles I have are grey, but once painted it won't matter.

Keith

Tuesday, 28 July 2026

The Railway Inn Part 17

2nd corner glued together before our morning walk.

3rd corner glued together after our morning walk.

Internally showing the corner fillets used to reinforce the corners (the white bits in the corners) which help to strengthen the corners and roughly maintain a right angle.