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, 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 dried. After lunch I made a sander block which I used to create the 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

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

The Railway Inn Part 4

 As my recovery is going well I have started working on the Railway Inn again, I have cut out the first window portal, the replacement sheets cut so much easier that the faulty ones. further 3 windows and 2 doorways marked out ready for cutting. 😊

First window portal cut out

On the reverse side the other 2 windows and 2 doorways are marked out ready

19:00 UPDATE:- Remaining 2 window apertures and 2 doorways cut out 😁. When I was cutting the faulty sheets it took me 2 whole days to get this far!! 🥹 This all took less than half a day!

3 window apertures and 2 doorways cut out

Keith

Sunday, 28 June 2026

The Railway Inn Part 3

 This afternoon I have started to work on the Railway Inn again. 

Initially I had problems cutting the sheets of brick walling with a scalpel, I contacted Peco and they informed me that they had received a bad batch which were very brittle and impossible to cut.

Having received the replacement wall sheets Monday and with a few medical issues to sort out since then,  I have today cut the first 2 sections to size and glued them together. These new sheets are so much easier to cut than the original ones. Hopefully starting tomorrow I can get on with the build.

I have joined these first 2 pieces together for a reason which I will explain as I proceed further. 😊

Keith

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Pavements Part 8

 I have made a start on creating the base for the Railway Inn, including the roadside pavement, path to the side and service area to the rear of the Railway Inn. 😁

I have placed the template for the inn where it will be sited when built, I learnt today that the replacement brick walling sheets for the inn were put in the post today so should be arriving soon and I will be able to get back to building it.

I had started to build the Wills Craftsman kit of the 'Black Horse Inn' but having struggled to cut the plastic brick wall sheets over a few days I contacted the suppliers and they informed me they had had a bad batch of brick walling supplied and were going to send me replacement sheets.

Keith

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Stone Walling Part 1

 Cutting and gluing stone walling onto the layout.

Small section of stone wall adjoining the fence behind the tunnel portal

New stone wall alongside the road leading up to the castle car park

Stone walling and fence completed alongside the castle mound approach road and access gates to the front of the large house

Keith

Monday, 15 June 2026

Extremely Busy and Arduous Day

 Extremely busy and arduous day today, cutting to size and gluing this section of fencing above the tunnel portal!! 🤨

Keith

Sunday, 14 June 2026

Gluing Sunday

 I have glued 3 buildings in the maintenance yard, the large detached house, its surrounding stone wall, and a pair of roadside gates 😀

2 buildings in the yard glued in place

3rd building and coal bunker in the yard glued down

Large detached house by the castle mound glued down

Stone wall around the large detached house glued in place, Not quite sure where this will end, should be up against the signal box, but until I have built the Station Inn and I know where the signal box goes it stays unfinished for now

Further small section of stone wall added along with a pair of roadside gates

Keith

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Half-Relief Buildings Part 40

 This half-relief pharmacy arrived this morning, it goes between the cottage hospital (handy for the hospital) and the Linden hotel and completes the row of half-relief buildings at the back of the layout. 😊



The full length of the half-relief buildings apart from those on the far baseboard which isn't in siti at present

Keith

Saturday, 6 June 2026

Half-Relief Buildings Part 39

 My wife picked up this half-relief building of 'Lindene Hotel' for me from our local drop off point this morning, it is the penultimate one for the backscene, the final building to fill the last gap next to it is in the post and should be arriving soon. I have glued a backing on the rear of the hotel, 1st piece of work I have done to the layout for 9 days!!. 😀



Backing glued on the rear of the hotel

Keith

Thursday, 4 June 2026

Flexible Stone Walling

I have purchased this flexible stone walling off of eBay. Being flexible it can be curved to different shapes which rigid resin walls cannot.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227367924168.


You get 3 sections and one laser cut gate in each pack.


Keith

Thursday, 28 May 2026

Post Boxes

 

2 post boxes arrived in the post today, 1 will go somewhere on the station platform, but this one goes in the castle car park in front of the toilet block.


As can be seen the brickwork is rather pink so I toned it down with some weathering powders before gluing it in place.

Keith

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Castle Kiosk Part 2

 I found a suitable figure to stand inside the castle kiosk, glued it in place then glued the kiosk over it and glued the gate in place alongside the kiosk.


Close up of the occupied kiosk.

Keith

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Castle Kiosk

 This kiosk arrived in the post this morning, I have decided to position it at the head of the access steps. I have added a gate by the kiosk. I also found the water well I saved from my old layout, not sure yet where to locate it, but here will do for now. Added some additional benches on the other side of the low wall from Bob's Hot Dogs trailer. 😊

Kiosk and water well

New entrance gate by the kiosk

5 benches, 2 with umbrellas


3 additional benches 

Keith

Sunday, 24 May 2026

Bus Shelter

 It is surprising how, whilst resting my spine on your reclining chair, an inspiration can just pop into my brain. I have for some time been trying to work out a place for the offside bus shelter, when it suddenly dawned on me to place it here. apart from not interfering with any of the buildings on the offside, it fills this rather blank space by the access steps to the castle ruins, handy for bus passengers wanting to visit the ruins, or to catch a bus away. 🚌🚏

Keith

Friday, 22 May 2026

Pavements Part 7

 I needed to replace the manhole cover in front of this door, not the ideal place for it. 🥹


The workmen have been busy and replaced the manhole cover with slabs. 😁

Keith

Thursday, 21 May 2026

Castle Mound Fencing

 Today I cut and attached 2 sections of spear fencing to the rear of the castle mound car park, easier to do it this way than trying to drill 1mm holes close to the edge for the 2mm long pegs at the base of each post.

As seen from the front view

The rear view showing that I left the lower sprue attached to give a larger surface area to glue to

Keith