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.

Sunday 28 May 2017

Cottage Kit 7

Finished, apart from the glazing which I will do this evening, to allow the glue on the windows time to set.

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As with the previous 3 kits, I will weather them when I come to attach them to the layout.

Keith.

Cottage Kit 6

Almost finished. 1st thing this morning I started by attaching the front door canopy.

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Then I primered everything.

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And then throughout the later morning and early afternoon I finished painting.

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The doors and windows are painted ready to fit along with the glazing.

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Keith.

Saturday 27 May 2017

Cottage Kit 5

Chimney now fixed in place. I have also added the ridge tiles, guttering and barge boards.

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Keith.

Cottage Kit 4

The cottage has moved on at quite a pace today, I am getting used to building this type of kit. The walls are joined together, the window sills and lintels fitted.

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The rear of the cottage.

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The chimney.

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The roof.

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Underside of the roof.

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The roof and chimney temporarily in place.

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Keith.

Cottage Kit 3

Walls, chimney and roof all cut and mitred ready for assembly.

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Keith.

Cottage Kit 2

The Walls are all marked out ready for cutting.

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I have also marked out the roof, but it doesn’t show up in a photo.

Keith.

Cottage Kit 1

Today I am about to start building the last kit that I bought some time ago. It was going to be the lock cottage, but as I have bought a ready made model of a lock cottage, I will use this just as a cottage, somewhere.

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The instructions.

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The templates for the walls, chimney and roof.

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Elevation views.

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The walls, roof and floor pieces. As with the previous kits, the single floor piece I will not use until I finally install the kits on the layout, if I use them at all. This piece is intended to be used around the buildings, which I may decide as not appropriate.

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The detail pieces, doors, windows, door canopy, ridge tiles, guttering, window sills, chimney pots, garden walls, reinforcing corners and a waving man.

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Keith.

Monday 22 May 2017

Telephone Kiosks

Yesterday I finished painting the 2 telephone kiosks that I built Saturday.

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The back board inside of both kiosks was created by using this photo, clipping it in Photoshop, then pasting it in a Word document before reducing it down to size and then printing it. I have found that by pasting into Word and reducing it, I get a better resolution and as the word document on my laptop screen is actual size of the printout it is easier to get it to the right size.

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Telephone box

However I do have a dilemma as there are 3 options of how the kiosks should be sited, as shown below. I will have to put it to the vote on facebook.

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I also finished painting the outside toilet.

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Keith.

Saturday 20 May 2017

Out Buildings 2

Today I finished the 2 sheds by painting them.

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I am still working on the outside toilet, having painted the interior I was then able to fit the door, ready for painting the outside.

Keith.

Friday 19 May 2017

Out buildings

Today I built 3 out buildings, an outside toilet and 2 sheds.

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However one of the sheds is open fronted and I was a bit disappointed that the internal walls, which will be visible, were not patterned with the stonework, but were just flat. By using some scraps of wall left over from the cottages I recently built I add internal stonework to this shed, matching in the ends of the stones as best I could.

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Keith.

Thursday 18 May 2017

Station Hotel 11

Today I installed the lighting in the hotel kitchen.

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Keith.

Station Hotel 10

Yesterday I illuminated the entrance foyer and dining areas of the hotel.

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Keith.

Tuesday 16 May 2017

Station Hotel 9

Almost finished, I added the downpipes from the guttering and the soil pipe at the rear of the hotel. I am waiting for the LEDs to arrive tomorrow to finish.

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Keith.

Monday 15 May 2017

Station Hotel 8

Almost finished. I painted the roof, gutters, barge boards and the last 2 chimneys this afternoon.

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Keith.

Sunday 14 May 2017

Station Hotel 7

Today I decided to add an extra chimney at the rear of the hotel, which will be for the kitchen.

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At the same time I constructed the central chimney, then I added to the roof, which I completed today. I then added the barge boards and most of the guttering (see further down for explanation).

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The completed roof fitted temporarily to the building. I am leaving it loose for the time being so I can install the led lighting when it arrives next week.

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I haven’t added the piece of guttering on the rear wall as this will have to be done once the roof is fixed on to the walls. This piece of guttering will have to cross the small chimney, which will make the roof unable to be removed once this has been added.

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Keith.