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.

Tuesday 6 June 2017

Engine Shed Kit 1

Today I made a start on building an engine shed. Yesterday I received in the post a Wills Kit of a standard gauge engine shed, which needed modifying to suit my narrow gauge layout. To this effect I had planned to reduce the length and height, but I decided to keep the width as changing this would have been impossible to adapt the supplied doors to fit. I hop that it will look alright when finished. First thing was to cut down 2 of the doors from which the height of the shed could then be determined. The 2 doors in the centre are the original height and the 2 outside doors are the reduced ones.

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The walls are complete.

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I have also altered the model by replacing the 2nd pair of doors at the rear of the engine shed with a solid wall, with a door and wooden extension in this new wall. The wooden extension as from the Pub kit which I converted into the hotel.

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The water tank positioned in its location but not yet fixed as both the shed and tank will be painted separately before I fix the tank in place.

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Keith.

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