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 31 July 2018

Wiring Up the Layout

Having wired up the 4 point motors on the layout yesterday, I have started to do further wiring up today.

I have decided to operate the building lights, street lamps, platform lamps, traffic lights and bellisa beacons directly from the boat’s 12v, so I ran the supply from the wall socket to near the switch panel (the screw block can just be seen bottom right corner of the first photo) so it is ready for when I install and need to connect the various lights.

I have now wired up the 3 isolating sections, 2 on the engine shed siding and one on the canal wharf siding.

I have stapled a copy of the switch layout under the baseboard to make life easier whilst working underneath fixed baseboards.

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A close-up of the underside of the switch panel. Quite a lot more wiring to be done, but all in good time.

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Wiring to 2 of the point motors, at the engine shed end of the station, and the isolating sections.

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Keith.

Monday 30 July 2018

Layout Point Motors Wired Up and Working.

Today I wired up the 4 point motors which are on the layout.
They even work!


Keith.

Sunday 29 July 2018

1st Four Point Motors Fitted.

Today I fitted the 4 point motors underneath the main layout points.

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Keith.

Saturday 28 July 2018

All Trackwork now Completed.

Having laid the final trackwork in the fiddleyard, this has now completed all the track laying for the layout.

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Keith.

Fiddleyard Pointwork

This morning I filled the 2 holes I drilled in the wrong place as one of the point motor fixing holes lined up exactly with the holes.

A piece of dowel glued in place has solved the problem.

This afternoon I fitted the pointwork in the fiddleyard.

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At both ends.

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Keith.

Friday 27 July 2018

Start of Track Laying in Fiddleyard.

Not much done today, morning spent in Warwick, too warm this afternoon.

Earlier this evening I removed the shelf over the fiddleyard to give me access to drill the 2 holes at the back of the fiddleyard for the point motor rods, and drilled all the other point motor rod holes.

Unfortunately I drilled the holes for the two points at the front of the fiddleyard in the wrong place as the timber frame would be in the way of the point motor, so I have had to drill 2 more holes on the other side of the 2 points concerned.

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Keith.


Wednesday 25 July 2018

Final Trackwork on the Layout

This morning I fixed the final pieces of track on the layout.

These form what will be the double tracks through the station.

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Next step is to lay and fix the trackwork in the fiddleyard.

Keith.

Tuesday 24 July 2018

Canal Wharf Siding & Points.

The last 2 points on the layout at the canal end of the station and the canal wharf siding all fixed in place.

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Keith.

Monday 23 July 2018

Inspection Pit

This morning I cut the slot in the baseboard for the engine shed inspection pit, and fitted it and the track upto the point.

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Closer view of the inspection pit.

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Keith.

Sunday 22 July 2018

2nd Point

This evening I fixed the 2nd point in place.

I have positioned the engine siding in place with the engine shed, coal staithes and diesel tank temporarily in place to get an idea of what it will look like.

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Keith.

First Point Fixed in Place

Having recently purchased all the pointwork for the layout, today I fixed the first point in place with it’s connecting track from under the farm hill.

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Keith.

Thursday 19 July 2018

Layout Switch Panel

Yesterday I fitted all but 2 of the switches in the switch panel for the main layout.

This morning I took delivery of the last 2 remaining switches and fitted them.

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Switch panel fixed to baseboard ready for wiring up.

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Keith.

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Beeton’s Garage

The last building purchase for Hadarford, Beeton’s Garage, but I may change the name.


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Keith.

Monday 16 July 2018

Track Laying

Having purchased all the pointwork recently, I spent a bit of time yesterday laying out the remaining trackwork.

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Keith.

Saturday 14 July 2018

Vinyl Flooring

This morning Jo and I cleared the floor of the railway room and laid the vinyl flooring we bought in Brierley Hill in April.

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Keith.

Thursday 12 July 2018

Purchases Whilst Away

Whilst out on our travels I kept an eye on eBay and was successful in purchasing this thatched cottage which completed the canal-side cottages.



I was also successful in purchasing this bakery which completed all the buildings in the village.



I purchased this van in the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester, same price as on the internet, but without the cost of postage.


I found this war memorial in an antiques shop! The gravestones were on eBay and all of them will go in the churchyard. 


Keith.

Time to get Cracking on Hadarford.


Got back to our mooring yesterday, having spent the last 4 months travelling around on our narrowboat.

Parcel arrived this morning, containing the final bits of track, all 14 points, 12 point motors (I already have 2), 
4 accessory switches, a pack of 5 mounting plates and a big bottle of ballast.

Looking forward to cracking on with Hadarford.

FULL STEAM AHEAD!