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.

Saturday, 27 October 2018

Lock-side Painting

Having returned to our mooring for the winter, and finished sorting out a few things, I set about painting the coping stones on the lock walls and the upper lock landing today. I also touched up the concrete treadways under the lock beams and the earth up to the lock wall coping stones.

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For some time I have been mulling over the earth bank between the canal bridge and the lower lock landing on the towpath-side. I was not happy with such a bank being there, so I have been considering different schemes to replace it. I have decided to replace it with simulated concrete piling with bullhead rail running along its length, typical on the Grand Union Canal. I have ordered a length of bullhead track, which should arrive Monday. I have removed the earth bank in preparation for constructing the piling. It didn’t take too much to remove it, so probably a good thing I am changing it.

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Keith.

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