HADARFORD: June 2019

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.

Wednesday, 12 June 2019

Hadarford Canal

Initially the pouring resin went well, pouring the resin into the canal.

Once dried most of it was okay. The reed and bulrush bank.

The tyre. The resin has gone a strange orange colour and not sure why.

The bicycle, traffic cone and floating log.

Some waterlilies above the lock.

Some more waterlilies at the canalside cottages.

Hadarford wharf.

Above the lock.

Unfortunately 3 cracks have appeared in the resin below the lock, these are 2 of them. We cannot work out why this has happened.

This is the 3rd crack below the lock. I am not sure what to do about this, will give it a lot of thought.

Also there was a leak in the lock, so the level has dropped, but also it has not turned the same colour as the rest.

Well at least I tried.

Keith.

Sunday, 2 June 2019

Final touches to the Canal

Final touches to the canal on Hadarford this morning.
The photos are 2 of the 3 fish-plates I added this morning to the rails on the concrete piling.
I also weathered the canal and lock walls so all is now ready for the resin pouring to create the water effect Monday.

Everything ready for creating the water effect in Hadarford's canal.
Pouring resin, catalyst, murky water tint, various sized buckets and stirring sticks.

Keith.