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.

This is a full record of the building of the original layout, and having moved into a flat in Warwick and sold our narrowboat, this will now cover the building of the New Hadarford in our flat.

Please feel free to leave comments, I am always interested in suggestions or questions.

Friday, 23 January 2026

Wiring for Point Operation

 Some much needed wire arrived this morning, hooray!

I have had to change the 4 way connection blocks to 6 way between the central baseboard and the lefthand one to accommodate the 12vDC supply for the Smartfrogs

The original 4 way block one baseboard

Replaced by a 6 way block, repeated on the adjacent baseboard

Ribbon cables from these 2 servos clipped down onto the underside of the baseboard

All 4 ribbon cables connected to the Smartswitch and clipped down

Wiring from the Smartfrogs to the Smartswitch for the 2 closest servos

Ribbon cables for the other 2 servos running through the central baseboard

12vDC wires connected to 2 of the Smartfrogs

The 12vDC power distributed from the connection block

Ribbon cables passing through the baseboard joint and 12vDC to the inter-board connection block

The 12vDC wired from the inter-board connection block on the left-hand baseboard to the remaining 2 Smartfrogs

I made a discovery today. Just one of the 3 fishplates I have had to replace because one end of the fishplate was not on the rail but underneath it, I have had to cut each sleeper each side, cut the webbing in between, slid them out of the way to be able to slide the fishplate back and then onto the other rail, the cut sleepers then glued back in place


Keith

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