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. One 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.

Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Destructive Morning and Static Grass Part 2

Destructive morning today!! Grrrrrrrr!

I was going to continue with laying more static grass, but for some reason I looked at the stone wall between the track and the station masters house and thought "IT IS VERY CLOSE TO THE TRACK!".

I dug out a railway carriage and yes, the wall was way too close 😢. I have had to move it back by 10mm!!🥹.

I reshaped the flowerbed in the rear garden taking up a bit of the lawn by moving the brick edging. Similarly with the flowerbed in the front garden but fortunately it was quite wide so trimming it back did not needed the brick edging to be moved. All the wall reglued in it's new better position.

Front flower bed deflowered and wall moved back

Rear flower bed deflowered, brick edging moved to allow space for the wall to be moved back

The complete wall now moved back

Ballast laid between the track and the stone wall

Front garden replanted and excess ballast vacuumed up

Rear garden replanted and excess ballast vacuumed up

Static grass laid from the tunnel portal round to the 1st point

Static grass in and around the castle ruins

Final sections of static grass laid on the front edge of the baseboard

Keith
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