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.

Monday, 28 September 2026

Final Static Grass

 Almost the last major work on Hadarford this afternoon with static grass applied along the front edge of the central baseboard and large areas of the righthand one. I know my trees in the woods look a bit strange, I removed the trees temporarily to be able to apply the grass but needed to mark the fixing holes drilled in the baseboard. I did this on my previous layout and it worked well, having left the grass for a while to set I then glued the trees in the wood.

Part of the front edge of the central baseboard grassed with 2mm long spring grass

Bit more of the front edge done

Bit more of the front edge done

Final very thin bit of the central baseboard grassed

First part of the 3rd baseboard grassed

Field area of the final baseboard grassed with some longer (4mm in length) patchy grass on top of the base 2mm spring grass

Woods area grassed with 2mm then 4mm patchy grass

2 fields grassed will 2mm spring then 4mm patchy

Kerb side 2mm spring grass either side of the road and corner of the next field

Trees glued in the woods

Keith

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