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.

Tuesday, 29 September 2026

 A special day today, it's 1 year ago today that I started to work on my new layout in our flat, so quite fitting that I should complete the final major work today with laying the last sections of static grass. I do have to complete the gardens of the 2 thatched houses, but I don't class that as 'major' work, then it is down to adding lots of small details, people, animals etc. Happy 1st birthday new Hadarford 🎂 🎉. 

I have corrected a mistake and started work on the last 2 gardens.

2 sections of static grass on the town side of the level crossing

Static grass alongside the track from the level crossing past one of the thatched houses

Continuation of the static grass alongside the track past the second thatched house

New noticeboard on the wall of Harold's Larder, I have had to place it here because when I glued the communications cabinet in place the Evo Stik made the green paint on the cabinet smear on the wall!

Final flowerbed borders glued in place

Keith

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