Hadarford

[Keith Lodge]

"Hadarford" is a freelance narrow gauge railway built in the hold of our narrowboat "Hadar". It was quite a challenge. After we stopped carrying and selling coal in 2016, my wife Jo suggested I build a model railway in the hold. It took us 2 years to burn the remaining coal in the hold before we could jointly build an insulated room underneath the sheeting starting in February 2018, resulting in the main layout 16' 9" by 2' with 2 removable bridges across the hold to the fiddleyard. The main feature of the layout is the canal, with Grand Union style lock and canal wharf served by a siding off the railway. I have a model of Hadar moored at the canal wharf, with myself and Jo standing on the back deck! Another feature is Hadarford farm, which is a close a representation I could get of the farm my wife was brought up on.

The "Hadarford Valley Railway" being the full title of the whole line, is basically a preserved railway, still serving a good quantity of  passenger traffic between Alfa Central which is the interchange with the standard gauge, running through Hadarford, and terminating at South Crossing as well as regular freight services still being operated with some success. The board of directors opted to operate the line using British Railway liveries (blood & custard) for its rolling stock and road vehicles. It operates a variety of rolling stock, as finances allow to purchase whatever comes on the market which fulfils their requirements and needs. It is not unknown for them to run guest stock on special occasions, such is the success of the line financially. It helps that the board of directors consists of many local dignitaries and financiers of great wealth with the one object, to run the line successfully, which so far seems to work.

A quick explanation of my choice of place names. Hadarford originates from the name of our boat "Hadar". We gave our boat the name "Hadar" because she is a replica of the boat I started working on in 1968, called "Pisces". She was one of what was called the "star class" some of which were built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company at Yarwoods in Northwich on the River Weaver in 1935. All boats in this class were consequently named after stars, constellations, etc, and as I didn't want to use a name they had already used, and to cut a long story short I chose "Hadar". Now Hadar's other name is Beta Centauri and is the 10th brightest star in our sky. I say our sky, we can't actually see it as it is in the southern hemisphere, but when paired with Alpha Centauri (hence Alpha Central) they point to the Southern Cross (hence South Crossing), and thus you have the Hadarford Valley Railway's station names. Full coverage of the building of Hadarford from the very beginning of converting the hold to the present day can be found at  www.hadarford.uk. There are a few photos of the layout and a video of the first train to run on the layout on the Members Layout pages.

[MickT]

That is very impressive Keith and certainly original! I wonder if we have any other active members who live on the water?

I look forward to hearing more about your progress in due course, thanks for sharing with us all.

Mick

[Keith Lodge]

Keith


I have seen the pictures and video and what you have managed to create in the limited space that you have is, frankly, amazing and puts many of us who have more room available than you do to shame.


Very nice, very realistic and I hope that you enjoy it :)


Iain

To be honest Iain I am amazed with what I have achieved in the space, What unfortunately cannot be made clear is that the design of the room and the layout had to take into account that this is the only route in and out of the boat for our fridge/freezer and washing machine, should they break down and we need to get them fixed, hence the narrow section alongside what is a stand in the centre of the hold, which holds up the original top planks, and the positioning of the 2 very different liftout bridges again to allow access through. There were many early plans to achieve this final setup.

[Keith Lodge]

That is very impressive Keith and certainly original! I wonder if we have any other active members who live on the water?

I look forward to hearing more about your progress in due course, thanks for sharing with us all.

Mick

I do know of at least one other, who actually moors at our place for the winter, but I am sure there are more around. I would have liked to build an O gauge layout, as I still have my O gauge stock from my exhibition layout, but I couldn't get the curves in the space, especially as previously mentioned to Iain, we have to be able to get our large appliances through the room if we need to get them off the boat, and the 2 liftout bridges had to be straight and wide enough to achieve this. Certainly couldn't have done it with O gauge.

[Keith Lodge]

This is the view showing the blue stand mentioned to Iain previously, with the red oxide cross plank and chains. As previously mentioned the stand supports the top plank above, over which hangs the sheeting. The cross plank and chains are to add lateral strength across the hull. They were made removable to allow very long cargo to be placed in the hold if need be. An original working narrowboat would have 3 of these stands, cross planks and chains, but as Hadar has an extended cabin area she only has the one stand etc. The section of baseboard alongside the stand and underneath the cross plank and chains is narrow to leave enough room for the passage of our large appliance through the room. This narrow section feeds into the fiddleyard, which is just out of shot, which then reduces to join with the longer liftout bridge.

[Keith Lodge]

This is the larger liftout bridge with the door behind it which leads to the front section of hold where we hope to be building a shop for my wife's photography. Behind this door is another cross plank and set of chains, but these are associated with the "mast", which was used on horse drawn narrowboats to attach the tow rope to. The mast has in inner telescopic section which can be raised up an fixed in place, this was often done to attach a washing line to.

[David Hunt]

Very well done and what an unusual home for a layout. just goes to show how creative modelers can be.

[B.Meldon]

I think it is amazing what you have done in the space you have.
I am very impressed.