The next steps

Now Eskalon is starting to take shape we can say that phase 2 is coming to a conclusion and now we can start to think about phase 3. One change i am considering is ditching the back scene and instead having this area as an industrial area. It would mean i have no "fiddle yard" but i don't think that will prove to be a problem.

It will mean raising the track in this part of the layout but its only been lightly nailed down anyway so shouldn't prove too destructive. I will probably add another siding too.

Proposed Phase 3 mods (new track in red)

Next loco is likely to be another small industrial diesel, perhaps the Roco shunter. There is a starter pack that includes a blue version of this and 4 wagons so that might be a good idea. Next year i'll be looking (funding permitting) to get the red Zillertalbahn diesel and some more freight waggons. I could also do with a station...

The engineering train

Using one of the industrial wagons as a match wagon No.17 can work with my Liliput wagon. This is the Eskalon engineering train, rushing ballast to where it is needed.

A video

I've taken a few videos of Eskalon operating, here is the first.

Integrating stock

My first loco D16 is semi-permanently coupled to the coach set i have got, thus i needed my second loco to be able to work with my Liliput wagon (the only wagon i had got before today). No. 17 doesn't work directly with the wagon alas but if one of the little industrial wagons is used as a match wagon then it does work. Here is the Eskalon engineering train then.

No. 17

We have a second locomotive! No. 17 is a Minitrains Plymouth switcher and also has a rake of small industrial wagons. Some modeller's licence is being employed to incorporate such a train with the Zillertalbahn so just think of it of Eskalon being a shared line between the big railways and an industrial railway bringing wagons down from the mines.

Hitting the buffers

Although Eskalon is not really true to a prototype (and shouldn't be taken for anything like a close representation of Austrian Railways) i have done a fair bit of research. One thing i couldn't find much out about though was the humble buffer stop. Photographs of Austrian Railways always seemed to crop out these vital yet usually forgotten about pieces of railway architecture. In the end i got some PECO buffers for 009 scale. Buffers probably do not vary that much world wide in any case...

Mixing up the trees

The eagle-eyed may have noticed in some of the latest progress photos that the original batch of trees has been joined by some fir trees. The idea has been to mix up the scenery a bit and also to try and add a bit more of an Alpine air to what is supposed to be a layout set in the Austrian mountains! I think the effect is quite good and the amount of trees does add a bit of depth to the layout.

A few more photos

A few more photos showing scenery progress. Could be some new stock coming soon...

Nice little loco

We haven't had a HOe video for awhile, this is one of the Minitrains industrial locomotives. Looks rather nice...