A bit of running

Some new photos showing the current state of the layout, all sidings now have buffers.

More green

I have extended the scenery (or the grass mat anyway) onto the new section of Eskalon. I've used a new technique too of securing the mats. Previously i used glue and small nails (track fixing ones in fact) but for this extension i've used a staple gun instead! I'll cover the staple heads with bushes and other greenery over time. Its starting to look pretty nice.

Phase 3

Phase 3 of Project Eskalon is to turn the intended back-scene into a normal part of the layout and add an extra siding on this part of the board. Today i took up the track here, relaid it on top of a ballast mat with some extra track to provide the new siding and then nailed it all down again! It still looks quite rough but i'll be extending the scenery to cover as many gaps and joins as possible!

Mixing up the stock

Usually my B-B diesel is semi-permanently coupled to the 2 Zillertalbahn coaches (and the little Plymouth switcher handles the freight). But i decided to mix things up a bit and let my main diesel play with some trucks for a change...

In other news i have built (inexpertly) a stand for my power controller, this means i can now turn the "backscene" area into the layout proper, i just need a little track.

A video is also available.