Plymouth freight thrash

With all this talk of a new switcher loco to handle shunting and freight trip works maybe my existing switcher Plymouth might be feeling a bit left out? The modified couplings on the non-mineral line stock actually work really well with Plymouth too so here is the Minitrains loco handling the Liliput stock van train, and handling it well too.

The identity of Engine 4... and 5?

We plan to add a fourth locomotive to Eskalon in the next month or two. Its most likely going to be D10, a Liliput model of a Zillertalbahn shunter. It will fit in well with the layout.

However we've also got our eyes on a Roco shunter too. This may follow later in the year or early next year to help supplement Plymouth on mine work. One problem with HOe is that you arn't inundated with choice with regards to rolling stock. Still this makes the choice of what to get easier and saves money!

More trees

I've added 10 more trees to the layout, some different heights to mix things up. Plus i've resited some of the older trees. The new tree avenue corner of the layout is coming along nicely.

Reusing a skip

Years ago i bought an OO/HO scale skip but never got to use it. I found it recently and i thought i would finally give it a job: augmenting one of the buffers on Eskalon. Obviously the English lettering had to go so a grubby grey / rust effect mixture has been used to repaint it and i've also added a "coal" load. I'll probably give it a bit more painting later on but it looks quite good for now. Here it is plus a couple more recent pics.

Same way

After a bit of shunting both passenger trains are the same way around for once. Look like they are going to have a race!

A (slight) move

The overhead view is now slightly out of date. I've moved the layout slightly so 2 sides are against walls which means the left hand side of the layout now has a better backdrop of a blank white wall instead of boxes and bags of ballast! I've also begun a bit of a tree avenue in the near left-hand corner of the layout. As its now against the wall its sheltered against accidental knocks so i feel safer putting trees there. The gas station has also been augmented with some painting and some people.

Overhead view

I thought it was time i took an overhead view of Eskalon, and annotated it. Here it is.