Click on each image for a closer look!
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A team of people, led my myself, developed the Toronto Rail Lands Simulation as a TRHA project a few years ago. That simulation has been operated by thousands of people around the world as it has been packaged with the last few releases of the TRAINZ software simulation system. Six members of that team continue to meet to this day, usually virtually online.
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A number of the volunteers who worked this past weekend noticed that a group of us appeared and occupied Don Station hiding behind closed windows and doors (it was a bit cool in there despite the electric heaters). It is a tradition for our software simulations team to meet in person every once in a while for a day or two in a workshop setting. Our group did that this weekend. The highlights of what we tackled on our agenda are:

• Updating each other on the latest status of simulations under development by each of us
• Teaching each other some of the new advanced approaches available in the latest releases of the simulations software to create dramatically more realistic 3D models
• Sharing of some great train videos that each of us have (as they are difficult to share online due to bandwidth limitations)
• Updating our plans for further development of the Toronto Rail Lands Simulation and associated simulations
• Experimenting with our portable simulators to explore ways of improving the simulations experience for the public and ourselves

Here are a few of the specific projects targeted for completion in the near term by this specific team:

• Upgrading the Toronto Rail Lands model to use new super detailed track, advanced models of double slip switches and improved yard signal placement
• Developing a simulation of today’s Roundhouse Park
• Rebuilding all of the existing signal cabins in the Toronto Rail Lands
• Rebuilding the CN and CP roundhouses
• Developing a highly detailed model of TH&B #70 (and eventually all of our equipment)
• Rebuilding the existing model of #6213
• Expanding the repertoire of simulations available for public and group experiences
• Automating the public experience to make it as self-service as possible

We also for the first time connected our simulators to a computer driven projector onto a large slide screen and much to our delight discovered that the experience was much enhanced by the large display. This has set our creative minds going on how to further develop this for the TRHC.

Of course, in addition to all of the above, our U33C Cab restoration team led by Jay Larkin and our F7 Cab restoration team led by Dan Garcia are continuing to work on further restoring these cabs as well. We are also working on further evolving our two portable simulators into simulations platforms which are quite mobile and can be moved around Roundhouse Park and taken more easily to events to promote the TRHC.
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Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Russ Milland, Dave Lawrence and Lance Gleich
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