Full Throttle & More Scenery

Well, not only we almost completed the overpass last Saturday, but also Julien Boily paid us a nice visit. Julien is probably one of the most serious operator I know and it's always a pleasure to see him fully take advantage of the layout and making it runs like the real thing. Under such circumstances, I'm satisfied to see my modelling efforts paying off in terms of enjoyment.

Julien and Jérôme watching the eastbound train leaving d'Estimauville

The social aspect aside, it was also a good occasion to finally try a well-programmed Loksound Full Throttle decoder on a locomotive. Julien brought his Central Vermont Atlas geep to give a demonstration. This is hardly breaking news, but it was nice to see how the thing performed on our layout. I guess it was a success since Jérôme and Julien switched Donohue three or four times in a row!

Simple tasks such as spotting a single car take another dimension when done right

I didn't try it myself, but I could clearly hear the sound modulation and the notches according to where the locomotive was and what move were performed. I must admit I'm curious to see this decoder coupled with the new Proto Throttle.

How much effort and time required to pull out that boxcar...

Also, I made a few mockups to see how the repair garage scene would look at D'Estimauville Avenue. After a few tries, I came with this satisfying arrangement. I still have plenty of time until we fully scenic that area.

D'Estimauville's repair garage... in foamcboard.

It was also time to see if the new structures built for the residential area were up their game. So far, so good. It looks almost exactly like the real thing. However, thought I thought I could have as much as eleven structures, I think I'll trim it down to 9 structures to keep the scene pleasant to the eyes. It is one of these moments one must use his artistic sensibilities to alter reality. Blindly following the prototype here wouldn't have paid off at all, breaking the balance between structures and scenery.

A new apartment building now grace the layout. Six more to build.