Terraces are done!

Well they are finally done! After a night or two of completing the final details (chimney pots and steps), I masked up the windows ready for the weekend matt finish sealer spraying. I did the first coat on Friday night, then followed this up Saturday afternoon with a second coat.

Front

Back

Look closely and the interior details are noticable (just)

Other things this week was I purchased some accessories for the PIC programmer that should hopefully arrive this week or next. These included a development breadboard, connecting jumper wires, and some experiment components based on the list in the PIC programming in BASIC book recently read.

So this week I can concentrate on getting back to the Raspberry Pi and JMRI integration, but first that damn wi-fi !

Into the home straight for the terraces

This week I have been slogging away at getting the terraces done. Last night I had just begun when we lost power due to a storm. Today's weather was just as weird with a storm in the morning, afternoon and night. I took the opportunity during the afternoon storm of putting the foundation onto the terraces. So this week I just have to put the door steps on, glue the chimney pots in, and prepare the windows with masking tape ready for the weekend when I'll spray the lot with matt spray / Dullcote. Then I'll be done!

Nothing done with the Raspberry Pi apart from reading and researching what's been happening in the Pi community of late. Some people have been making good progress with integrating JMRI with various DCC systems, but nothing for NCE yet! I might be the first!

As for the PIC, I'm still researching what's on offer for the programmer and software.

Yesterday the missus gave me a pass out for a short time to get away from the kids as they were driving me mad due to being cooped up inside due to the bad weather. I couldn't get to the shed due to lightning being around. So I took the opportunity while doing some shopping of dropping by the club. I had put a tray of rollingstock in, along with my Cab "just in case!". So I was at the club for a little over an hour in the afternoon and was able to run a BR OO scale train on the club layout.

So this week complete the terraces as mentioned above and maybe, just maybe revisit the Pi and JMRI. I also still have to sort out the wifi problem.

Terraces getting closer to finish - chimneys on

This week I was able to complete the chimneys on the terraces. I have to add the optional chimney pots which are just styrene tubing painted clay colour with a bit of 'black soot' around the top. Then once these are done, just the wall edging and the foundations to go. A coat of dullcoat will finish the lot ready for the club modelling competition in early December.

Other things this week I have been researching are Ratio semaphores and Will building kits for some options I am considering around the layout. Firstly I am interested in mechanising the semaphore signal via MERG module controlled servo control.

As for the building kit/s I had been thinking of adding shops to either end of the terraces with another Scalescenes kit however as the terraces have taken long enough I was thinking of trying something like a plastic standalone set of shops that could be postioned in a different area of the layout.

I have also been reading up on PICs (Peripheral Interface Controller or a type of programmable integrated circuit) as a means of assisting with the localised automating of some features via integration with the MERG modules I have been testing out. They seam to be a very powerful yet cheap way of potentially doing some of the handoff control of lighting, sound, sensors, etc. More research in how PICs work is required, but I have just read a small book on programming PICs in BASIC and this is all that would be required to start with for model railway use. MERG uses C language to program their PICs but this is a simple step up from the use of BASIC but I think I have to take small steps first before moving up to that level. But it has got my interest that is for sure.

By end of week, some second hand rollingstock

This week the family went away to Noosaville for five nights. I did take along some NSWGR kits (Silvermaz from memory) just in case the weather became foul, but this didn't happen. Most days were either overcast or fine and this didn't stop the boys from wanting to go to the pool at least twice a day, so no free time for modelling while away! Back to reality (read home) on Friday. Saturday I mentored Lachlan with his diorama by explaining tree placement. He has done really well on his little diorama and it is probably finished for entry into the Club Xmas modelling competition.

Saturday night I spent an hour on the Raspberry Pi wanting to progress the JMRI functionality but the upgrades/updates that I started took up the whole hour (and a bit more!) so didn't get anywhere near JMRI.

Sunday was the Club's Open Day and Buy and Sell. I went down early to help setup but the sellers had arrived early and all was done. We had a good turn out of sellers, buyers and visitors. I purchased a couple of second hand HO log wagons for Lachlan ($10), and did a deal on three second hand OO open wagons and a flatbed ($10) for Matthew to use behind his Toby engine as he has been borrowing Lachlan's Annie and Clarabel. Both were over the moon and were tested on Lachlan's layout not long after I got home. I myself purchased a Ratio GWR OO scale box van kit for $10 to build when I get a chance!

So this week I am hoping to progress the terraces build. If time and forum answers allow, progress with the Raspberry Pi, JMRI and wifi!