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.
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!
As the title suggests, nothing done this week. Very busy at work and stuffed by the end of the day so no modelling, MERG or Raspberry Pi stuff done of an evening. The only thing I did get done was late Saturday arvo I moved my OO scale rollingstock into the recently put together and painted OO storage trays cut down by the Club from MDF about a year ago. I only recently put them together and painted them. Unfortunately these trays don't fit into my current storage box due to a higher tray height, but the intention is to only use one or two at a time if transporting somewhere and lash them up via velcro straps or something similar. I now have some freed up space in the storage box and empty HO scale trays to store some of the NSWGR rollingstock currently stored in the cupboard. I can't see much modelling again this week but you never know whay surprises might be in store.
This week I was able to complete the "shingle rooves" of the terraces. The "shingles" being the individual paper strips overlayed on the previous row. Very tedious but good looking. I didn't get around to actually gluing the rooves into place but a job for this week along with the ridge capping.
Yesterday afternoon I was staring at the layout out in the shed (I had the tilt-a-door up) from the kitchen window and something that has been bothering me about how to muck around with the NCE system's connection to the Raspberry Pi dawned on me. There right in front of me was the answer. The separate programming track. A length of track on an MDF strip. I could move this into the study. I'm pretty sure it isn't needed but just in case the SB3a command station needs some sort of feedback, I can connect it to the programming track, remove the NCE USB module from the layout and bring it inside as well and connect it to the SB3a via the flat bus cable. I can then connect it to the Pi and start working out the UDEV rules so that JMRI can recognise the USB port. So maybe something different to do one night this week.
The wifi dongle issue on the Pi is still slowly being worked out by the online community.
This afternoon I spent a bit of time mentoring Lachlan about how to ballast his diorama. Starting to look good.
So this week a couple of things on offer, the terraces and the Pi.
A quick update of the week that has been. The terraces progressed with the installation of the loft floors which also incorporated the external guttering (for some reason!). Next to do are the rooves. This will be tedious as there are a lot of overlapping 'tiling' strips to be glued down, but it does look good in the end.
On the wifi dongle issue with the Raspberry Pi there were some solutions bantered about on line but nothing you would say is a definitive answer. I'll wait and see what happens this week. Once this is sorted out I get back to working out to do the UDEV rules so that JMRI can connect to the layout.
On the MERG CBUS front, I have been reading about RocRail (European software and hardware developer) and their associated CAN based modules that can be used with MERG CBUS. They offer some additional functionality to those from MERG.
So this week more on the terraces I reckon as I do want to finish it ASAP to get it behind me and ready for the modelling competition at the Club. Today I showed Lachlan how to do static grassing, and he went ahead to grass his diorama. Not bad for a first attempt.
I forgot to mention last week that I started helping Lachlan and Matthew with a couple of dioramas. The main aim being for Lachlan to submit his into the Club Modelling Competition. Matthew's is purely just to be doing the same as his big brother ;-)
So I will be mentoring Lachlan and he will do most of the work. I have just done the timber cutting and nailing of the track for him. This way we can enter either of the diorame or President's Choice categories. We continued with these on the weekend just gone.
No work progressed on the terraces unfortunately.
As for the MERG output module issue with the LEDs and the pushbuttons, I think I might need to use latching relays to keep the current to the LEDs if the intention is to use them as route indicators. Further investigation needed.
The Raspberry Pi wifi dongle issue looks like a known issue and the community seems to be on the case to sort it out.
Hopefully this week back to the terraces.
Something I've been meaning to do has been to update My Blog List.
Added to the list today:
- NSW Rail Rambler (NSW)
- Jon's Shed (Oz)
- Brian Ford Trains (UK)
- Bron Hebog (UK)
- Shelley Railways (Oz)
Removed due to inactivity or closed down:
- Abbey Creek (Oz)
- Nathan's Point (Oz)
- Rhyd Ddu (UK)
