The Metcalfe low-relief bank-shop-pub completed

Sorry it has been awhile since the last update. I've been busy with family life and when I've had a spare hour or so, I've been either making the Metcalfe kit pictured, or pottering around with configuring an old XP machine to run Linux Mint, install JMRI, and now trying to work out if I can run MERG's FCU application via Wine. This all sounds to technical for a model railway blog, but if I can get this up and running I can configure, manage and integrate the MERG CBUS system into JMRI all on the one PC without having to resort to using Windows.

Over Easter I spent a couple of hours progressing the Bray MPD side of the layout in anticipation of placing the buildings in position.

The next building project will be another Metcalfe kit, this one low relief set of shops, followed by terrace houses, the engine shed and a factory. I might get this all done by the end of the year!

Metcalfe Warehouse finished

I've been sporadically completing over the last few weeks the Metcalfe warehouse kit in low relief. This will be placed on the Bray MPD side of the layout to service a siding.

Next will be a set of three low relief shops one of which will be a corner pub.

Apart from the card kits for my layout I have been researching backdrop scenes and low relief kits for the Club HO layout for the area near the main station. I put up my hand to scenic this area along with a fellow club member. I am thinking a large town/city scene with a bit of variety amongst architectural styles to indicate the age of the town/city. This is not as easy as it sounds!

New Howto - Fitting a Zimo MX645 decoder into an Auscision 73 Class

I have finally finished the Howto that I was writing at the same time as doing the decoder install in the Auscision NSWGR 73 Class loco. The PDF of the Howto and the Zimo Decoder Manual can be linked to from the "Articles that I have written" page.

Signal box and outbuildings done

This week had me doing something different and get into building a Metcalfe kit of a UK signal box (LMS proto I think but could be anywhere in the UK). The kit also included a line side hut and a lamp shed.
These will be positioned close to the tunnel portal on the Bray MPD side of the layout. As such the 'box' will be seen from the rear side, so I haven't bothered to put a light in it. 

From L-R: lamp shed, signal box, line side hut

Slightly different view

Next week I think I will continue with another Metcalfe kit, probably the Factory/Warehouse. This way I can start the scenicing with the buildings closest to the tunnel portal first.

You bl@@dy bewdy!

On this National Day of ours, I am happy to report that the 73 class IS FINALLY FINISHED! Woohoo, hip hip hurray, and all that cheer!
I had to rethink a few things and make some sacrifices, but it now works to my satisfaction. I decided to remove the control boards from the cabin, but I retained the crew. My thinking on this was that you only see the crew anyway, so now the sugar cube speaker is blu-tacked to the roof near the cabin light. It unfortunately blocks the cabin light on one side of the cabin but no matter. I tidied up the wiring a bit better with the removal of the zip tie and replacement with Tamiya masking tape. This stuff is pretty good for more than masking up!
Some further 'collateral damage' occurred with some of the finer details around the buffers breaking off, but these are so small they will not be missed. The other thing is that in all of the recent handling of the shell some of the locking lugs broke off so the shell doesn't fit to the deck neatly and rise up a tad at each end. The only thing this cause is the marker lights might misalign to their lenses. Just a gentle push usually realigns them.
I also removed the stay alive capacitor as there just wasn't any space.
The sound may not be prototypical for the 73 but it is a German diesel fairly close to the general specs of the 73. Sounds OK to me, I've never heard a 73 anyway! 
So I might take it for a spin down at the Club at the next meeting day. 
The other thing I got around to today was to start on some of the other various kits I have to put together. The first was a simple MERG track tester. Done. The next project will be one of the Metcalfe kits of a signal box so that I can start progressing with Illavearf again.
Here are some photos of the newly finished 73 class.

Only thing different that went ahead was the zip tie was replaced with masking tape and the shelf on the front gear box was trimmed back a bit as it was bending down and hitting the universal.

Closer view of first photo

The temporary shelf at the rear is now permanent

 

7309 on the DCC Concepts rolling road with the cabin light on

 

Rear view showing numberboards and marker lights on. Shell slightly askew hence why the red and white markers are not lining up exactly to their lenses

Front view showing numberboards, headlight and marker lights.

One of the drivers in the cabin

The 'collateral damage' - cabin control board, stay alive cap and buffer end details

Good progress with the 73 but with a not so good outcome

This week saw good progress with the wiring up of the 73. Using the SMD resistors certainly has improved the available real estate under the shell. I was able to get the decoder on its shelf, along with the stay alive cap and sugar cube speaker on the original circuit board shelf. The wires were all bundled up and secured. The shell was shoe-horned on (VERY tight fit). Then a roadblock was discovered. The shell was short 5-7mm of clearance to allow it to fit to the chassis. It would appear as though the amount of wiring impacted the internal clearance. You can see all of this in the photos below.
Upon having a chat with Mr Mackie and PK, several options were bandied about. I came up with my mine to see if this helps and will certainly investigate the other options proffered if mine doesn't pan out.
What I really want is to have the cabin light operating, as well as the marker, number board, and headlights. Retaining the sound would be great.
So I had a closer look at the available space. I redeveloped the shelving to be one shelf rather than a staggered shelf arrangement. I can live without the stay alive cap (for what they good they do) and might have a look at locating the speaker in the cab, with minimal damage to the cabin detail if possible. By the end of the week, I had got to a point where the speaker isn't installed but the rest has occurred. I am still about 2-3 mm short of the shell to reach the chassis, but I may just need to rethink the wiring arrangement. That will be this week's project if I get the time.

Top view of the placement of the decoder,etc

Side view showing the decoder, cap and speaker to the rear at the right. You can see the second shelf towards the middle that the decoder is on.

 

Front lightboard

Rear lightboard

View showing the 5-7mm gap between the shell and the chassis

Top view showing the spaghetti of wiring through the original circuit board access hatch.

On the workbench

Over the last week I went back to the 73 Class and started on the lightboards wiring again. This time I was trying SMD 0603 profile 1K resistors to connect the lightboard wires to the decoder wires to reduce 'real estate' under the shell. These seem to be doing the trick. I have also sorted out a problem I had with the 'Swiss mapping' of the additional Function Output CVs associated with the LEDs. So a couple of wins on this front. Hopefully this week I will continue wiring up the lightboard wires.
On Saturday just gone my Christmas present to myself arrived from the States (it was a late decision and thus a belated gift). A Bachmann Spectrum HO (16.5mm) Climax loco, some Tichy Trains Ore wagons and a Kadee logging caboose to make up a train. I know this isn't my usual prototype, but I have been attracted to the logging/mining articulated locos for a long time, so now I have one.
On the photo below you can see the loco on another Xmas present, the DCC Concepts rolling road, getting a run in.