MattWallace Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Hi Matt Thanks for the video. That looks really interesting and very tempting to try. I already have a Raspberry Pi so that saves one payout. How much are the MERG parts if y don't mind me asking? I did look on the website but couldn't find both items listed. Also, what part provides the power to the track and how many Amps does it run at, determining how many locos can run at once? Finally can you read/write CVs through this system? Sorry for all of the questions, but I have been thinking of upgrading from my Hornby Select and wonder if this is another option. Thanks for the help Dave Hi Dave, You need to be a member of MERG in order to purchase the kits, however at £18 for the year, £28.50 for the CAN-USB and £25.50 for the CAN-CMD, it's still a hell of a lot cheaper than most commercial computer-controlled offerings. As part of the membership, you also get a quarterly journal with various articles on electronics for model railways across a wide range of topics and skill-sets, everything from how to re-program the chip on the CBUS modules for random edge-case scenarios to the basic continuity tester for DC and DCC. The CANCMD has two outputs - one for a "small layout/programming track" and another to be fed to a booster for "larger" layouts. I purchased a socket from Maplin and used the power adaptor from my Bachman EZ-Command starter DCC controller to provide the power to the CANCMD and this provides an output of 16V@1A. MERG also do a "DIY" booster that can supply up to 10A if required. All the MERG kits come with some of the best instructions I have ever read in regard to putting things together, and there are little touches like all the resistors coming taped to a card with their values underneath so you know you're putting the right part in the right location. Finally, the CANCMD is a DCC Command Station. You send it messages from JMRI over the CBUS via the CANUSB module to program CVs and control your locos/accessories. The MERG website is at http://www.merg.org.uk/ JMRI is available for free (it is open source) from http://jmri.sourceforge.net/ - just download the stable version, follow the instructions about librxtx in the post I linked to above and then wait a while for JMRI to start (it took about 5 minutes the first time I launched it). I'm hoping to upload my scripts to auto-start JMRI and the webserver component for the Android throttle over the weekend. Hope that's of some help, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammy Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks for the info Matt. Very comprehensive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks for the info Matt. Very comprehensive. No worries, I just realised that I forgot to add the URL for MERG to the post in case people didn't know it! I'll do that now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpharris Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 ... Sorry for all of the questions, but I have been thinking of upgrading from my Hornby Select and wonder if this is another option. If you have some way to attach your present system to JMRI, then you do not necessarily need to upgrade. If you run JMRI, go to Preferences and 'Add a new connection', select Hornby, then you will see the options to talk to JMRI. If you don't one of these already, then it may be more cost effective to upgrade. I expect someone is working on a shield for the RasPi to do Xpressnet directly. See raspberry Pi Xpressnet for some possibilities. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 The track is now laid... Now I need to start ballasting... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poindexter Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hi Matt. Following with interest, especially the MERG/JMRI stuff. Well done so far mate. Guy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hi Matt. Following with interest, especially the MERG/JMRI stuff. Well done so far mate. Guy Thanks Guy, If you're interested in the MERG/JMRI stuff, then you might be interested in JMR-Pi, it's a script I've put together to install JMRI onto a Raspberry-Pi and it's available at https://github.com/proffalken/JMR-Pi It creates a dedicated user, sets up a remote desktop and installs then launches JMRI on boot. The next steps will be to have JMRI auto-configured to launch WiThrottle on boot. I'd be interested in feedback if you get a chance to test it - please file an "issue" at https://github.com/proffalken/JMR-Pi/issues with any comments. Thanks, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 18, 2012 Author Share Posted November 18, 2012 So I've taken the time to focus on some of the scenics today. I've added a porta-cabin at the headshunt for the receiving sidings: and dual-height for the main stabling point: Those of you with keen eyes will also notice that I've given the workforce "somewhere to relax" in that last shot - the Crown and Anchor is now open for business - cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 I had a few minutes to spare first-thing this morning to add the steps and I've just had a chance to upload the photos. I really like these shots as it makes me feel the layout is starting to come together! I've also realised that I purchased a scalescenes bridge some time ago that I never printed out. I'm thinking that I could use it do disguise the foam-core on the bridge, so I'll probably give that a go later in the week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Realy starting to take shape buddy, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 Another productive hour and a half this evening lead to the completion of DCC Power wiring for the scenic FY and freight area - I even managed to get some ballast down, although if it takes most of a bag to do just this small area, I shudder to think how much it's going to cost to do the full 14'... I'm also in the process of uploading a video of 66701 moving around the layout from the FY to the Freight area, however that looks like it's going to take most of the rest of the night so I'll upload that tomorrow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 The video finished uploading, so here it is... Apologies for the quality, it was shot on my mobile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwc1NU0Y-L8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Good video!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 24, 2012 Author Share Posted November 24, 2012 Thanks. It's a lot easier to control the loco via EngineDriver - the interface means you can quickly switch between forward and reverse and JMRI takes care of slowing down and reversing direction. I'm thinking of chipping my class 92 so I have more than one loco to play with whilst I wait for Hornby to make up their minds about when they're going to ship their class 08 DCC Fitted in BR Blue. I'm also trying to work out how to save money on ballast! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Just a quick update from last week - I've managed to get some sides onthe bridge: Next, I need to apply the brick cladding to the sides and start putting in some support posts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Thanks. It's a lot easier to control the loco via EngineDriver - the interface means you can quickly switch between forward and reverse and JMRI takes care of slowing down and reversing direction. I'm thinking of chipping my class 92 so I have more than one loco to play with whilst I wait for Hornby to make up their minds about when they're going to ship their class 08 DCC Fitted in BR Blue. I'm also trying to work out how to save money on ballast! I use N gauge ballast,looks far better than 00 ballast,and goes alot further.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 I've been playing with a test track for ballasting and there are the results. I've used a quick-drying filler for the hard standing (needs sanding off to make it smoother) and a plastikote "Stone" spray for the stone. A view from above: and then a closer shot of the filler: and the stone paint: I'm quite pleased with both, and I think the stone will look even better once it's got some "proper" ballast on it. Any thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 So, having fried my R-Pi by connecting an LCD to the GPIO ports the wrong way around, I've had time to experiment with the surface for the hard standing using quick-drying filler I've taken two approaches here. The first (right hand side of the first photo) was to run some cork from on top of the sleepers down onto the baseboard and fill in on top. The Second (Left of the first photo) was to build up cork to just below track height and then put a small amount of filler on top. I'm quite pleased with the results of both, and I'll probably use the second method as it seems to give a smoother finish than the first (both are a great improvement on just putting the filler straight on to wood!): The next photo shows (sort of!) the built up cork under the filler: Then an overhead shot to show the surface: And finally the obligatory shots of 66701 on the hard standing: For those of you who are sick of the sight of 66701, I'm hoping that it will be joined over the festive season by 08129 and possibly even a 73 based on cashflow and availability at my local model shop! I might even get to putting a chip in my 92, but as I don't have any OHLE, it might look a bit weird travelling around the layout without power... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McC Posted December 18, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2012 Looks great - how do you plan to do between the rails (or do you plan to do it?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hi, I haven't quite worked out how I'm going to do between the rails yet, I may well end up just filling them in and then running an old wagon over the track back and forth whilst the plaster dries! The alternative though I has is to lay clingfilm over the rails, then fill in over the top of the clingfilm - the idea being that I could then remove the clingfilm (lifting out the filler with it) and trim the filler down before gluing it back between the rails. Either way, I'm going to need to experiment more! Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 look what turned up in the post this morning: It's a MERG CANACC4 for powering 4 solenoid point motors... I'm hoping to get this wired in over the next couple of days for the four points underneath the bridge on the layout (The pink servicing point and the three greens that are connected/next to it on the diagram below) I'll then need to order three more of these for the other points and get them programmed to interact with JMRI. I'm still keeping my eye out for new locomotives now that Hornby have decided to release a load of new products without delivering on the ones that were meant to be sold in the past 12 months so I may well be on eBay on Boxing day... Edit: I've also ordered 100 Neodynium magnets from http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BinConfirm&_trksid=p2047675.l1356&rev=4&item=140814055073&fromPage=2047675&quantity=2&fb=1 to enable the coupling/decoupling of Kadees on the layout as recommended by McC in his thread so once they arrive I'll be able to start doing some "proper" operations... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share Posted December 21, 2012 A new approach to the hard-standing today: I placed some clingfilm in the 4'ft and layered up the filler on top of it. I then left it to dry, lifted the cling film out, trimmed of the edges and glued it back between the rails. I'm quite pleased with the results: Cross-section: From above: There's that train again... Now to paint it grey/weather it slightly and see how it turns out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 Another huge leap forward this evening: I've started wiring up the BUS for the MERG CBUS stuff. This is separate to the DCC Bus and uses some old CAT5 networking cable I had to hand. I've put together the CANACC4 and I can now control one of my points via a computer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WpPBRCrpzk And even better than that, from my Android phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuNzJIO9yP4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 So, having had some sleep following the late night last night (and yes, anything past 2200 is a late night for me these days!) I've had a chance to note a couple of things down for those using the MERG kits: 1) Put the CANACC4 into it's FLiM setting by holding down the switch - it will make programming it far easier 2) Read the MERG forum posts on how to configure the CANACC4 with JMRI - there is an excellent tutorial 3) Read the tech bulletin on wiring up a BUS based on solder tags and CAT5 cable - it will make your life a lot easier! Once the money comes in after Christmas, I'll be looking to purchase three more of the CANACC4 Solenoid control units and then I'll have all the points working from the computer as well! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poindexter Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Great progress with the MERG stuff, really good to see pics and vids rather than just descriptions. Have you seen this video about concrete hardstanding? some good tips. (its not my vid!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPhgRgTtWjA Heres mine I did a couple of years ago. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24236-stockton-road-tmd/?p=257970 I have also tried plasticard. Both mediums have there place and its worth experimenting. Guy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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