MattWallace Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Just a quick update tonight, I've started to play around with some of the structures that will form the entrance to the FY and the works. Beginnings of fy and works by ProfFalken, on Flickr I'm quite pleased with the results, the Shoebox will be part of the works and the polystyrene will form the base of a "wasteland" above the FY. More in the coming days... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 So the main thing that has been keeping me from actually getting tuff done on the layout is that I wasn't happy with the "straight line -> tight curve -> straightline" approach. I thought an "L" would be easy to model, but it turns out that is not the case! After many hours whilst my wife watches "East Enders" and "Accused", I have finally settled on the following plan and this one will be the one that is built. It re-uses all of the existing parts of track that I have, reducing expenditure. It gives me a nice area to shunt things around and, most importantly, it has the potential to be extended at either end in future should we move to a house where I have the loft or a dedicated railway room. The use of a "scenic" fiddle yard gives the illusion that trains are either waiting to leave onto the main-line or are waiting permission to proceed into the receiving sidings - it will mostly be hidden behind ISO containers and wire fencing, however the bits that are visible will be modelled as well. The servicing point will be a "home" for my (yet to be purchased!) gronk and will also contain a small length of track for the sheds to refuel etc. Three receiving sidings with a double-headshunt allows for two rakes to be awaiting traction, a gronk in one HS to propel into the freight yard and somewhere for the 66 (or other delivery traction!) to use the second HS and third siding as a run-around loop. I'm also quite pleased with the gentle curves of the track, it feels a lot more natural to me than the 90o bend that I had previously. It will still be based in South-Wales, loosely on Tremorfa/Cardiff Tidal/Newport Docks, so it is entirely likely that if I get the time over the coming years a DH-50 may make an appearance I've got a night to myself on Friday so I'm hoping to start getting stuff down then, as soon as I've got something worth seeing, I'll update the thread! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Just had a trial run of the 66 using Hornby power-clips to supply the DCC signal - works well, will hopefully be soldering/fixing the track tonight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Some traffic on the layout (track not yet fixed to baseboard) 66701 "Whitemoor" sits in a road on the freight-yard with a rake of empty container flats next to it and some loaded wagons waiting to be pushed back to the sidings. In the background, behind some containers awaiting loading (which will form part of the scenic division to the Fiddleyard) 92045 "Chaucer" awaits permission to proceed into the yard and collect a third rake for haulage out to the mainline... It'll look a lot better once the scenery is down, honest guv... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammy Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Just had an interesting read through all of your thread. Nice little layout you are building there. Class 66s and intermodals are just my thing, so I'll be keeping an eye on this one! Good luck with the build. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 Just had an interesting read through all of your thread. Nice little layout you are building there. I hope it will be once I actually get some scenery etc. on the go... Class 66s and intermodals are just my thing, so I'll be keeping an eye on this one! Good luck with the build. Thanks. I've got a birthday coming up soon, so I'm hoping I might get some pennies to spend on some scenic stuff including the main scenic feature which will be a small low-relief "town" area in the corner of the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Not a huge amount to report, however I've started putting in the card for the back-scenes: and I've also started to build up the base in the corner of the layout for the small "town" section. I'm toying with the idea of extending it along the back wall slightly towards the freight yard to allow for a small commuter station and a "high-level track, but the laying of it (if it happens!) will have to wait until after most of the rest of the layout is done. Birthday tomorrow, so hopefully there'll be a bit of progress in the next week or so - I've asked for a new soldering station to replace the small 25W iron that I currently have and I'm hoping that if I get any cash I'll be able to pop down my local model shop and grab a few scenic items. I'm holding out for Hornby's new DCC Fitted Railroad Cl 08 in BR blue (it's meant to only be £51 when it arrives instead of the near on £80 for the Bachmann which is only available in BR Green) however given their announcement earlier this week and various noises from people supposedly in the know that Hornby don't know what they can release until the container arrives in Margate, I'm not holding my breath... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 After a quick visit (ok, a long visit!) to the local model shop, I've purchased a metcalf kit for a low-relief shop/pub/bank and a few sheets of wills concrete and flexible bricks later, (a long but cheap visit!) along with some foam board that I had in the garage, I've rebuilt the base for the town and it's looking like this: The base: The base with some walls (brick and concrete - not sure what I'm going to use at the moment) A close up of the retaining wall Now all I need to do is start gluing and sticking.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 So, about an hour with a tube of UHU and a metcalf kit later... The retaining walls still need cutting to size and there's another two houses/shops/pubs to build, but I'm pretty pleased with the result and it's got me fired up again to get cracking on this over the next few weeks. I'm also about to place the order for the MERG CANUSB and CANCAB kits that will enable the computer control, but itcould take quite a while to solder them together! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 Heh, even more progress today: Can you guess what it is yet? Curves in all the right places.... Boxing stuff in Warp speed Mr Sulu.... Playing a supporting role Tunnel vision Someone turn that wall down! Playing a supporting role... Under the bridge Building up the walls Sorry that's such an image intensive post, but there's more to come in the next few days I suspect! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Just had a look through this thread, looks like it will be a nice build. Looking forward to seeing it progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 The MERG kits turned up this morning, hoping to get one of them done tonight, then the next done later in the week. I'll trial it on a small piece of track first, then I'll connect it to the full layout and see how it goes. It's just going to be locos at the beginning, points, routes and interlocking to follow at a later date... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 Just a quick update, the brick walls have ben glued into place on one side of the "embankment": I've actually managed to get some more brick stuff trimmed down and glued on to the exposed foam-board in the above photo, but I haven't got around to taking photos of it yet! There are a couple of small gaps between the brick sheets, however I'm hoping that I can hide this with a small amount of weathering material and some brick arches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 More progress, this time I've added the beginnings of the backscene behind the "town" and started to add supports to the bridge: Obviously I need to get rid of the blinding white, but I'm thinking a Peco "pre-printed" will work well... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 So last night I started fitting the points to the layout with the point motors. I've tried this before with various techniques, however I read of a way of doing on these forums which ensures that you get the motor centralised each and every time: First, mark out the area for the motor by drawing around the tie-bar and nearest sleepers on the point before lifting out the cork track bed section: Then cut out a hole that is the size of the area you have just drawn (I used a drill and an auger bit): Connect the motor directly to the point using the tabs/slots provided, but place a piece of card (I used 160GSM) between the two: Drop the motor assembly through the hole and cut the card to size: I'm really pleased with this first attempt, it makes things far easier and allows me to push the track into the points with the points holding the track in place until I can get it ballasted and glued. I also started soldering my CANUSB from MERG, so I'm hoping I'll be able to test that with JMRI in the near future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 20, 2012 Author Share Posted October 20, 2012 So whilst the rest of the family were making dolls out of old toilet-paper tubes, I thought I'd take the chance to do some "craft" of my own. Having had a restless night last night, I got up at 0500 this morning and finished off the CANUSB (C-BUS USB Interface): and the CANCMD (the C-BUS DCC Command station) (both of which are available for members of http://www.merg.org.uk/ - £18 for the year and well worth the membership for the support that you get!) I put together a basic track consisting of a few pieces of Flexi-Track and a Hornby power-supply track, hooked up the CANCMD, CANUSB and my laptop and ended up with the following: Yes, that's a GBRf class 66 controlled by a web-browser on my laptop... I've also managed to get the Engine Driver App on my Android phone running, so I can control the throttle from anywhere in the house over my wifi connection... What could possibly go wrong? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanders Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Yes, that's a GBRf class 66 controlled by a web-browser on my laptop... This Cloud lark is getting out of hand... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 I got a chance to fit some of the points using my new method last night: and it now means that the goods yard is laid waiting for ballast and concrete to go in: I'm hoping to do the other points that I have motors for in the next week or so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Here's a short video showing the combination of a Raspberry Pi, a MERG CAN-USB, CAN-CMD and part of my layout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJCYhWE4lY I'm pretty pleased with the results, now I need to purchase another 7 point motors and wire it all up. The Raspberry Pi is running the stock Raspdebian install of Linux and the changes made at http://www.raspberry...=12452&p=136615 to ensure the correct version of JMRI will run. The r-pi is also configured to launch VNC, JMRI and the JMRI WiThrottle on boot meaning I can run it without a monitor attached ("headless" mode). I'm hoping to attached a small 2x10 LCD screen to the GPIO/I2C outputs on the R-PI that will announce when the system is "on-line" as at present I have to just fire up EngineDriver on my Android phone and wait for a connection to appear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Fen End Pit Posted November 7, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hi Matt yes, it is a good combination. I'm looking forward to getting my 512Mb Welsh Pi to see if it runs JMRI any faster. My son is now trying to put all the kit (MERG DCC, Pi, Wireless router, power supplies etc) into a flightcase to make a portable power and control module for our exhibition layout. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Just had interesting read through your thread!! looks very interesting build so far..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Hi Matt yes, it is a good combination. I'm looking forward to getting my 512Mb Welsh Pi to see if it runs JMRI any faster. My son is now trying to put all the kit (MERG DCC, Pi, Wireless router, power supplies etc) into a flightcase to make a portable power and control module for our exhibition layout. David Sounds like a great idea. This layout is planned to be static so I don't have that issue, although I will still be finding a suitable case for all the electronics to live in at some point. I'm considering upgrading to the 512M R-PI, but I have a feeling we could see a 1G version at somepoint in the next year or so (purely my own belief, not based on any "insider knowledge") so I may well sit and wait on that for a bit. I'm also interested in trying the JMRI "Faceless" mode that is in the next release (currently in beta) of which my understanding is that I won't need to even run X windows, freeing up more RAM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deev Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Nice project Matt! Have you considered installing servos instead of solenoids for point motor control? You can very cheaply get a 16-servo driver in the form of an Arduino with sensor driver that can be programmed to work with DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammy Posted November 8, 2012 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Nice project Matt! Have you considered installing servos instead of solenoids for point motor control? You can very cheaply get a 16-servo driver in the form of an Arduino with sensor driver that can be programmed to work with DCC. Hi Deev, I did consider Servos for the points, but as I already have five sets wired with the solenoids and another seven motors on order, I'll not be switching. The solenoids don't require any fine tuning whilst programming either, so I'll definitely be sticking with them for the time being. I also don't care too much about the "clack" that they make as they switch over - there's only so far I'm prepared to go as far as prototype is concerned! M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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