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I’m struggling with the iPad version. I can’t get it to display the extra photos of TINGS. I’m using the BRM iPad app. Can you only see these extra pictures if you download via the pocketmags website?

I don’t know about others, but I’m getting emails almost every other day inviting me to subscribe. Subscribe before you go to Ally Pally, subscribe when you are there, sorry we missed you but you can still subscribe.... You can try too hard. Mailing lists should be used with care.

I use a Pi SPROG and JMRI. The PiSPROG operates 22 Cobalt DCC point motors. I use an old iPad as the glass control panel, though there is nothing to stop you using a computer. I like using the iPad as a touch panel to operate the points. JMRI is not hard to learn. The difficulties are twofold, firstly the US centric wording, but it’s not hard to fathom. The bit I found the hardest was the online documentation. There are a few paragraphs of simple introduction and then it jumps into fine details about stuff you might never want to do. The middle is missing. What I did find useful were online YouTube tutorials (and I normally hate such things and prefer written documentation). The software is both good and powerful (and free!). The way I made progress was to set myself simple goals and make progress bit by bit. My first goal was to learn how to operate a single point motor. So I had that hooked up to the PiSPROG, and that alone. Then learn how to draw a track plan with your points in it. You want the Layout Editor within PanelPro. If you are nervous about installing JMRI on a Raspberry Pi you can buy a preconfigured SD card from sprog-dcc.co.uk for not very much money. (which is what I did). If you have no Linux experience it is probably the best route to take. The PiSPROG is a fantastically cheap and powerful way of controlling a layout. (Mine is N, it might not suit a garden railway...). I also have a USB Sprog connected to a Windows laptop and an oval of track. The laptop also runs JMRI. I use this to run DecodePro (a sub section of JMRI), which is the easiest way I know of programming and fiddling about with locomotive decoders.

Hi Dave, Any news on how close the project is getting to the required number of sign ups?

I'm afraid I've not had an automated response either. Julian Thornhill

If Dave can make crowd funding for N work then more power to his elbow. You don't have to join in, but if you do and are therefore prepared to take on a bit of risk you are likely to get something quicker than waiting for a manufacturer to take on the risk. Given the economic circumstances over the last few years, and the uncertainties of the near future, I think Dave's efforts should be both encouraged and applauded. I'm not as brave as him.