MERG kit # 1 and some photos of the terraces

The week's evenings were fairly much screwed this week apart from Friday. I took advantage of this and undertook the build of the first of the MERG kits. It took me two hours to do all of the soldering and the instructions were simple and easy to understand. I've mounted the PCB onto a piece of ply to be used as a test bed for the other kits and a simple CBUS setup along with inputs and outputs. I just have to source an appropriate power transformer but I have been having problems with that as Jaycar doesn't seem to have what I need. I might send an email to one of the other local MERG members and ask what he uses and where it was sourced.

The MERG kit packet

The kit's contents

The tools

Hi res view of the completed board

The test bed with kit # 1 mounted

No work on the terraces this week but I have included some photos of the work to date.

The front without cover paper

Interior (however I have elected not to put too much in the way of interior fitouts as I can't see the point when it is sealed up)

Floor views

End view

Rear view of floors

Rear view of interiors

One other thing I scored was 40 metres of 8-core control wire. We were at the Aspley Hypermarket on Sunday and in their reduced lines aisle was a swag of Nylex garden irrigation control wire packs, reduced 50% from $10 to $5. Each pack was 10 metres of cable, and each core colour coded. So I bought four packs as I think these might come in handy for connecting accessories to the MERG boards if I go forward with these as a layout control system. I'll still use Cat5 as the CBUS bus and power system as these are twisted pair whereas the Nylex cable I am not sure about as yet.

This week maybe continue work on the terraces and might even get in the second MERG kit if time permits. The Tour De France starts Saturday night so I might be distracted from the hobby for a few weeks!

No MERG but a tad more on the terraces

I was able to get to the terrace houses and get the front walls ready to the point of covering them with their external paper and glue in position this week. I ran out of time to start on the MERG CBUS kits. Maybe this week. Also this week the HO scale bank for Lachlan's layout arrived. I thought this was going to be a smallish kit but as it turned out it was a rather large pre-built building! We spent some time Saturday afternoon making room for it (the shop had to be moved) and scraping out the grass that was present. The building had a light in it so I had to ran soe additional wiring between it and the 16VAC accessory power of the transformer. Lachlan was impressed as he has been wanting some lights on his layout and this is a start. Today he laid the 'bituman' down for the side and rear access road. Not bad. He has been watching and learning! Tuesday I was home as I was getting solar power installed so I spent some time laying the dirt/gravel in the Kensington Hill goods yard.

I note that my friend Mr Mackie had a great day today on a ARHS NSWGR 620/720 railmotor which was up Brissie way and was doing a day trip down to Kyogle and back to Roma St, out to Fisherman Island and back today. I would have loved to have taken the boys out but maybe when they are a few years older and can handle the trip. Either that or they will be 'too old for that' and I can go by myself and the other enthusiasts!

I also had my eye on a pack of NSWGR wagons from Austrains. I decided to wait until after the weekend where I was keeping a watch on some wagons on Ebay. Most of these went dearer than what I intend to buy them for, so my mind is now mind up. They are some idiot bidders on Ebay!

This week I am hoping to start one of the MERG kits as I have brought the soldering iron and bits and bobs in from the shed to the study/hobby room. Also I might be able to continue with the terrace houses. Slowly chipping away at it!

Terrace's progress

This week I was able to put two evenings into the terrace houses. They are now upright with the floors and internal walls in. Finally! Now the next step will be the exterior walls I think.

Earlier in the week the three electronic kits from MERG arrived. I had a look at all three to make sure all the components were in each. So now I have the minimum setup to potter around with, an inputs interface, an outputs interface, as well as the USB interface which allows me to hopefully see what will be happening with the I/O interface boards on JMRI or one of the other software applications I have (ie RocRail). I did some more research on the RocRail site (www.rocrail.net) and there are 3rd party boards which also interface with MERG CBUS that have caught my eye, namely the fast clock and LCD display board, plus a few others of interest. Anyway I still have to actually assemble them yet, so when I start this, I will take my time.

I unfortunately had to decline a running session over at Mr Mackie's today as I had a birthday party to take my son to. Boondall Ice World ice skating ring. If today was cold and miserable on the outside it was positively freezing here as you would expect on the inside! As it was I probably wouldn't have been able to get to Mr Mackie's even if this invitation hadn't been on the cards as the car is in the panel beater's following a rear-ender last week! When I got home this arvo I spent a small bit of time on Illavearf doing some more scattering of ground cover before I do the second step with the anti-static grass, maybe tomorrow.

So not sure what I'll be doing this week, terrace houses or one of the MERG kits. Maybe a bit of both!

NSWGR BCWs arrived

Nothing really eventful this week on the modelling front. My three-pack of Eureka Models NSWGR BCWs (bogie cattle wagons) - 3 letter code arrived during the week, courtesy of Mr Mackie. They look mighty fine. Can't wait to see what the BSVs (bogie sheep vans) look like. I'm getting 2 x 3-packs of these, so six altogether. For a bit of variety I am contemplating buying a combo pack of NSWGR 4 wheel 3 x CWs (covered wagon) and 1 x PV (powder van) from Austrains. Just looking at the finances at the moment, but might be able to swing it as a birthday present (any excuse!).

I hadn't received my MERG order as of the end of week, so I made an enquiry with the store to better my understanding of their order fulfillment procedure. Apparently filled the day I ordered and should take 5-10 days to get to Oz. So probably this week hopefully.

I read Hornby magazine and had finally caught up to March's edition (I am usually at least 2 months behind by the time it gets to Oz) and read with interest an article on Market Weighton. This station is one of the major junctions in the area that I am interested in doing something on specifically on Pocklington station which is rust down the tracks from Market Weighton.

Saturday was wet and without motor vehicle transport, so I spent a few hours in the shed pottering around. One of the tasks that I haven't had time to do got a guernsey, namely starting on putting some of the 'OO' scale storage trays that I bought from the Club about 18 months ago together. I had bought 10 flat packs and managed to put three together. This might be enough at the moment to get store my current stock, but I will have to check. I still have to get the foam inserts from the Club and paint the trays.

As for the Terrace Houses, not a thing was done through the week.

This coming Saturday is Club Monthly Meeting day and i might be forced to trundle down on the treadley again as the car is in the panel beaters following another rear-ender! Hopefully this meeting votes on the acceptance of the proposed modelling competition categories and rules.