MERG East Midlands Area Group News

Return to Area Groups News
Index to other public pages

Joint area group coordinators - Pete Brownlow and John Gowers

To send us an email, use the MERG East Midlands Area Group contact form.

For MERG members, you might also like to look at our area group forum.

AUGUST 2020 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting

Saturday 29th August 2020 from 10:00

This meeting will be online using Zoom.

As before, we have found that breaks of roughly 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/audio/video issues

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:50 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

11:00 - Introduction to my terminus with loco release line, using modified Pocket Money Projects. - Michael Newton

11:15 - Update on my projects, including CANINP/CANOUT and the Universal Experimenters Module - Pete Brownlow

11:50 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

12:00 - Charnwood - my PTP Lite layout - Judi Rastall

12:30 - PTP Lite QnA

13:00 - Lunch

14:00 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects

For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar.

If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select the menu option MEMBER LINKS→MY UPCOMING EVENTS, or go directly to https://merg.org.uk/membership/summary.php, and you should see the details of this meeting together with the Zoom link to join in.

Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page.

If you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https://www.merg.org.uk/membership and make sure you are subscribed to the East Midlands area group. There is no requirement that you live in the East Midlands, any member can subscribe and join in. If you would like to introduce a visitor to the meeting, please email details to eastmids@merg.org.uk.

If you still can't get the Zoom link, send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk and I'll email you the Zoom link, but with the new system that allows you to see the Zoom link directly from your events page, I no longer need to send out confirmation emails to everyone, you can just join in on the day.

JULY 2020 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting

Saturday 18th July 2020 from 10:00

This meeting will be online using Zoom.

As before, we have found that breaks of roughly 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/audio/video issues

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:50 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

11:00 - My projects update and a demo of Voice Control using JMRI+CBUS - Pete Brownlow

11:45 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

12:00 - Locke Town - A tour around Roxeter and the PC that controls it.(A bit of a CBUS fest!) - by Nick Locke

13:00 - Lunch Break

14:00 - Kit locker Update

14:15 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects

For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar.

If you would like to join in, please go to the MERG website, select the menu option MEMBERS LINKS→YOUR EVENTS, or go directly to https://merg.org.uk/membership/summary.php, and you should see the details of this meeting together with the Zoom link to join in.

If you are not a MERG member and would like to participate as a visitor to the meeting, please email to eastmids@merg.org.uk.

Please don't share the Zoom links with anyone outside MERG, or post them on any public social media or web page.

If you are a MERG member and you cannot see the details for East Midlands area group meetings, go to https://www.merg.org.uk/membership and make sure you are subscribed to the East Midlands area group. There is no requirement that you live in the East Midlands, any member can subscribe and join in.

If you still can't get the Zoom link, send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk and I'll email you the Zoom link, but with the new system that allows you to see the Zoom link directly from your events page, I no longer need to send out confirmation emails to everyone for online meetings. Thanks to Allan and Martin S for all the work they have put into that system.

This means you don't have to post a message on the forum or send an email to reserve a place at the meeting, but still feel free to post a message to let us know you will be there if you wish.

I will send out the usual reminder emails to everyone subscribed to the area group in the next day or so, the updated membership system now allows me to do that without having to maintain a separate list of members email addresses, it will go automatically to everyone who is subscribed to this area group.

JUNE 2020 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting

Sunday 28th June 2020 from 10:00

This meeting will be online using Zoom.

As before, we have found that breaks of 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/audio/video issues

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:45 - Kit Locker news Special

11:15 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

11:30 - Progress with my Garden Railway - Colin Head

12:15 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

12:30 - CBUS and JMRI update, including CANINP and CANOUT - Pete Brownlow

13:00 - Lunch Break

14:00 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects

For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar.

If you would like to join in, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message here in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in the next couple of days, you will get a reply with Zoom link and meeting id.

MAY 2020 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting

Saturday 16th May 2020 from 10:00

This meeting will be online using Zoom.

During our online courses, we found that breaks of 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will plan to do the same again.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/audio/video issues

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:45 - Fitting crystal adapter boards to CBUS modules - Graham Clark

11:15 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

11:30 - Update on my projects - Pete Brownlow

12:00 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects

12:30 - Lunch Break

13:30 - Kit locker update from Judi Rastal

14:00 - Continuation of QnA and advice clinic, until everyone has had enough!

For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar.

If you would like to join in, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, during the Friday before the meeting, you will get a reply with Zoom link and meeting id.

APRIL 2020 East Midlands ONLINE area group meeting

Here is the agenda for our Easter online area group meeting.

Saturday 11th April 2020 from 10:00

This meeting would have been at the Kingsway Centre in Wellingborough, home to Kingsway Model Railway Society. Thanks are due to Kingsway Cenetre and KMRS, and hopefully we can re-schedule another meeting there at some time in the future.

In the meantime, this meeting will now be online using Zoom.

During our online courses, we found that breaks of 10-15 mins per hour worked well, to avoid people getting fatigued from staring at their screens, so we will follow that idea for the area group meeting.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Get connected, sort out any microphone/audio/video issues

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:45 - Kit locker update - Judi Rastall

11:15 - Tea/coffee break (make your own!)

11:30 - CBUS & JMRI update - Pete Brownlow

12:15 - Another break

12:30 - QnA and anyone looking for advice and help on any projects

13:30 - Lunch Break

14:30 - Optional continuation of QnA and advice clinic, if we hadn't finished in the morning

For the QnA sessions, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please be ready to wave it at the camera, and we'll see what help and advice we can give from afar.

If you would like to join in, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message here in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, during tomorrow Friday, course, you will get a reply with Zoom link and meeting id.

I will also host a test Zoom meeting at 7pm on Friday evening, for anyone who wants to test out that they can get connected ok before the meeting proper.

MARCH 2020 East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 14th March 2020 from 10:00

Our March meeting is Kindly hosted by the Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS) at their Museum and Study Centre located at The Midland Railway Centre, Swanwick Junction, near Derby. (See http://www.hmrs.org.uk)

We will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover teas/coffees and a donation to HMRS for our use of the room.

I have been advised that there will be no catering on site that day, other than the teas and coffees, so you will need to bring a packed lunch.

The meeting room is upstairs, but HMRS have a platform stair lift which I have confirmed is working, so step free access is available. The platform should accept a standard wheelchair, but will not take the larger mobility scooters. When confirming your place, please let us know if you have any mobility requirements.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:45 - An Arduino based timed shuttle - Jeremy Cole

11:30 - Tea/coffee break

12:00 - CBUS/CANMIO update & building CBUS modules that are not yet in the kit locker - Pete Brownlow

13:00 - MERG Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, changes to the kit locker

13:30 - LUNCH BREAK

14:30 - 16:30ish - Making it work: Practical session & problem clinic plus demos & Soldering help (inc surface mount) with John Gowers

For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for all those interested.

If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email or post the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about!

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in due course, you will get a reply with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information. Let us know if you need a lift from a nearby station - Alfreton is the closest.

(Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I will be sending out confirmation emails in the next few days.)

OCTOBER 2019 East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 26th October 2019 from 9:30

Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway in their Study Centre meeting room at Wansford

Thanks to Russ Jenner for organising the venue for us.

This is an Arduino themed meeting.

AGENDA

09:30 Members arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:00 Group news and events update

10:15 Introduction to Arduino - Alex Hamilton

11:15 Coffee Break

11:30 Case studies of Arduino in model railway projects - Duncan Greenwood

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Kit locker news - Judi Rastall

14:00 Afternoon practical sessions, including:

A chance to talk in more detail with our speakers
Various Arduino demos by MERG members and others
Our usual practical problem solving clinic session
We may also have some NVR signal box tours available organised by Russ Jenner

We will ask for £2 per head to cover the room hire cost and £1 each in the “honesty box” will cover as many teas and coffees as you want all day. This money will all go to the Nene Valley Railway.

A selection of MERG kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, then it would be best to pre-order what you want from the kit locker for collection at the meeting, as we will only have a selection of stock at the meeting.

The NVR cafe will be open from about 8:30 for bacon butties or full breakfast, and also open at lunchtime. However, as it is a running weekend including Thomas the Tank Engine, it may be very busy. For that reason, we have scheduled lunch fairly early, and we will probably make arrangements to pre-order during the morning.

The meeting room is step-free accessible. If you need a disabled parking space reserved close up, please let us know.

For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Peterborough station or, if you can get there early enough, I can collect from Wellingborough station on my way to the meeting about 7:30am.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details and directions to the venue.

Members from outside the East Midlands are always welcome at our meetings, as are visitors. Please just let us know you are coming so we can plan for the numbers expected.

AUGUST 2019 East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 17th August 2019 from 10:00

Kindly hosted by David Straker at his place in Leicester.

Weather permitting, there will be an opportunity to see and operate David's 'O' gauge garden layout, Victoria to Beckenham Junction.

Collection can be arranged from Leicester station for those who would like to come by train.

Tea and coffee will be provided, please bring your own packed lunch.

The meeting is on the ground floor and easily accessible with no steps.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 Welcome - David Straker

10:40 Introductions and group news

10:50 Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall

11:15 Short coffee break

11:30 CBUS enhancements to JMRI, demo and discussion - Steve Young

12:15 Finding your way around the MERG website, forum and wiki - Pete Brownlow

13:00 Lunch - bring your own packed lunch (tea and coffee provided)

13:30 A chance to operate David Straker's 'O' gauge garden railway

in parallel with:

13:30 Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic

16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host

If you would like to bring anything to run on David's layout, it is 'O' gauge with dead track, so battery and radio control is usually the best bet.

There will be some kits available for purchase, but we can only bring a selection so If you want any specific kits, you would be best to order them in advance from the kit locker and specify collection at the Leicester area group meeting at the checkout page.

For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply with full address details and directions to the venue. (If you have already done so - your confirmation email should arrive in the next day or two)

If you would like to come by train, please let us know if you need a lift from the station. If coming by train, please plan to arrive at Leicester station by about 09:45 so that whoever comes to pick you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.

All visitors, and MERG members from outside the East Midlands, are always welcome at our area group meetings.

SUMMER 2019 East Midlands area group meeting

Sunday 7th July 2019 from 10:00

Kindly hosted by Julie and Brian Chapman at their place in Skegness.

Collection can be arranged from Skegness station for those who would like to come by train.

Full details and directions to the venue will be confirmed to those attending.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 Introductions, Group news, future meetings etc.

10:45 Driving and firing a steam locomotive, and how to apply this to correct use of a steam sound decoder : John Gowers

11:45 Short tea/coffee break

12:00 Report on a recent visit to Minatur Wunderland with some photos and video - Pete Brownlow

12:45 Kit locker update - Judi Rastall

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Making it work - practical sessions and problem clinic on any members projects, MERG kits or anything else.

16:00 Final discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our hosts

As always, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you during the afternoon clinic as a demonstration for everyone.

There will be some kits available to buy, but if you want something specific, I would recommend ordering it from the kit locker now and marking it for collection at the meeting.

Julie and Brian can accommodate a maximum of 20 people, so it will be first come first served for booking a place.

Parking is quite limited, with double yellow lines on all roads nearby, Brian and the next door neighbour can accommodate about 10-12 cars max on the driveway. So please car share as much as possible. If it looks like we will have too many cars, then we will identify a car park in the vicinity where people can meet up and come on to the venue in one car.

The venue is accessible. There are two steps but wheelchair ramps are available if required. If you need a parking space reserved on Brian's drive, please let us know.

Tea/Coffee and biscuits will be available all day, bacon butties will be available in the morning. Please indicate when booking, if you would like a buttie, so Julie has a idea of numbers.

Let us know if you need a lift from the station. If arriving by train, please plan to arrive at Skegness station no later than 10am so that whoever picks you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply, in due course, with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information.

For those who have already indicated you would like to come, I will be sending out confirmation emails over the next few days.

EASTER 2019 East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 20th April 2019 from 10:00

Our next meeting is Kindly hosted by the Kingsway Model Railway Society (KMRS) in Wellingborough.

KMRS is a small club that has a room in the Kingsway Centre in Wellingborough, where a small 00 gauge layout is under construction. They also have portable N gauge and 009 layouts at various stages of development. The society uses the meeting room in the centre for their weekly club meetings.

Normally it is not possible to hire the meeting room at weekends, as there are regular weekly meetings on Saturdays and Sundays by a language class and a dance school.

However, neither of these organisations are meeting on Easter Saturday 20th April, so we have been able to hire the room.

Collection can be arranged from Wellingborough station for those who would like to come by train.

We will ask for a donation of £2.50 per head to cover the room hire, and £1 each in the pot to cover teas/coffees biscuits etc. for the day. Any excess over the costs will be donated to KMRS.

There is a Sainsbury's with a cafe less than 5 minutes drive away, and a local convenience store about 350yds away, or bring your own packed lunch.

The venue is level access with no stairs. If you need a disabled car parking space reserved close to the door, please let me know.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

11:00 - CBUS update, developments and news - by Pete Brownlow

11:30 - Tea/coffee break

11:45 - Setting up JMRI routes with CBUS by Graham Clark

JMRI is a free software program for computer control, Graham will show how he used it to set up routing using the MERG CBUS system. Graham is bring a demo board, and invites questions and discussion after his presentation.

12:30 MERG DCC and CBUS on the KMRS 00 layout

Pete will describe his experiences, tribulations and future plans installing the MERG DCC system and CBUS accessory control on the layout at KMRS, together with live demos on the layout itself, which is in the room adjoining our meeting.

13:15 - LUNCH BREAK

14:30 - 16:00 ish - Making it work - Practical workshop session and problem clinic

For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and/or would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone.

If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about!

Although the main presentations are quite CBUS-centric this time, we will of course cover anything and everything during the afternoon workshop session.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in due course, you will get a reply with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information.

If you are planning to come by train, let us know if you need a lift from Wellingborough station. Please plan to arrive at Wellingborough station no later than 10am so that whoever comes to pick you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.

FEBRUARY 2019 East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 23rd February 2019 from 10:00

Our next meeting is Kindly hosted by the Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS) at their Museum and Study Centre located at The Midland Railway Centre, Swanwick Junction. (See http://www.hmrs.org.uk)

Firstly an apology for the clash with the Newark show, which I missed when booking the venue for this date. If anyone is not planning to come to this meeting, but could help with the MERG stand at Newark on the Saturday, or if anyone can help at that show on Sunday, then please contact the exhibition manger on exhibitions@merg.org.uk

For our area group meeting, collection can be arranged from a nearby station for those who would like to come by train.

Visitors are always welcome at our area group meetings.

We will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover teas/coffees and a donation to HMRS for our use of the room.

I will check and confirm if the buffet on site will be open on that day, serving refreshments, they have a range from light snacks to full meals. Alternatively, you can bring a packed lunch if you prefer.

Steam trains will be running on the day between Butterley and Swanwick Junction, however the first train is not until 11:00 so too late to use it as transport to the meeting. Details of the timetable can be found here http://www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk/event/

The meeting room is upstairs, but HMRS have platform stair lift which I will double check is working, so step free access is available. The platform should accept a standard wheelchair, but will not take the larger mobility scooters. When confirming your place, please let us know if you have any mobility requirements.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 - Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 - Welcome, group news and Introductions

10:45 - Decoder Pro - by Colin Head

Decoder Pro is part of the JMRI software program, and can be used to set up the CV settings on DCC locos. Colin will show how this is done with live demonstrations.

11:30 - Tea/coffee break

12:00 - CBUS on Kimble - by John Gowers

John will describe his trials and tribulations implementing MERG DCC and CBUS on the 'O' gauge “Kimble” exhibition layout at the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society.

13:00 - MERG Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, what is coming soon.

13:30 - LUNCH BREAK

14:30 - 16:30 ish - Making it work - Practical session and problem clinic

During introductions, we like to go round the room and each member can give a very brief summary (about 30 seconds max) of who they are, where they are from, what they are modelling in. Also please tell us what subject you would like to see at a future meeting.

For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone.

If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about!

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. I will add you to the list and, in due course, you will get a reply with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information. Let us know if you need a lift from a nearby station.

(Those who have already let me know that you are coming, I will be sending out confirmation emails in the next day or so.)

AUGUST MERG East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 11th August 2018 from 10:00

Kindly hosted by David Straker at his place in Leicester.

Weather permitting, there will be an opportunity to see and operate David's 'O' gauge garden layout, Victoria to Beckenham Junction.

Collection can be arranged from Leicester station for those who would like to come by train.

Tea and coffee will be provided, please bring your own packed lunch, .

The meeting is on the ground floor and easily accessible with no steps.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 Welcome - David Straker

10:45 Introductions and group news

11:10 Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall

11:30 Short coffee break

11:45 What I'm doing and planning with DCC and CBUS - Pete Brownlow

12:30 Lunch - bring your own packed lunch (tea and coffee provided)

13:30 A chance to operate David Straker's 'O' gauge garden railway

in parallel with:

13:30 Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic

16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host

This will the last meeting organised by me as area group leader, so hopefully somebody would like to step in and take over that roll.

Judi will have some kits for purchase, but can only bring a selection so If you want any specific kits, you would be best to order them in advance from the kit locker and specify collection at the Leicester area group meeting at the checkout page.

For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply with full address details and directions to the venue. (If you have already done so - you should have received your confirmation email - please contact us if you have not received it)

If you would like to come by train, please let us know if you need a lift from the station. If coming by train, please plan to arrive at Leicester station by 09:30 so that whoever comes to pick you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.

All visitors, and MERG members from outside the East Midlands, are always welcome at our area group meetings.

SUMMER 2018 MERG East Midlands area group meeting

Sunday 15th July 2018 from 10:00

Kindly hosted by Judi Rastall at her place in Sutton on Sea.

Come to the seaside for our Summer meeting! The weather forecast is hot and sunny.

The venue is about 5 minutes walk from the Prom, so you might like to bring the family for a day by the seaside, whilst we get on with the far more important stuff! Partners and families are welcome to use the other room for teas/coffees etc. whilst we are having the meeting.

Judi can accommodate up to 20 people, so bookings are first come first served. If we become fully booked, we will keep a waiting list in case of cancellations. Note that the 20 limit is for the room where we have the meeting, any partners or family who would like to come along for a day at the seaside are additional to the 20 limit.

If you would like to come, please let us know as soon as possible. If you do decide at the last minute, it is still worth getting in touch as, with the longer distance that most have to travel, the numbers are usually less than more centrally located meetings.

Most of you will know that Judi is our Kit Sales Manager. This is an opportunity to see the huge MERG kit operation, how Judi manages the stock, processes the orders and sends out all those kits.

Sutton on Sea is on the east coast of Lincolnshire between Skegness and Grimsby. Parking is available on street near the venue. We have scheduled this meeting before the start of the peak summer season. Once the school holidays start, from late July, parking becomes much more difficult and there will be long queues on all roads into the resort on a Saturday morning – so come and enjoy the seaside before the mad summer rush.

This venue is less convenient for arrival by train. The nearest railhead is Skegness which is at the end of a long branch line and is an hour round trip from Sutton.

Tea and Coffee will be available, lunch can be purchased from local fish and chip shops (which are open on a Sunday), or bring your own if you prefer.

Judi has been progressing her loft railway, so you can have a look at how it is getting on. It is OO gauge DCC, visiting locos and stock are welcome.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 Introductions and group news

11:00 The Great Model Railway Challenge - TV Series - my experience By Marcus Dawson

11:45 Short coffee break

12:00 Update from the committee – Martin Perry

12:30 MERG kit news by Judi Rastall – News on new/updated kits, availability, what is coming

12:30 Progress on my layout - Judi Rastall - an update on progress with the loft layout

13:15 Lunch - Fish and chips from the local shops or bring your own

14:30 Afternoon sessions:

- The MERG kit locker by Judi Rastall – guided tours

- Running session on Judi's loft layout

- Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic

- Help with soldering and kit construction

- Or just relax in the sunshine in the garden

Kits will, of course, be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, then it would be best to pre-order what you want from Judi for collection at the meeting, as popular kits can go out of stock quickly.

For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it.

The venue is reasonably accessible, there are a couple of shallow steps up through the front door and a step down into the kitchen of 5“. The width of the kitchen doorway is 29”. Please advise if you need any assistance.

To access the loft layout, you do need to be able to climb up the loft ladder, so this will not be possible for everybody. Judi will give a talk about her progress during the morning session, with the option to visit and operate the layout in the afternoon for those who can access it.

Please note that Judi is owned by her two Kit Cats who will be in attendance, so anyone who has any feline allergy or intolerance should be aware of this.

If you would like to come, and have not already done so, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details and directions to the venue.

If you have already emailed or posted that you are coming, you should get your confirmation email in the next few days.

MAY 2018 MERG East Midlands area group meeting

Saturday 26th May 2018 from 9:30

Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway in their Study Centre meeting room at Wansford

Thanks to Russ Jenner for organising the venue for us.

These arrangements are provisional, as some details still have to be finalised with the speakers.

AGENDA

With lots of good stuff on the agenda, We've gone for a slightly earlier start - since most people usually get there early anyway!

09:00 Members arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

09:30 Introductions and group news

09:45 Introduction to the CBUS CANMIO - Pete Brownlow

10:00 The Universal CANMIO firmware - Ian Hogg

11:00 Coffee Break

11:30 MERG Kit news - Judi Rastall

12:00 Lunch (early as the NVR cafe may be busy)

13:00 3D printing - Howard Watkins

14:30 Split out for afternoon practical clinics:

Setting up the Universal CANMIO with Ian Hogg

3D printing with Howard Watkins

General kit problem solving with the usual team

We will ask for £2 per head to cover the room hire cost and £1 each in the “honesty box” will cover as many teas and coffees as you want all day. This money will all go to the Nene Valley Railway.

Kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, then it would be best to pre-order what you want from the kit locker for collection at the meeting, as Judi can only bring a selection of stock to the meeting.

The NVR cafe will be open from about 8:30 for bacon butties or full breakfast, and also open at lunchtime. However, as it is a bank holiday running weekend at NVR, it may be very busy. For that reason, we have scheduled lunch early, and we may make arrangements to pre-order during the morning.

The meeting room is step-free accessible. If you need a disabled parking space reserved close up, please let us know.

For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Peterborough station or, if you can get there early enough, I can collect from Wellingborough station on my way to the meeting about 7:30am.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details and directions to the venue.

Members from outside the East Midlands are always welcome at our meetings, as are visitors. Please just let us know you are coming so we can plan for the numbers expected.

FEBRUARY 2018 MERG East Midlands area group meeting

Sunday 4th Febrary 2018 from 10:00

Kindly hosted by the Syston Model Railway Society at their clubrooms at The Old School Community Centre, Thurmaston, Leicestershire

Thanks to SMRS and MERG member Mike Collins for arranging this venue for us.

Due to when the venue is available, we are trying a Sunday this time. The Pros are that members who have Saturday commitments, such as football fans or those working in retail, might be able to get along. The downside is that the local chip shop is not open on a Sunday, so you'll need to bring a packed lunch, and arriving by train might be more difficult due to Sunday services starting later than on a Saturday.

Collection can be arranged from Syston station for those who would like to come by train.

Tea and coffee will be available.

We will ask for a donation of £2 per head to cover the room hire.

The meeting room is on the ground floor and easily accessible. The clubrooms housing the SMRS layouts are upstairs.

AGENDA

The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:

10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members

10:30 Welcome to SMRS - by Mike Collins

10:35 Introductions and group news

11:00 Update on progress with my new automated layout by Colin Head

11:30 Tea/coffee break (or recovery time if we are running late)

11:45 Kit locker update - Judi Rastall

12:15 What's new and coming soon in JMRI latest versions - Pete Brownlow

13:00 Lunch - Bring your own

Also a chance to see the SMRS layouts on site

14:00 Making it work - practical sessions using members projects, MERG kits or anything else.

16:30 Wrap-up discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our hosts

16:35 Carry on with anything else we havn't fixed yet until we get thown out!

Kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, then it would be best to pre-order what you want from the kit locker for collection at the meeting, as Judi can only bring a selection of stock to the meeting.

For the practical sessions, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone.

If you already know what you want help on for this session, please email the details in advance so we can gen-up on it and look like we know what we are talking about!

If we didn't quite have time to get your project properly sorted at the last meeting, please bring it along again and you will be top of the list.

If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information. Let us know if you need a lift from the station.

MERG members and visitors from anywhere are always welcome at our meetings, you don't have to live in the East Midlands to come!

Details of previous East Midlands Area Group meetings