My First MOC Train

[koalayummies]

Hello Eurobricks Train Techies. This is my first MOC train and my first time building in LDD first and then bringing it to life with real bricks. 

Its not based on any specific real train but heavily inspired by modern North American freight engines and Lego train building techniques. I missed out on the Maersk and BNSF trains and while 60052 Cargo Train is a very cool set I was desiring something with a bit more detail like in those sets. The frame length, bogie designs and front and rear offset cheese slope technique are borrowed from the Maersk but the rest was free built in LDD with a lot of back and fourth to see what pieces are actually obtainable in specific colors.

Color scheme is inspired from growing up in Chicago and seeing mostly Metra and Amtrak. 

Currently no power functions but I plan to hide those in the cargo cars and or a fuel tender to come later. Might go with most seem to be doing and make it 7/8-studs-wide and 6-axles later on.

Approximately ~780 pieces. 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Nice ...I like the red & white baseplate!

The gray plates round used to increase the bogies length are a beautiful solution!

I'm waiting for the motorized version

[slopemodified]

That looks very cool for your first train MOC.

How long did you spend getting the parts and building it?

[JopieK]

Nice locomotive koalayummies! I especially like the fans on the sides.

[koalayummies]

10 hours ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Nice ...I like the red & white baseplate!

The gray plates round used to increase the bogies length are a beautiful solution!

I'm waiting for the motorized version

Thank you! Yeah the motorized version will be a little ways off but I'll be sure to update once it is up and running properly. If I change it to the now more common 7/8 studs wide I'll try and get the PF where they should be, in the loco. 

7 hours ago, slopemodified said:

That looks very cool for your first train MOC.

How long did you spend getting the parts and building it?

Thank you very much. It took a couple of weeks of an hour or so at night building in LDD, ordered the parts and a few more weeks slowly building as the parts came in. From opening LDD to posting this was right around two months. I am a MOC train newb. 

7 hours ago, JopieK said:

Nice locomotive koalayummies! I especially like the fans on the sides.

Thanks JopieK! Even though its not a real locomotive you all have been very supportive. 

[Phoxtane]

21 minutes ago, koalayummies said:

Thank you! Yeah the motorized version will be a little ways off but I'll be sure to update once it is up and running properly. If I change it to the now more common 7/8 studs wide I'll try and get the PF where they should be, in the loco

If you are changing it to be wider, you'll want to make it noticeably longer as well; otherwise it'll look incredibly boxy.

[koalayummies]

24 minutes ago, Phoxtane said:

If you are changing it to be wider, you'll want to make it noticeably longer as well; otherwise it'll look incredibly boxy.

Thanks for the tip! I can see that would be necessary as even as it currently sits it looks a bit squished in the profile angle. 

Is there any length reference maximum that the bogies can be spaced and still make it around Lego curved tracks?

[jtlan]

3 hours ago, koalayummies said:

Is there any length reference maximum that the bogies can be spaced and still make it around Lego curved tracks?

Only testing will tell, and it depends on what layout you're trying to run on. The longer the separation between bogies, the more your model will overhang on the inside of the curve. This means that if there is scenery, a switch handle, or even another track to the inside of the curve you will have to watch out.

As an example, my Umbauwagen have 32 studs between the centers of the bogies, and just barely clear the handles on switches:

Spoiler

 

[koalayummies]

Thank you for that information and visual example jtlan. I hadn't considered the increasing overhang with length. Very helpful and looks like theres a significant amount of length that can be added before I run into problems. 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

12 hours ago, koalayummies said:

Thank you! Yeah the motorized version will be a little ways off but I'll be sure to update once it is up and running properly. If I change it to the now more common 7/8 studs wide I'll try and get the PF where they should be, in the loco.

I like the 6 studs format, because the windscreen perfectly fits this locomotive ...I approve your project to leave the battery box in a wagon behind: probably I would do the same!

In the locomotive you can put just the motor ...and maybe the PF receiver hidden in the cab (but I said maybe )