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(Click to skip to the post with the latest photos) The Backstory: For years I've wanted to be able to display my 12v collection at shows/exhibitions/libraries or wherever, but the wiring is a challenge - I reckon on my last full layout there was 250 to 300 feet (75-90 metres) of the stuff, which on a static layout is one thing, but one built in modules for transport is a challenge. Three or four months ago I came up with a solution (more on that below) and the dreaming started. After much playing in Bluebrick, and nostalgic posts appearing here about older era trains, I settled on a plan. I still had a bunch of my old blue track from the 4.5v era, but no motors. Off we go to Bricklink then! The Layout So, here's the plan. Ten years ago I had a small portable layout on 4 modules, each 3x5 baseplates, and over the years have simply added more of these. Following my Bricklink spree, I now have 2 working 4.5v motors, so rebuilt the loco from set 183 and I have the loco from 7720 in progress. These 2 will feature on the 4.5v loop below, which is 3 of those modules. Next to the 4.5v loop will be the showpiece, the main 12v loops. 12v Lower by andyglascott, on Flickr And on the right of the layout will be the 9v loops. Unlike the other 2 eras, I will have 9v track left over, so this is likely to be expanded in due course, particularly as @michaelgale releases motors, power supply etc. 9v Loops by andyglascott, on Flickr Lastly, there will be another 12v loop, elevated, which will run across the back of all three eras. 12v Upper by andyglascott, on Flickr Putting all of those together looks like this (the white baseplates are roughly where the mountains, tunnels etc will be for the elevated sections. The green and grey sections are simply so I could keep track of where the 3x5 modules were to try and avoid having curves/points on more than one module. When it all comes together, in most likely a couple of years, I'll be able to run 6 trains at a time. Whole Layout by andyglascott, on Flickr The Beginning After all the planning, and clearing away of my last (incomplete) layout, I've finally started building the first module, part of the 4.5v loop. I decided to start here as this will be the quickest era to build, and to a large extent, each era can also be displayed as a stand-alone smaller layout. These three modules will be countryside/farmland, and the trains will reflect the farming side of it when they get built. Module 01 Pic 02 by andyglascott, on Flickr The 12v Wiring The solution that I've come up with is fairly simple, but does involve taking a drill to some baseplates.... At each of the 12v points or signals I'll drill a small hole through the baseplate and the wood for each module, thread the wire through and attach either the original Lego plugs or a quick connect/release plug/connector so that when the layout is set up I'll use already measured lengths of wire to go from that point to the control panels, which will be on their own module. This is going to be a heck of a journey, and build, I'll post updates from time to time, particularly at landmark moments such as completing an "era". I always said, growing up, I was keeping my Lego for my kids. It was really only an excuse, and I'm really glad I didn't sell my old blue track even though I didn't, for years, think I'd use it. Sadly my original 4.5v motors, battery boxes, lights and even signals are long gone, but I was only 7 or 8 when I got 7720....

So, this mod started with me wanting to rebrick the 7760 Diesel Shunter. The plan was to replace the expensive parts with similar cheaper ones. After doing so i wasn´t really happy with the frankenstein-like 9V - 12V mix i had created, so I decided to redo it and mod the Engine with modern parts. This is the result: 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr 7760 - Diesel Shunter 9V Mod by Henrik S, auf Flickr Feel free to comment and critize, i hope you enjoy the pictures

There were two trains at Disneyland opening day in 1955, and these were the Retlaw series. Retlaw 1 was the passenger train which consisted of one baggage, four passenger cars, and the observation car. Five of which are no longer used or were sold. (but the observation car is still used - as the Lilly Belle parlor car as seen in the official set) However, in this fictional revised version of the train, this retirement didn't happen, though they were modified. (Also, Retlaw 1 was NOT normally pulled by the engine C.K. Holliday, instead, it was pulled by the E.P. Ripley. But I forgot about this fact when I digitally built it / took the pictures.) The real Retlaw 1 was originally a yellow painted train, featuring front facing seats until it was mostly retired in 1971. The observation car of Retlaw 1 then became a parlor car known as the Lilly Belle. (named after Walt Disney's wife Lillian) This fictionalized train is in the revised, post-1971 color scheme of the Lilly Belle also has two passenger cars plus a baggage car with opening side doors. These cars all have side facing seats, as if Retlaw 1 were around and used in modified format after the 1971 overhaul of the Retlaw 1 observation car into the Lilly Belle. As a side note, each of the cars feature a removable wall for getting at the inside details, as in set 71044. The baggage car features two sliding doors in red, though other colors are an option to stand out more. (I prefer black doors, but that's not prototypical!) The side wall comes off, as it does on all the cars, to reveal seating. In this car, that means luggage room and two seats. The two coaches are identical in every way, and are also quite similar to the parlor car at first glance. The inside features side seating, as in the Disneyland park... this also allows for easier moving of figures, and placing them in any of the five seats per car. This is the stock LEGO set 71044 version of the parlor car, but I thought you guys would like to see it alongside everything else. The inside of the Lilly Belle is different than the other cars, featuring a table, three seats, and a bunch of table-top items (I couldn't find the teacups in my program, or make the flower pot work, so they are missing here!) The rear of the whole train. This train was designed with my father and his trains in mind, though he doesn't want to build them in real life. (This explains the 9v motor hooked onto the tender, as that's his preferred system) Thus I'm going to give away the LDD file for them, which you can find it at on my Bricksafe page.

A review of the first elements from the FX Track system The forthcoming FX Track system promises to restart the 9v Lego train system that was discontinued 15 years ago. Unlike modern Lego track that is all plastic, the 9v track sections had metal crimped on top of the rails to supply power to the train motors. So with the 9v system all you needed to power your train was to replace one truck with the train motor, there was no need to hide a battery box or receiver on board your train. As a result, you can build a lot smaller models than is feasible with (unmodified) PF or PUP, and do not need to worry about routing wires. This fact makes it a lot easier to build and detail six-wide locomotives. I was fortunate enough to be asked to review the forthcoming 9v FX Track elements. I received three sets of track for review on Friday, including a full circle of R72 curved track (16 segments) and one set of "2x" straight tracks, each at 32 studs long, (8 segments). My complete review took place over a few weeks, broken into several parts. As I progressed I updated this initial post, and it is now complete. [ full gallery ] Part I- First Impressions Summary of Part I The packaging is amazing The production quality of the track elements rivals the Lego 9v track The basic FX design improves on the 9v in two ways: track size noted on the end studs and added cutouts to make it even easier to attach the power leads The FX design greatly expands the geometry options: wide radius curves (R72) and double length straights (32 studs) with a promise of R88 and 1/2 length straights coming later this year. It is incredible to finally have wide radius curves for 9v trains I am coming to appreciate the advantage of double length straights Only one minor issue so far- when the R72 is assembled into a 90° turn and set loosely on the ground it exhibits a small negative cant where the inside rail lifts off the ground and is higher than the outside rail. It appears to completely flatten out when a car rolls over it or you pull it flat. I will examine this more in future parts. Figure 1-1, the unopened boxes Figure 1-2, the interior packaging of an R72 box. The slide out tray is reminiscent of Lego sets from the 1980's. Note the individual track holders and the embossed "Fx" logo on the end of the tray. Figure 1-3, a close up of the R72 track in the box Figure 1-4, another view of the R72 packaging Figure 1-5, the 32 stud "2x" straight track is similarly packed Figure 1-6, another view of the 2x straight track packaging Once opened, it was time to inspect the track elements. The production quality really stood out. Aside from the new geometry these looked like classic 9v track elements, molded in dark stone gray (I did not do a side by side color comparison, that will come in a later installment). There were a couple of unexpected details, first, at the power connection point, there are two pass through channels under the rails, allowing you to easily connect the power from either side of the track. Figure 1-7, a close up of the power connection on the R72 tracks Figure 1-8, and a similar shot on the S32 tracks While this two sided connection is not a critical feature, the fact that it was included shows the depth of thought that went into the design. This feature is more important with the longer track segments than with the short R40 and S16 track from Lego. The other detail is that the track size is clearly but discretely indicated on the last row of studs on either end of the track segment. This feature will become critical as other radii curves are released. Figure 1-9, the R72 mark Figure 1-10, the S32 mark After unboxing, I found the clutch between track segments to be a bit stronger than Lego parts, but that might just be the fact that the track is new. Regardless, it snapped together with plenty of strength and separates just fine. Here's what the track looked like out of the box Figure 1-11, the R72 top and bottom Figure 1-12, top side of an assembled R72 curve Figure 1-13, bottom side of an assembled R72 curve Figure 1-14, the S32 top and bottom When I set the assembled R72 track down to take Fig. 1-12 I noticed something odd, the inside rail seemed to be lifting off the ground. Somewhere between 1/2 plate for a 90° turn to one full plate for a 180° turn. So far this negative cant seems to be completely cosmetic. It appears to completely flatten out when a car rolls over it or you pull it flat. I will examine this more in future parts. Figure 1-15, a detail of the negative cant on the assembled R72 curve. This shot is the most extreme example I had and probably includes some lifting due to the curve being compressed. In general the lift seems to be less than 1 plate high. It does not appear to impact operations and flattens out when a train car passes over. [ full gallery ] Part II- Operational experience Summary of Part II Operational performance is better than expected In my Lego room I normally have a two track mainline of 9v track circling the room. I step over the track on my way in, and then it either skirts the wall or goes under the furniture to stay out of the way. I had to reconfigure my layout to accommodate the new curves. For this part of the review I used a roughly 10 x 10 ft square (3.2 x 3.2 m) shown in Fig. 2-1. The red switch and white S16 are all from my existing layout, while the brown R72 and purple S32 are the new Fx Tracks. The red S16 in cell A2 on the top left shows the power connector for the loop, unchanged from my normal layout. Not surprisingly, my 9v trains have always slowed down in the bottom right corner due to the long distance from the power connector and the large number of rail joints increasing the resistance. I would expect the worst performance for trains running counter clockwise coming out of the lower right curve since it is the furthest point from the power connector. Figure 2-1, the test layout used in this part. To help compensate for the distance from the power connector I used the S32 tracks leading into both approaches to the bottom right curve. So as a result, this layout should have lower drag from trains in the curves due to the wider radius track and lower power drop in the furthest corner due to the elimination of 8 rail joints. For the test train I turned to my GN Empire Builder, essentially a MOD of the Super Chief locomotives and cars. As such, this train represents a long but otherwise typical 9v train. Each engine has a single motor and NO added weight. The lead unit has a 9v light. There are total of 12 cars in the set. They are on standard 9v wheels that have been notched out to reduce friction, as per Fig. 2-2. So these cars should roll a bit better than the normal Super Chief cars. The engines and cars have seen many hours of operation, so none of the mechanical parts are new. Ordinarily this train requires three 9v train motors to run for extended periods on R40 curves. So I have two A-units and a B-unit, each with one motor. Since the Lego 9v transformer only supports two motors at a time, the train normally requires additional power. Figure 2-2, some 9v wheel sets would experience friction because there was insufficient clearance on the frame for the flanges. To solve this, other builders came up with a trick of notching out a few mm of the frame where the flanges are most likely to rub. After rebuilding the track I ran the train for at least half an hour, which helped remove any oxidation on the existing rails. The train ran fine, slowing a bit in the far corner due to the number of rail joints, while still passing the power connection at a safe and reasonable speed. My plan for this test was to use just two locomotives (the A-units) so that I could use a normal 9v train transformer and keep adding cars until the train would go too slow or stop in the far curve. This did not happen by the time I added the 12th car, but it was getting close to the limit, so I did not seek out another car to add to the consist. The simple fact that the 12 car train was able to run fine with just two locomotives shows the benefits of the wider radius curves. The following figure shows the final test train used in this part, note that the train was always in one curve and often in two. Figure 2-3, the test train used in this part I am THRILLED to finally have wide radius curves for my 9v trains. Not only do they reduce the drag on the curves, the trains simply look better on the R72 curves compared to R40's. Figure 2-4, an example of 32 stud long cars on R72 curves, a huge aesthetic improvement over R40 curves A six wide passenger car built to scale could be 52 studs long and an eight wide could be 68 studs long, they would still look a little awkward on R72 curves, but they should be able to take the curves and the Fx Track box suggest that R120 and larger radii are in the long range plans. Figure 2-5, an example of a 4-8-4 steam locomotive on the R72 curves. This engine was designed to comfortably negotiate R40 curves through the use of a sliding mechanism on the drivers, but like the cars, it looks a lot better on R72 curves. Figure 2-6, a panning shot showing the 12 car long train pulled by two locomotives passing through the curve furthest from the power connection. This video shows the test train approaching the "far curve" at full throttle (speed setting 6) and this video pans through the curve as the train passes. With 9v trains the slow speed operations are probably a greater challenge than the high speed due to the power drop of the rail joints and oxidation on the rails. I don't think I would do the following test unsupervised, because a stall could damage the motors if you do not cut power quickly, but with supervision it is interesting to see how slow the train can go with Fx Tracks. The 12 car train would start on speed setting 3 and run indefinitely. This video shows the test train approaching the "far curve" at speed setting 3 and this video pans through the curve. When I dropped to speed setting 2 it stalls in the corner furthest from the power connection. That's pretty amazing given the length of the train and distance from the power supply. I repeated these tests with the steam engine. Note that this locomotive is powered by two 9v motors, one for the pilot truck and one for the trailing truck. I had to set out three cars for it to comfortably run at a reasonable speed over ground at speed setting 6 on the transformer. One of those cars is countered by the addition of the unpowered tender, while the other two cars likely is due to increased drag from the long wheelbase of the steam engine and the added drag from the running gear. The steam engine would not start until in speed setting 4, but once moving I could drop down to speed setting 3 and it would run indefinitely. If I had a second power connection on the far side of the layout I am sure I could have dropped to speed setting 2, but that would negate an important part of this test. On the other hand, the track in the most demanding location was new and clean. So as I said already, I would not do this test unsupervised because a stall could damage the motors if you do not cut power quickly. [ full gallery ] Part III- My personal thoughts so far As I've said, I am excited to have the R72 curves, but after working with the Fx Track, I've come to two realizations that I was not expecting. First, going into this I thought that R72 curves were actually on the small side. I have several loops of large radius plastic track from at least three manufacturers. I love the look of R120 curves at shows. While the R72 is leaps and bounds better than R40, had there been a selection of 9v radii I probably would have gravitated to R104 and R120. After installing the R72 curves in my Lego room I realize that R120 would never work in my home layout. After these tests are over I plan on installing the R72 permanently on my home layout and to start lobbying my club to invest in the larger radii 9v curves. My other preconception going into this was that double length track segments would be nice, but I've got a "ton" of track already. In retrospect, by 9v standards I do have a lot of straight, but only enough to double track a 10 x 10 ft square (3.2 x 3.2 m). So that alone makes the availability of straight track enticing to me. Now the fact that it is double the length of Lego straight track means it has half as many rail joints, and so the power loss should be much less. I could see someday converting my mainline to the double straights and using the 9v Lego track for yards and sidings. Part IV (added Feb 10) Summary of Part IV Round trip time results show that the new track improves the running speed Added additional images of trains in the curve In an effort to quantify the impact of resistance (both electronic and mechanical) I undertook a study of the time it takes the test train (Fig. 2-3) to complete a loop of the test track (Fig. 2-1) with three variants: (1) as shown in Fig. 2-1, (2) replaced the S32 straight tracks each with a normal pair of S16 tracks, adding 8 track joints to the layout, and (3) replacing the R72 curves with R40 curves only in the lower right corner (the other three curves remained at R72), and adding back in four S32 segments to keep the number of track joints the same as case 2. These three variants are shown in Fig. 4-1. Figure 4-1, three variants of the "far corner" used to study the time to complete a loop of the test track For this study I used a cold start of the train under each condition. I let the train make approximately 3 loops before beginning testing. I then timed 5 consecutive loops at speed 6 followed by 5 consecutive loops at speed 3. Throughout I tallied both the individual loop times and the total loop times for the 5 loops. In all cases the individual loop times fell within a 1 sec range, most likely reflecting my reaction time. No stalling occurred and the full 12 car train was used throughout. In this case adding the 8 additional joints going from #1 to #2 added 4% to the round trip time at both speeds, then converting to R40 going from #2 to #3 (#1 to #3) added 13% (17%) for speed 6 and 21% (26%) for speed 3. Table 4-1, average time to complete a single loop of the layout at speed 6 and speed 3 (1) R72+S32 18.0 s 35.8 s (2) R72+S16 18.7 s 37.3 s (3) R40+S32 21.1 s 45.1 s Table 4-2, relative increase to case (1) or (2) at speed 6 and speed 3 (2)/(1) +4% +4% (3)/(1) +17% +26% (3)/(2) +13% +21% Next, extending Part II I have added a few more pictures. Figure 4-2, a comparison of the same train in an R40 curve and an R72 curve Figure 4-3, an example of 52 stud long cars in the R72 curve [ full gallery ] Part V (added Feb 20) Summary of Part V A deeper look at the negative cant Pre-ballasting considerations Counter-clockwise climbing of the rails For this study I revisited the negative cant. After first observing the phenomena I wrote Michael Gale about it and he replied, Your observations about the R72 "cant" is not something we have seen with R72. However, it is something we have observed with a few or our R88 iterations! We suspect it is either the result of "settling" of the product from the climate in Hong Kong vs. North America or it is accumulated stress in the metal from imperfect crimp points. I wonder if a slight twisting back and forth along the long-axis of the track might help "wiggle out" any accumulated tension in the metal/plastic crimp locations? In any case, bends and twists in Lego track items is not uncommon. I've observed this phenomenon in Lego brand track elements in both 9V and RC. Big molds such as the S32 and R72 are more expensive to tool since the mold requires water cooling channels to precisely control the cooling profile of the plastic in the mold. If the cooling is not controlled properly, then stresses accumulate in the plastic from differential temperature/solidification profiles. When resetting my layout I have one hard to reach corner under a shelf that is behind a table (I personally like a layout where the trains disappear for part of the circuit). I put a 90° segment of the R72 tracks back there and as I did, I twisted the rails a couple of times to relieve the stress. It seemed to work, but it was dark, on carpet, and I didn't feel like taking any measurements. Today I sought to quantify what I observed. My first step was laying out baseplates to ultimately pin the track down. Figure 5-1, Cant exploration Figure 5-2, With the track loose, the cant was about 1 plate in the middle of the 90° curve Figure 5-3, Pinning the track down as if I were going to ballast. Figure 5-4, I had thought that simply pinning the track down would have pulled it flat, but the 1 plate gap remained. Figure 5-5, After a bit of twisting (about 3 cycles back and forth on each segment), the cant had diminished but was still evident. Further twisting seemed to yield marginal improvements. Figure 5-6, But I had not captured all aspects of ballasting, this time I added one S16 on either end of the curve and plates over all rail joints. Figure 5-7, The cant seems to be down to about half a plate at this point. Figure 5-8, Time to get tough, I resorted to twisting the track in the opposite direction of the cant, pressing down in the middle and up on both ends (I actually used two hands to do this, but I couldn't fit the camera in my mouth to photograph it, so you'll have to imagine my right hand in the picture) Figure 5-9, That seemed to eliminate almost all of the cant, but a hint is still there. Figure 5-10, Here's an R40 on the inside for reference Figure 5-11, These R40 have been used a lot and do not show any cant I do not know what the cause is, but after spending some time working with the track I wonder if it has to do with the rail connections, the track segments are pretty flat on their own, they only arch up when connected together. As noted previously, the cant does not seem to impact operations at all. All of the testing to this point has been with the cant. I've also run several hours of other trains on the R72 without problems. In my experience the cant flattens out when a train goes over. Figure 5-12, While I had the baseplates out, I also investigated the S32. Note this layout includes a joint at the edge of a baseplate and another joint in the middle of a baseplate. This test was to make sure there was no significant accumulation of error due to the rails being a fraction of percent too small or too large. Figure 5-13, Everything tacked down good and snug, no apparent problems. Figure 5-14, With the track tacked down, I checked the clearance of typical boundaries and no conflicts were found. Next up, revisiting the possibility of climbing rail joints when running counter clockwise through curves (more details about the problems with 9v R40 curves here). Figure 5-15, 9v R40 curves risk climbing at the rail joints Figure 5-16, Test layout for climbing at rail joints. The "D" shaped loop has two 90° R72 curves and two 90° R40 curves, all with straights in between. The PF test locomotive was my worst offender for climbing R40's. After running the locomotive for about 15 min there was no complete climbing event on any of the curves, but it did "jiggle" a lot on the R40 joints. At which point I noticed that almost all of the wheels had traction bands on them (all four small wheels on the pilot truck, and all four flanged drivers). My recent experience with the Crocodile locomotive has led me to suspect the traction bands grip 9v rails better than they do the plastic rails. So I pulled all of the traction bands off except a single flanged driver. Most of the jiggle was gone when going around the curves. The pilot truck bounces on just about every R40 joint, and very occasionally on any other joint. I then ran the locomotive for another 1.5 hrs with no derailments. So my conclusion here is that the traction bands probably do exexperate the problems when running counterclockwise on R40, even without the bands I still don't think I would run counter clockwise with this locomotive on R40 curves on a raised layout. I would feel fine running counterclockwise on R72 curves (9v or plastic). [ full gallery ] Part VI (added Feb 28) Summary of Part VI power connection colors and clutch bonus track This part details my final experiments. Figure 6-1, An example using the two wire pass throughs, the Lego brand tracks only have one pass through. This allows you to use the 9v connectors from either side, which is particularly useful on the curves or double track sections. Figure 6-2, Lego RC track in the middle, between two Fx S32 to compare colors. Figure 6-3, Old gray Lego 9v track in the middle, between two Fx S32 to compare colors. After comparing the colors I did a spot check of clutch using 2x4 bricks comparing Fx S32 against Lego RC S16. This test was purely subjective and I found no difference in the clutch from both the top and bottom of the track segment. I repeated on the R32's, again I did not find a difference. Figure 6-4, With the formal experiments complete, I reassembled my layout (note plastic ME R88's standing in for future Fx and rare metal ME S8 in the shot). It is really nice to have the wider radius curves in the layout. The straight segments are a bit shorter but the curves are so much better. Figure 6-5, The surprise bonus of the conversion are the 40 segments of S16 made surplus from the addition of the new curves (4 per 90° of R72 and 6 per 90° of R88). [ full gallery ] Closing thoughts (added Feb 28) I suspect the primary customers for this first round (and probably 2nd and 3rd rounds) of the new 9v track will be people who already have 9v trains. As someone with 9v, the wide radius curves are AMAZING. These early rounds are not enough of a system to lure a plastic track builder over to metal rails, nor are they meant to be. Power pickup wheels will probably be the gateway to the plastic track folks. If you can charge your batteries from the track while running or when sitting on a siding, that will entice some to invest in a bit of 9v straight track. Once there, the prospect of charging while running with half a loop of 9v track will become enticing and before you know it, you might want to (literally) close the loop and buy track powered motors. Each successive round will bring this closer to being a complete system, but each round depends on the success of the rounds before it to provide the development costs. I think it is amazing that Michael is so transparent with his costs. Now it is up to the market to decide. The prices are not to be sneezed at, but if you need 9v parts the prices are very reasonable. And if you need wide radius 9v, they are the only mass produced option to date. If you still run 9v and your space is wider than 30 inches (77 cm) the new Fx wide radius curves are a no brainer. It is nice to have the option of new 9v straight track and as noted above, the reduction in rail joints also reduces the resistance. Beyond the reduction in joints, the new straights do not add a new geometry, but back in the day I never seemed to have enough straight track. If you have a ton of plastic track and PF/PU trains, wait and see what develops. Perhaps 9v might never be for you. It would likely take a future killer app to lure you in, e.g., power pickups for charging on part of the loop or while parked on a siding, or DCC for more extensive control. If you run PF and have not yet made the jump to PU, it might be worth holding off making a large investment in PU to see what develops with the Fx 9v system. Similarly, if you are just getting into Lego trains and you do not like the hassle of batteries or hiding the battery box in your builds, it might be worth holding off making a large investment in plastic track and see what develops with the Fx 9v system. The cost of the S32 are comparable to used S16 at current bricklink prices. Dark blay S16: new $7.50, used $4.75 Dark gray S16: new $8.00, used $4.20 Dark blay S32 new: $8.75 (or $4.40 per 16 studs) I believe set 4515 (8x straight rails) was $16 ($20.50 today) when it was discontinued in 2007, but brickset has it listed as $13 ($16.75 today). Putting the price for new S16 from Lego between $2.10 and $2.60. So the Fx are about twice the price of what Lego sold the rails for. But Lego was losing money on the metal track when it was discontinued, so Michael has recreated an expensive production system on a much smaller scale and is still able to retail for a fair price. Of course what is fair and what one is willing to pay is a personal matter that varies by individual. Each 90° curve conversion from R40 to R72 frees up four S16, that's 16 straight track segments per loop. Converting from R40 to R88 increases that to six and 24, respectively (net of 200" or 16'8" or 5.1 m). With my double track main line that frees up 40 straight track segments. So the R72 conversion frees up 16*$4.20 = $67.20 in used straight track and the R88 conversion frees up another 24*$4.20 = $100.80. Assuming you do not expand your footprint, after the conversion the straight segments are a bit shorter but the curves are so much better. [ full gallery ] Pricing and availability (added Feb 14) Fx has provided information on pricing and availability, available here. R88 impressions (added Aug 22) I preordered a loop of R88 for myself as soon as the ordering window opened. Note that a loop of R88 is roughly twice the cost of a loop of R72 because the number of track segments in R88 is double those in R72 (90° takes 4x R72 or 8x R88). On the other side of the cost equation, the R88 saves you an additional 8x S16 compared to R72 on a loop of the same size. I got my R88 loop and installed it this past week. It is amazing to see my 50 stud long cars remain over the track on the curves. But anyone could have guessed that, grin. The other thing I noticed is that I still have a large power drop on my roughly 8'x8' (2.5m x 2.5m) layout, which is NOT a surprise since it is simply a function of the number of rail joints. As someone with surplus 9v parts, I fished out several 1m long 9v extension cables from my collection and added another power connection on the far side of the layout. Aside from dealing with a bad cable the solution went smoothly and the trains barely slow down anywhere on the loop. Even with R88 I do not feel comfortable going above the 5th notch (out of 6) on the Lego transformer, the train is simply moving too fast. The need for additional power connection points should not be overlooked. This issue is simply a function of the 9v system due to the relatively large resistance at the track joints. In that respect the S32 will help you build bigger with fewer power connection points. In any event, my loop has 80-90 track segments in it, so I would estimate that I would need another power connection for every 40-50 track segments in the loop. Of course the exact number of segments might vary depending on the weight and drag of your trains.

You can find a sneak preview od the 3D printed sample on our IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLAKIt3B0PG/ Performance is around 10% faster RPM and torque compared to the 5292 motor (cca 20% more power). The polyfuse protection will be increased from 0,9 A to around 1,35 A - still testing the balance between performance and longetivity. Improved attachment possiblities, everything fits as it should in the studless building system The final version color will be between LGB and DBG. It will come with a 30 cm long PF cable plug, so it's compatible with BuWizz 2.0 and PF. Preorder here: https://buwizz.com/shop/buwizz-motor/ More info when it becomes available.

The Glacier Express with Panorama Carriages (Stadler Rail) - one of the world`s most beautiful and mopst famous trains - is now part of my train collection! The GEX has been on my wish list for many, many years. And now, this train dream has come true - what a great feeling! This train evokes so many memories, not the least our GEX journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt in First class some years ago, a fabulous experience with breathtaking sceneries and a superb service onboard. My Glacier Express is built 7-wide and consists of: a Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) locomotive type HGe 4/4 II with two 9V engines and a length of 40 studs, four Panorama Carriages First class (Rhätische Bahn) with a length of 46 studs each, a Dining Carriage (RhB) with two 9V engines and a length of 46 studs. The total train length is approx. 2,3 meters and the total weight amounts to approx. 3,8 kg. All beams are strengthened with supermagnets. To build this train has been a journey with multiple challenges, not the least all the decals. Special thanks to Knivsta Tryckeri, our local printing house, for their superb support! And thank you also to Selander for his inspiring advice during this project. And this is what my Glacier Express looks like: And this is what the Glacier Express looks like in reality: PS: The Glacier Express is a registered trademark.

So I was thinking about using some parts in ways they weren't meant or in a unique way. But I found something much better than that. THE LEGO 9V SYSTEM. I saw connectors that are stackable on bricklink. Could you connect them in a way so the result is a parallel or series connection? Just think about the possibilities. Like 18 volt to a motor or not having to change the batteries in your set for double the time. You could also take the rechargeable battery boxes and make a fake and at the same time totally Lego buwizz clone. And it would perform even better. If I'm right the buwizz can supply 11.4v while a rechargeable battery box can supply 7.5v so 7.5v*2=15v! Please tell me that this theory is true. Edit: Ok I found it the names are plate with contacts. I found it on bricklink.

So I bought an rcx 2.0 and have some power functions extension cables that can also convert between PF and 9v. If I would connect PF to an rcx would it work?

I have an android smartphone with an ir blaster and the rcx uses ir so can I control it with my smartphone? If I have to use some specific tools or need to do something complicated so it'll work I can.

I can't seem to find anything about this elsewhere, so I'm going to ask here directly. Are there any disadvantage of using the older, 9v battery pack (4760c01) that took one 9v cell to run power functions receivers and motors instead of the current, 6x AAA battery pack (87513)? I know it will require a converter cable, but from my view it looks as though a 9v battery pack would be better as it is smaller (in height) and available in more colours than just DBG, so easier to hide in 4-wide MOCs and such. Will this have lower power or current output to the motors, or discharge faster? Is it suitable for use in train MOCs, considering mine won't need to run very far or for very long? I was intending on using it with a rechargeable 9v cell or two, how often would I need to swap one out and recharge it? I'm trying to decide whether or not buying one, and a converter cable, is a good idea. (Or I could try bashing together a PF cable and 9v battery clip perhaps, like this.) Thanks in advance for any help!

How to: Fix frayed wire on Lego 9v track connector Materials: Frayed wire New wire Heat shrink crimp connectors Heat shrink tubing Wire strippers Razor blade Lighter or heat gun Step 1: Cut wire between track connector and ferrite core (black cylinder), cutting as close to the ferrite core as possible. Step 2: Cut wire at similar length on the controller end. Step 3: Strip back rubber insulation from controller end, track connector, and new wire. Step 4: Crimp wires together, sliding the heat shrink crimps as close to the connector as possible. DO NOT FORGET TO SLIDE HEAT SHRINK TUBING ON, IF YOU ARE USING IT. (I forgot for one half) Step 5: Use lighter or heat gun to melt shrink tubing, again sliding the heat shrink as close to the connector as possible. Step 6: Repeat for wire between track connectors if needed Step 7: Test *Disclaimer* There may be a better way to do this. I simply used what I had to fix the problem. No guarantees that this will work for you. Thanks for reading and hope this helps someone, Unfinished_Projects

Addendum to “Electrify your train switches” Dear all, much has been said and shown about ways to electrify LEGO 9V/PF train switches. Along with the EB electrify your train switches thread and some other posts on EB and elsewhere there hardly is anything interesting to add. But then … as said before, I am just wrapping up more than a decade of years of fun with my train layout. My switch electrification approach is far less driven by achieving “to scale modeling” or “most elegant solutions”, it is governed by “using as many diverse LEGO motors as possible” on a more or less standardized and simple drive base design “using as little parts as possible”. I simply like to make efficient use of the stuff in my LEGO boxes – since there are about 30 switch points on my layout. There are a couple of my personal design lines: Since some areas of the layout are rather “dense”, the footprint of the drive mechanism should be as small as possible A clearance that is a little greater as compared to the original configuration with the manual switch stand installed. The reason is that some of my rolling stock MODs/MOCs have a fairly large “overhang” in curves and thus need some additional clearance when passing switch points The switch drive should not fall apart even after prolonged operation as almost half of my tracks are hidden behind bookshelves and other furniture. No modification of the switch – this means that the force required to throw the switch is often considerable. The rendering below shows one very simple base design for my switch drives. It consists of a couple of Technic as well as plain bricks and plates. The rendering is already 5 years old – time is flying. This particular drive mechanism has one serious disadvantage: Operated with the full torque of the PF motors (e.g. with the PF bang-bang remote #8885) it falls apart after five or so cycles. This issue is rather easily overcome, when the torque of the driving motor is adjusted via power control and pulse timing using a programmable brick as for example an RCX or Scout. It took me ages to figure out how to accomplish that: Adjust the length (e.g. 0.3 s) and the power (on LEGO’s 0 – 7 range) for the motor “on” state. This LDraw file contains all the above varieties; the individual sub models combine to any of the drives shown. (Note that you may need to install the unofficial LDraw library as of 2016 to correctly load the files). Alternatively, paying more careful attention to the original EB switch point electrification thread entry (https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/44821-electify-your-train-switches/&page=3) would have told me that Jonathan uses his NXT to do exactly that – and for long! The switch is thrown by a lever, which fits into the space between the two mounts for the manual switch stand. By small variations of the actual gear configuration, almost all typical LEGO motors can be attached. The geared varieties [e.g., PF M motor (#8883), Technic mini motor (#71427, #43362), Technic motor geared (#47154), or even the Mindstorms MicroScout PBrick (#32344] are driving the lever with none or low additional gearing ratios; the ungeared Technic motor (#2838) requires higher gear ratios to work properly. The advantage of this drive design is the footprint (as measured on the floor, not height!), which is 3(x6) studs for clearance and 5(x6) studs for the base = 8(x6) studs. The picture below shows two MicroScouts on the bridge operating the two switch points on the right. There are light fibers plugged into the MicroScout’s light sensors; these do transmit the VLL code generated by a Scout PBrick (not visible) to control them. MicroScouts operating as “intelligent motors” for switch drives are fun. The “forward/reverse” “switch” is somewhat unique: When the MicroScout is put into “P” mode it pays careful attention to its built-in light sensor. In this mode, the MicroScout understands some VLL (LEGO’s Visible Light Link protocol) commands such as “motor on forward” etc. In other words you can operate the switch using optical signals from a VLL source. The rendering below shows a Scout controller operating 4 MicroScout switch drives. This version of a switch drive has the smallest depth I could come up with to securely operate unmodified switch points: I used that one on my layout here: Here is the link to the LDraw file. In the mean time I have slightly modified the “RailBricks #9 challenge” drive (a number of ingenious train experts have contributed to this one – see the "Challenge reveal" article by Benn Coifman in RailBricks #12, page 37) and reduced the size to 5-wide at the base. This drive never falls apart, regardless how much torque is exerted on the driving axle. The design is simply amazing! I have retrofitted almost all of my switch points with this version. When a MicroScout is operating the drive, it should be oriented such that you can easily get access to the buttons (on/off, select, run). There are several drive versions to attach the MicroScout in such way that is does not interfere with the required clearance on the point and good access to the buttons. Here are some real world examples: This folder contains all LDraw files Best regards, Thorsten

Hi all, I recently picked up an old bundle of 9v stuff and I'm a bit stuck with son power issues and hope someone can help. I'm a 12v guy so I'm a bit lost! ?. The transformer seems to work. I can't get any power to the track. If I connect a cable from the transformer to the motor directly it works fine (or seems to anyway). When I connect the track connector cable to the track it just won't work. I've tried cleaning the track etc. Also, if I leave the normal 9v cable connected to the motor and then place it on the track with the track connector attached it cuts the power to the motor. Does that make sense to anyone? Haha. Hope someone can help as I'm baffled. Cheers!

After many years of dreams, reflections, planning (starting Winter 2011/12), testing (starting fall 2013) and finally building (starting spring 2014), this project has finally crossed the finish line - probably one of the world's most extreme and most challenging layouts for Lego Train 9V! An indescribable feeling, great satisfaction and relief - and what a fantastic experience! First some introductory remarks: This is not a "usual" but rather a conceptual layout with analogue power supply and -management, without landscapes and buildings (except one train station). A particularly sophisticated construction with four themes: a one-track vertical climb, two double-track climbing spirales, a double-track high-level track 2.16 m above floor level and a rail yard. The layout is intended for Lego trains equipped with standard Lego 9V train engines. It is built with standard Lego 9V rails and points, some of which are modified. So are all four 9V Train Speed Regulators. With the help of points, the layout can be segmented into four sections (Loop A - D) which make it possible to run four trains simultaneously, independent of each other, with up to ten engines each. However, this requires more hands... To avoid/prevent spontaneous decoupling, all my trains are equipped with super magnets. I also would like to take this opportunity and thank all of you who have contributed with support, valuable advice, and encouragement during all these years. Without all this help, this project would have remained just a dream. And this is how it looks like: More pictures, facts and videos will be added to the first entry of this thread Addendum # 1: Technical Data and Details: Track lengths: Total track length (incl.sidings and dead-ends): approx. 173 m Total "Tour" length (from start to start): approx. 105 m Loop A (High-level track 1/High-speed track): approx. 32 m Loop B (High-level track 2): approx. 29 m Loop C (Climbing-wall from level 85 to traverse on level 175): approx. 46 m Loop D (Level 50 and level 85): approx. 21 m Rails: 949 straight, 263 curved and 37 modified (4, 8, 10 and 12 straight) Points: 13 standard points (whereof 3 are operated electrically) 6 crossover points (4) 11 half-curve points (1) Track Design Program: Track Designer Application (R) version 2.0 by Matthew D. Bates (Matt's LEGO (R) Train Depot) Electrics/Electronics: 1 Power Supply Unit VOLTCRAFT EP-925, 3-15 V(DC), max. 25A 4 modified Train Speed Regulators (4548) with LM350T regulators, 3A diodes, outside heatsinks (with a thermal resistance of 1.9 K/W), mini-fans and digital thermometers to measure temperatures inside the boxes 4 Control-boxes to operate 12 points electrically. The boxes are equipped with "memory-sticks" to memorize the position of each point since these are out of reach and sight. 12 PF Medium engines mounted on the electrically operated points 52 Power connections to rails 1 Control-box to selectively turn on/turn off 11 power connections Approximately 1000 m cable whereof approx. 850 m RK cable 1.5 square mm Märklin pins and sleeves 1 LED strand (4 m) with dimmer 1 IR-thermometer to measure heatsink temperatures Construction: 7 levels: Rail yard level (50 cm above floor level) Train station level (85) U-curve level 1 (115) U-curve level 2 (145) U-curve level 3 (175) Eaves level (195) Top-level (216) Max. gradient: 83 per thousand (The gradients are built in such a way that all trains can manage to get uphill and downhill with adhesion, i.e. without cogwheels). Min. clearance: approx. 12 cm Train shelves: Shelf system: Algot (IKEA) 15 train shelves type A (102x11x1.6 cm), 8 straight/shelf 27 train shelves type B (166x11x2 cm), 13 straight/shelf 12 train shelves type C (217x11x2 cm), 17 straight/shelf all train shelves are strengthened with 22x45 mm wood strips All in all 54 train shelves with a total length of 86 m (678 straight) and 108 railway buffers 2 "Trains-in-Transit" (TIT) Trolleys (Algot) Room dimensions: 5.5 x 7.3 m Occupied floor space (incl. train shelves): approx. 9 square m Construction materials: Wood (45x45 mm) and wood strips (22x42 mm) MDF boards (6 and 10 mm) Glass shelves (6 mm) Polycarbonate strips (3 mm) and rivets Cable conduits Steel cords (3 mm) with wire locks Perforated plates and angle irons Cable ditches and cabling towards cable terminal Cable terminal Power supply unit and cable terminal box Control center Addendum # 2: More pictures with some of my MOCs Glacier Express with Matterhorn in the background Trans Europ Express (TEE) "Rheingold" and TEE-VT 11.5 in alpine environment Swiss "Crocodile" (10183) with heavy RhB cargo transport in the steepest part of the entire track - a gradient of 83 permille! "Uppsalapendeln" in the midst of the Swiss Alps - imagine if this were for real .... Emerald Night on its way up to the mountains Track Cleaning Train at Knivsta Station - ready for new missions Track Maintenance Train on its way for a new mission Addendum #2A: Train shelves "Trains-in-Transit" (TIT) Trolleys with two Maersk and one TTX Train section(s) ready for transit Addendum #3: Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47CqLOQKGLM&t=10s

Since i cant testdrive my newest speedracer because of the rainy weather, i decided to clean up my "in progress moc corner" and found this: A as small as possible electric doubleswitch, wich you can use, to control 2 different motors with the same RC output. You can simply select wich one you wanna use. At the same time you can use it to control a gearbox, or output-selector, as you can see in the video. The idea to invent this, was, to realise as much functions as possible in a rc-model, with a limited amount of receivers (in my case just 1 RC-unit). You can use the auxilary output of the RC-unit to control the micromotor, and thus switch between 2 different functions ( for example drive and a pneumatic compressor). The output-selector can be used, to switch for example a servormotors output between steering and pneumatic-switch. "Why so complicated, you could just use the auxilary output for the compressor" -> well... you could do that and beeing limited to the auxilary current limits (~500mA). Also you wont have the gearbox/output-selector then ;) While using this, you can power your compressor (or what ever you want) with the "unlimited" power of the RC-units buggy-motor-output. AND fine-controll it with the 3-step forward, 3-step-reverse-control. It is also possible to control this with the RC-units steering output instead of the micromotor... like that you still have the auxillary-output free for use. How it works: The trick here, is to angle the 2 switches axles by 60 degres (45 would be perfect, but this is ok ;)). But you need to try the right 60 degres angle... only 1 position works, otherwhise you will have 1 motor switched on in one position, and 2 motors beeing on in the other position. The gearbox/ output-selector in the video can be simplified a lot, this is just to show, how it could work. I am pretty sure, there are some more things you could do with it... also with regular power functions ;)

What block and programing I must use, to properly handle management of 5119-1 9V Micromotor, and others ?!!

This was an experiment of automation of a tramway line with an old LEGO RCX brick: All sensors and cables are 100% LEGO. There are 8 light sensor, 4 (two couples, one couple for station and one for switch zone) on input 1 and 4 on input 2. 3 output, output A (station 1 - switch), output B (station 2 - switch) and output C (switch zone). Everything is handled by NQC program

Greetings all. Recently, I have decided to make the painful decision of selling my 9V collection. It hurts a bit to sell all these wonderful things, but for the last year they haven't done much except sit in a drawer. They deserve better than that. Listing: Basically, what I did was took the lowest BrickLink price for any given article and cut a bit more off. I'm not interested in making a massive profit off of these. I'll settle for an even 3,400.00 EUR, shipping costs on me. Trains would be shipped worldwide via FedEx, UPS, DHL, or any courier of your choice available in Poland or the UK (pickup also available in these two countries). Not everything on the pictures is listed, but everything in the picture (LEGO-wise) is included. Additionally, as I'm cleaning the room in which the LEGO are in (it's quite a big room, about 45-50 square meters, and it's filled with stuff so it won't take a short while), I'm more than willing to send free-of-charge anything else I can find from my collection (I'm pretty sure there were about 5 9V motors lying around somewhere). I am also including a folder with this collection. The folder contains instruction booklets in EXCELLENT condition for most of the models. All the instruction booklets for the Santa Fe sets are in there in mint condition, as well as the certificate of authenticity for the limited edition (please note that the other one is not limited edition). The folder also contains all the spare parts from the Santa Fe car sets, so conversions are possible. Feel free to email message me about any inquiries regarding this collection. If you want I can put it up for a private auction on eBay (I'd rather avoid doing so because of the fees). *Note - the Metroliner is counted as 2 sets, but one is incomplete. As you can see from the picture, what I have is the Metroliner and 2 additional cars. The cars came from 2 incomplete Metroliner sets (one contained the engine and the car, the other contained an incomplete engine and the car, only the incomplete engine survived and is seen on the picture). I've basically listed the Metroliner and 2 incomplete sets as 2 complete sets (2 engines, 3 cars). *Note - one of the cargo train locomotives is a custom. I ordered it by accident from BrickLink (didn't read the description). It's a bit shorter than the original, and it doesn't have the undercarriage mechanics, although this is easy to add. It still comes with a working 9V motor.

'ME-Models' markets metal tracks that substitute Lego's official 9-volt track, and 4D-Brix reproduces 9-volt monorail substitute parts (including track, motors, plus battery packs) as well, so why has nobody stepped up to the plate and tried to recreate/mass produce motorized 9-volt train bogies/trucks (serial number 590/70358)? A mint one currently goes for as much as 70 USD and used ones go for almost 40 USD, which is ridiculous since that's enough money to buy me food for a week.

Some years ago, I built a coal train with @HoMas Express Steam Locomotive BR10. Later I learned that this locomotive was primailiy used for long express trains like the Riviera Express. Recently, I decided to go for a Garratt Steam Locomotive which was mainly used for heavy freight trains in southern Africa and Australia. The choice fell on a Garratt designed by Tony Sava and built by @LeifSpangberg. This spectacular locomotive needed some modifications in order to cope with the challenges in my track, in particular humps. The train consists of ten fully loaded coal wagons, equipped with eight 9V engines. And this is what it looks like:

I just got finished replacing the tie bars for my P40 Switch Track from Fx Bricks. It gave me an opportunity of looking pretty closely at the switch itself and I started wondering how it turned off power on the inactive pathway. I just didn't see a way. At first I thought the Switch Rail's connection may somehow depend on if it's switched or not, but it was backwards from that. So, tonight I powered the track up and switched back and forth. And, at all times, both the diverging route and the straight route were powered. (Yes, if I pulled the jumper, there was no power on the diverging route at all times regardless of how the switch was positioned which is not a solution.) So, how would you have a siding for a train if it's always powered regardless of how the switch is positioned? The only possible way I can think of is this switch requires DCC so the train itself knows when it can go or not. I really hope I have something wrong because if I don't, then the P40 Switch Track is not compatible with 9v trains. Yes, it can deliver power, but it can't shut it off if the path is not active. Think of a yard ladder. Every lane would be powered at all times. There's no stopping trains then. All of the trains would be moving. Please let me know I'm missing something because if I'm not I spent a lot of money for nothing that I can use and I'm stuck with Lego's switches for a long time to come. (Yes, I'm stuck on 9v and happy with it, but trying to improve it.) ------ Later addition ----- Ok, I just reread the FAQ that's included in the product guide: >Does changing the switch route also switch the electrical power to the route? >No. The P40 switch does not switch the electrical power between the straight and diverging routes. Both routes are "live" and their corresponding rails are connected together. Then how would you have a siding to park a train? Or a yard ladder with multiple trains parked? All of the track would be powered at all times. Are they assuming DCC for everything? -Corey

The Orient Express has always been one of my absolute favorite trains, with all its history and fame. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to travel with this iconic and mythic luxury train that celebrated its 100th anniversary a couple of years ago. However, to create this spectacular MOC and watch it moving up and down my 9V extreme track is a decent compensation, to put it least ... My Orient Express consists of a steam locomotive with tender, a restaurant coach, two sleeping coaches and a baggage coach. The locomotive has some similarities with the legendary french Class 241-A express steam locomotive which appeared on France's rails in the early Thirties and pulled heavy express trains in the golden period of train travel before WWII. In those days, the Orient Express was operated by "Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens", a company founded by Georges Nagelmackers from Belgium. Back to my MOC and some technical details: The locomotive and tender are built 8-wide, with a total length of approx. 60 studs. The electric headlights are connected to a 9V battery in the tender. Each coach is 7-wide and 48 studs long. The train has a total length of approx. 2.1 meters. This OE is equipped with six 9V engines: two on the tender and two on each sleeping coach. Like for many of my other wagons carrying "coal", I have used a piece of net stockings to prevent "coal" from dropping off. Quite amazing tu use and classify net stockings as Lego train accessories ... Last but not least, I would like to thank Selander for all his advice and support. Much appreciated! And this is what my Orient Express looks like: Bon Voyage! Addition: Shortly after finishing my own OE, I watched the movie "Murder on the Orient Express" with Kenneth Branagh acting as Hercules Poirot (2017). Nice pictures of and breathtaking scenes with the classic Orient Express! All of a sudden appeared a coach at the end of the train that I haven't seen before: a lounge coach with a porch! I decided right away to build this coach as well, and this is what it looks like - crowded, incl. piano player and waiter: My wife and myself. This is what the extended train looks like with five coaches, eight 9V engines - and my wife & myself on the porch, enjoying and toasting to the magnificent views over the Alps and over My Own Lego World! Finally, we got the opportunity to travel aboard this magic train! Cheers!

It's finally finished! Luas full length Luas is the tram here in Dublin, and I've been wanting to build one for a long time. I started about a year ago, when I got the general concept for the cars figured out, but then abandoned it for a while. Sometimes the inspiration just isn't there... Anyway, over the past few weeks I figured out the cabin, the connections between the sections, improved the doors, which required a different way of doing the roof.... One thing I decided right at the start is that I wanted to do the micro-stripe yellow above the purple. The first idea was to use brackets (1x2/2x2 and 1x2/2x4) and you can still see those in the middle section. Luas middle section However for the outer sections I had to change the concept, as the plate part of the brackets got in the way of the sideways built doors. I ended up using flags, but getting enough of them in yellow and in the old mold (the clip is slightly different in the newer ones, and unfortunately Bricklink doesn't differentiate) was not easy. It's powered by a 9V train motor in the middle and it can manage the tight curves: Luas inside curve It does have a bit of an overhang, so don't park close to the tracks ;-) Figuring out the shape of the 'dressed up' bogies was not easy, despite the simplicity of the final design. Getting the bodie shape around them was even harder. The connectors between sections were another headache that's gone through umpteen different designs. In reality they're an accordion-type structure which is impossible in Lego. So I needed something that would keep the sections close on the straights, and would allow the tram to go around standard curves without showing a big ugly gap. For transport it also had to be easy to take the sections apart and for reliable running the connection has to have some flex when the track isn't perfectly level. I managed to do all of that:

Hi all, I've got something cool to share with you. I've been planning how to tackle my next 9v layout where I want to control multiple trains on a interconnected set of loops. On a regular 9v layout, you cannot do that. This is my solution: It's a 9v motor with the motor taken out, feeding into a bridge rectifier (into the A/C connectors) so that the output polarity is always the same. Then from there it goes into a step-up converter set to 10v output (track power is ~12v, but a bit lower on the frog). From the step-up converter it's connected to both a TCS KA3 keep alive and a PFx Brick. The keep alive ensures that the PFx Brick stays powered (and keeps the motors running) if power suddenly cuts out very briefly. Let me explain why that is important: For the reversing loop I'm using a TCS dual frog juicer. Basically, the "loop" part of the reversing loop is an isolated section of track, which we'll call the frog. You connect track power to the dual frog juicer input and connect the output to the frog. When the train drives from normal track onto the frog and the polarity of the frog is "the wrong way round", then it will automatically switch the polarity of the frog. This happens very fast, but it's enough of a delay when going into the bridge rectifier and then into the PFx Brick that the PFx Brick shuts off and turns on again, effectively stopping the train. That's where the keep alive comes in! Demonstration: (watch the indicator LED change between red/green, this means polarity gets switched) https://bricksafe.com/files/SystemTrains/lego-dcc-train-concept/video 1.mp4 https://bricksafe.com/files/SystemTrains/lego-dcc-train-concept/video 2.mp4 In the demonstration I used a PF remote. For my layout I'm going to be using Vincent Vergonjeanne's fantastic piece of software to control the PFx Brick with a Powered Up remote using bluetooth. That way I can control every train even when they are going through a tunnel for example. Here is the full post about the software: [link] I hope you found this interesting :) Thanks to Lazarus992 for the tutorial on how to open up and remove the 9v motor

Hello, May i present my 9V bar layout, features some of my sets from the 90s, some lightly modded, and some bridges i made. Train delivers drinks to guests at parties.