2010 Train Sets

[Brickthus]

Actually...it's not a lie. It's just slightly incorrect. The actual issue was not the mold that molded the plastic portion of the track. It was the machine that crimped the metal rails to the plastic track. That was the machine that broke and the one that was deemed to expensive to fix.

Now, as for the new sets. We know they will be PF as the RC line has been discontinued. As to whether they will use gearing (ala Emerald Night) or the PF Train motor remains to be seen. Either way, I would urge all of you to support the line regardless. You have to look at the Train sets as a 'box of elements'. I recently purchased the RC Cargo Train because it came with a number of rare elements in rare colors that are useful for building trains. I built the set per the instructions, played with it a bit to see what it was like, and now I will be tearing it down and MOC-ing it. For me....that's what LEGO Trains are about. The MOC are (90% of the time) going to be way cooler than what LEGO produces. That's what made the Hobby Train so awesome! It was a box of 'train specific' elements for MOC-ing.

As for people not wanting to buy multiple Emerald Night's to get additional coaches. Why is this??? The price/element ratio for that set is <$0.10/piece and it comes with almost exclusively rare colors!!! What other set gives you that much Dark Green???? Plus...you get MORE STEAM WHEELS. I bought five or six of the Emerald Night, built one engine, four coaches, and parted the rest into my collection. My wife is now using a lot of the pieces in her MOC's to add a splash of rare color. Yes, I know to get a train with an engine and five coaches, you will spend $500...but look at how expensive model railroading is. We actually get off pretty cheap.

Finally, I'm going to rant a bit here regarding the LEGO Train Community. I said this to the round-table at Brickworld and I will say it here. I love you guys and you're all my friends...but 9V is dead and it's not coming back. Deal with it. Move on. No amount of complaining or pining for it will bring it back. If you want to stay all 9V on your layout...by all means do it, but understand it will be expensive and you are running a system no longer supported. If you're just getting into trains, I suggest you jump in to PF with both feet. There is a LOT of flexibility in that system if we all start being creative. I guess I'm just tired of the community bashing LEGO for making a decision that helped them remain profitable in a time when they were in financial turmoil. It was something that had to be done. Yes, I miss the 9V stuff...but aside from the motor and track...everything else is the same with PF trains. And we've demonstrated that the new PF trains can EASILY pull as much (actually MORE) than the old 9V system if the train is designed properly. The system isn't as bad as everyone thinks.

LEGO Trains will always be a small portion of TLG's business. I'd love to see them grow in popularity, but I'm being realistic. It's up to us in the Train community to take the elements that LEGO gives us and build the amazing creations we desire.

I'll name drop here a little: John Neal, Cale Leiphart, Tony Sava, Mark Bellis, Swoofty, Scott Wardlaw, Brian Williams, Holger Matthes, Tim Gould, and others I'm forgetting. All of these people are pushing the boundaries of LEGO Trains without needing sets to necessarily be released. They are all building amazing MOC's that are an inspiration to the community.

Check out the Flickr LEGO Train Pool...you won't be sorry. Do we really need sets? No...I think we just need elements and a good dose of creativity.

-Dave

Thanks for the name drop Dave

I suggest that trains are more likely to use the PF train motor, as it's easier for a younger customer. That is where I would urge caution that might counter some of the "supporting the line regardless". I have found the PF train motor to be geared too highly for AFOL trains. It's fine for kids who enjoy driving trains as if they were Scalextric cars (flying off at every corner) but it doesn't have the same controllability as the 9V train motor. When I bought the PF train motors I did so without prejudice - I wanted to cerify that they were a drop-in replacement for the 9V train motor. I'm disappointed for the whole AFOL community that they are not.

This leaves AFOLs with primarily PF XL-motor powered steam trains (like Emerald Night) and dual PF medium-motor powered diesels (one motor per bogie, mounted vertically on the bogie to avoid torque steer, the whole rotating within the loco body). This is a considerable design philosophy change for AFOL trains, not insurmountable, just inconvenient. We need to petition for the PF train motor to have the same gearing as the 9V train motor, such that it is a drop-in replacement. The PF LiPo battery and IR receiver work well with two 9V train motors in the loco, so why not? Comparison between the PF train motor and the 9V train motor is something I asked of Ben, but unfortunately he's dismantled the train test rig If it were not for this one mess by TLG, I'd be with you in saying the system isn't as bad as people think.

My reasons for pushing the boundaries:

- I'm an engineer, both by trade and by character! It's one of my roles in the community.

- Someone needs to sort out the PF system to facilitate AFOLs buying into it. I want to get us to the stage where we're as happy with PF as we have been with 9V, and it takes work to adapt.

- My trains are bigger than many people build, so I have to be sure the power capability and reliability are there, in order to exhibit PF trains.

- I have a couple of crossovers, one of which I've motorised with pneumatics, but I need to use PF trains in the yard because of it. That delays my railway layout completion for exhibition. I hope there isn't another similar hiatus before I've completed it in a few years' time!

I have found some really positive things about PF trains:

- The battery is easily as good as its price tag. It works really well and will drive 2 motors easily.

- The lights are the most versatile we've ever had and they fit in smaller spaces and are brighter than their predecessors. I was privileged to help design them (Philo, Stefan and I sat round a table one night in Billund and drew the ideal light, designing it to fit into other bricks. The only compromise from that design was that the wire had to be incapable of being pulled out, which meant the light couldn't go right through a beam hole). Now I make circuits to set them automatically to the train's direction and keep them on when the train stops.

- The electric parts may be placed where we wish, unlike the RC train chassis.

- The IR receivers are becoming more versatile, with 4 extra channels (usable by NXT IR messages). They can also be cascaded to get 128 bidirectional channels, even without the extension.

There's just the PF train motor power to sort out, but those who have built with 9V train motors can continue with those motors for a while yet.

BTW for permanent public exhibition (e.g. discovery centres), a little bird told me that in constant use a life of 3 months is expected from PF train motors, with the track lasting 9 months. That is with 6-wide trains. Bear in mind that AFOLs would do two 8-hour days at a show, so motors should last for 45 shows and track for 135.

Mark

[Piranha]

The

in that link is great too!

That video is awesome! Thanks for sharing it!!

In the US, LEGO trains are in the big stores such Toy R US. They sell out quickly though, so you can never find them. :(

Really? I stand corrected Still they could be more common, and like you said, they sold quickly, possibly meaning they are popular.

[Duq]

Do NOT post confidential/ prelim pics directly.

You can link to them, but not post them.

Thanks!

Apologies, I wasn't aware of that rule...

[Holodoc]

I had a look at the prelim pic.

Nothing to be too exited about! It's a push train.

Good for younger kids who liked Toy story, but definitely nothing special for AFOLs.

It seems as if there are not even rails coming with that set.

The set could be good as parts pack, though.

[frogstudio]

After lookingat the prelim pic, I don't think or see this as part of the Train theme. It's just part of the Toy Story theme, as was the train in the Harry Potter line. The idea wouldn't be bad... Give kids push trains from licensed themes and AFOLS REAL moving trains.

[Duq]

If this set means more and younger children start with trains then it can only be a good thing for us as it would mean more train sales in the long term.

Big difference with the Hogwarts Express: this one looks like a steam engine! This may well turn out to be a cheaper way to get your hands on some large drivers and a bunch of other train parts than the Emerald Night. And for American train builders that cow catcher must be a welcome new part?

[frogstudio]

If this set means more and younger children start with trains then it can only be a good thing for us as it would mean more train sales in the long term.

Big difference with the Hogwarts Express: this one looks like a steam engine! This may well turn out to be a cheaper way to get your hands on some large drivers and a bunch of other train parts than the Emerald Night. And for American train builders that cow catcher must be a welcome new part?

Hadn't noticed the new part. As a parts set, it's great... yet, as a set itself it's pretty childish...

[Matt Dawson]

If that set is available locally, I'll be buying it.

I don't care if it's "kiddyish" - it means I'll have a nice stockpile of buffers, wheels etc. to build MOCs. And I won't have to go on Bricklink either. LMS 4-4-0? A distinct possibility now that i don't have to buy an Emerald Night or bricklink the parts. I just have to bricklink some slopes, a few of these and those...

Some of us don't have hundreds to spend on Lego, ya know

Plus there's ebay for those the figures...

Edited December 15, 2009 by Matt Dawson

[Brickthus]

Hadn't noticed the new part. As a parts set, it's great... yet, as a set itself it's pretty childish...

It fulfils both markets then! Must be a good set.

Will Woody's longer legs work with train doorways though? Headroom for minifigs is already a bit tight.

Mark

[eric87]

LEGO City train sets coming out in June 2010 in NZ

7936 Level Crossing

7937 Train Station

7938 Passenger Train

7939 Cargo Train

so has anyone found pictures of the new trains or are they still not available?

[BryanKinkel]

so has anyone found pictures of the new trains or are they still not available?

I'm sure someone would have posted or linked them in this thread if they were available.

Patience!

[Cooper]

7938 Passenger Train

7939 Cargo Train

My real hope i that the Passenger Train is another steam engine with more of the EN drivers. Then the Cargo Train could be PF based with the new train motor. Either way, I hope at least one of those sets has the EN drivers in it.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Cooper

[Matt Dawson]

I wonder if we'll get something like this:

[peterab]

I wonder if we'll get something like this:

I'd something like that, but I doubt it.

The silberling coaches probably wouldn't be recognisable to kids since they're obsolete now. I'd guess the passenger train would look a bit like a recognisable current european prototype (like the current one looks a bit like the german ICE). The freight train could be almost anything but I'd bet it will have some playability feature like the current crane and sports car.

[BryanKinkel]

I wonder if we'll get something like this:

Now that is just crazy talk!

I too enjoy looking at my Marklin catalogs as well. I don't have any of their products. Just a 2005 hard cover catalog. But I really enjoy European trains over American.

Looking at a Marklin catalog, of course, makes me want all the things the LEGO Gray Era trains had - automated points, lights, decouplers, etc.

Perhaps the new power function trains will deliver and make all this possible. You never know.

[Helmantel]

I don't think there will be a steam engine. It wouldn't really fit in with the rest of the City line. Apparently, that wasn't an issue in the early 80's, but back then, steam engines may have been old fashioned, but were still in use about 10 years earlier.

Maybe there will be a follow up for the Emerald Night? It seems to be a success, so who knows?

[brickjohannes]

new info about lego trains 2010

In the second half of 2010 there are a number of new train sets from (source: 2010 catalog reseller).

It is a freight train, a passenger train, a station with a footbridge and highworker for the track.

Both trains is the PF-rechargeable battery, an IR receiver and the train remoted control.

No PF-engines such as the Emerald Night, but an "old fashioned" train motor rc or a other motor look like if a 9v motor

The freight train, I found it interesting look, with a beautiful yellow locomotive, a few wagons and a transfer valve. Also there are 2 bills in the short and, felxibele rails.

The passenger train, I found it rather dull look, "red" is really the only sensible that I can say

[soc399]

new info about lego trains 2010

In the second half of 2010 there are a number of new train sets from (source: 2010 catalog reseller).

It is a freight train, a passenger train, a station with a footbridge and highworker for the track.

Both trains is the PF-rechargeable battery, an IR receiver and the train remoted control.

No PF-engines such as the Emerald Night, but an "old fashioned" train motor rc or a other motor look like if a 9v motor

The freight train, I found it interesting look, with a beautiful yellow locomotive, a few wagons and a transfer valve. Also there are 2 bills in the short and, felxibele rails.

The passenger train, I found it rather dull look, "red" is really the only sensible that I can say

These are some interesting rumors. I would love to get more rechargeable batteries, but they will probably drive up the prices quite a bit if they are included. The crappy RC motor is no surprise, but I hope they re-gear it like Mark Bellis has suggested.

[Tinn-man]

In this VIDEO that Mutley posted in the Star Wars forum, there are some new train images in the background when the LEGO executive is speaking. From what I can tell, the cargo train is yellow and a little different from what we've seen before. It also comes with a tank car. The passenger train is red.

Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourselves!!!

[pugsx3]

WOW it is a red passenger train set I see a track maintenence vehical and a yellow engined freight set looks like a british engine with a new tanker and a possible container crane with tractor trailer I am curious about the hand on the passenger set it looks like it is turning a speed regulator know possibly a new 9 volt?????

[The Green Brick Giant]

Darn! The crane comes in the cargo set, I really need a stand alone train crane!

The red train reminds me of the yellow one from 1995-1997 range, which is good.

On the left of her are two more train sets including the station comes with a yellow car, but the "station" itself looks horrible. The crossing set looks small which is nice, should be about $20.

Edited December 22, 2009 by The Green Brick Giant

[eric87]

In this VIDEO that Mutley posted in the Star Wars forum, there are some new train images in the background when the LEGO executive is speaking. From what I can tell, the cargo train is yellow and a little different from what we've seen before. It also comes with a tank car. The passenger train is red.

Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourselves!!!

it sure does look like those trains come with the power functions

[Siegfried]

Here's a still...

(She looks happy too!)

[Hewman]

In this VIDEO that Mutley posted in the Star Wars forum, there are some new train images in the background when the LEGO executive is speaking. From what I can tell, the cargo train is yellow and a little different from what we've seen before. It also comes with a tank car. The passenger train is red.

Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourselves!!!

Fantastic find! I haven't had a close enough look but could the red train actually be the rumoured Hogwart's express. If anyone could spot something to confirm this or deny it'd be great.

[jonwil]

Its clear from looking at the still that the red train is a high-speed electric (you can see the pantograph)