MOC: Fire / Rescue Train (WIP)

[roamingstop]

I have long fancied making a nice version of the LRZ trains (Loesch und RettungsZug) which run around the Swiss railways a fair bit. They are based on Windhoff chasis. I have seen good MOC's (Tablizm) and am creating am slowly creating a larger version 44 studs long (per engine) with integrated PF. However in the meantime I had some older concepts kicking around and decided to start building a version which is suitable for KFOL's.

In my view, a KFOL model should have a good colour scheme, and include realistic play features, without necessarily having to fit exactly a real life model. This allows me to have a bit of creative thinking with regards to where to place doors / openings etc without having to worry too much about realism. But it also means it is important that play features are present.

The first model which has been assembled in various states for the past two months is the Tanker Wagon, which finally got finished today. Although I cannot decide between the two colour schemes; the light grey tanker elements are so expensive that the only realistic option is white or red. Obviously I would need to get some white 2x2x65 slope elements, and more white hose / cupboards, but for now light bley is acceptable.

In the first version I also fitted in a little diesel engine which is used to pump the water to the top mounted cannons. In the cab is space for two seated, helmeted firefighters.

Other LDD designs have been completed for the Self powered rescue wagon (PF eats up so much room I will probably need 9V) and the equipment wagon (I cannot decide whether to include a crane)... These will be posted when finished.

Some questions:

Which colour scheme do you the reader prefer?

And which rear opening - the hatches which expose the diesel engine inside (but no real access for fingers / mini-figs) or the swing open doors which allow access.. but somehow look less appealing (in my eyes).

[henryhotspurs]

Exceptional work! I like the "more red" version and the minifigs. I also prefer the engine access door variant. It looks like a fun build and certainly a novel way to integrate all the fire sets into a train. Keep up the good work!

Edited April 10, 2011 by henryhotspurs

[marsupilami]

I have never seen trains like that in real life, but since you included an example of the real thing I must say you did a great job capturing it in Lego. I like the all red one better, for sure!

[cimddwc]

I think the red tank version with the continuous white stripe looks better. The rear opening with the little engine is a nice idea too, but don't these doors interfere with the next wagon? Maybe the big hatch on the side as on the white tank version is better there.

At any rate, your Swiss LRZ make nicer models than our rather plain RTZ in Germany. :)

[Fuzzylegobricks]

Nice job for a start Roaming studio!

[lightningtiger]

Well I'll be a....., now I didn't believe there was such a train but I Goggled and pictures flooded in.

An excellent engine design, you're right you have made the trims suit KFOL's....still I like as well.

This would be worth Lego making a set using this train design as a base of such a set !

K.O.B. 'roamingstudio' !

[roamingstop]

but don't these doors interfere with the next wagon?

Nope... because the hinge plate is so far back, the doors swing open without interfering with the equipment wagon attached to the back.

There are plenty of other fire train examples; the USA have some in red - with modified water tankers + normal red painted (wooden) cargo trucks, and the all important Red Caboose... The Russians have a nice train concept which is similar to the LRZ but uses their own concepts.

The Swiss also have this in Lime Green and silver (the BLS lines) which look great - but currently Lego dont make silver tanker elements ;-), or lime green windows.

The equipment wagons tend to be a little bit more yawn boring for KFOL's. A proper AFOL model looks fantastic though. More designs will probably be completed in the coming weeks...

My favorite is also the red tanker with white stipe - I think this will be the one which survives, the other to be converted into a little shell tanker wagon.

Just a quick search on RTZ trains, showed a nice example. I dont think they look too bad - the trick is to find a way to make this work in Lego format. From this picture I could easily see a combination of roof from 7938 + a split level black base, and some large openings with swing doors. Should be easy really... and gives me some nice ideas since I have some spares.

Yes it would be great if Lego chose to make a 'Fire Train'. It is the only large 'fire' related vehicle I can think of which has not been turned into an official model. Certainly I have seen versions of the Red Tanker attached to Red Locomotives; so the new Work train (3677?) could be easily reused, and this sold as a 'seperate'.

Edited April 11, 2011 by roamingstudio

[Brickimad]

Looks good. Pity Lego don't make a kit, then again, TLG is bit behind the times, regarding diverse subjects.

The fire engine could have come in handy a few years ago. Coming back on a full-size train (a rubbishy 1950's elec "shed") - caught the engine fire, and smoke billowed out of the motor/engine housing. Luckily we rolled and made it to our stop. The engine was starting to "cook" just after the station. I got off and walked home, with smoke filling the air...

[roamingstop]

Better link for those interested with the RTZ train / pictures

http://www.feuerwehr-fulda.de/index.php?id=460

[Sir E Fullner]

Very cute design.

I could imagine it on my own railway.

[gogocar]

Cool creation. I see you've used some parts from 4 Juniors theme.

[Bricknblue]

I like the red one too, it looks like something LEGO would make into a set.

[roamingstop]

Thanks for the comments - the red and white stripe tanker locomotive survived.... the other modified into the equipment wagon. The only downside... I have rebuilt the equipment wagon 4 times and still not found a suitable solution until last night. Easter will soon be with us, so I will get some time to finish this off, and will post the images after the weekend. The MPV (rescue) wagons are still in LDD - and I have a nice solution for the beds and chairs which works.

A quick question for those who might still be reading...

If the MPV / Rescue wagons have a removable roof (e.g. like Emerald Night / Santa Fe 10022 / 10025) do children still enjoy placing figures inside? Or are the spaces (6 wide, 5 high) too high?

[Legoless]

Looks good. Pity Lego don't make a kit, then again, TLG is bit behind the times, regarding diverse subjects.

The fire engine could have come in handy a few years ago. Coming back on a full-size train (a rubbishy 1950's elec "shed") - caught the engine fire, and smoke billowed out of the motor/engine housing. Luckily we rolled and made it to our stop. The engine was starting to "cook" just after the station. I got off and walked home, with smoke filling the air...

Surely the point of Lego is that you can make your own stuff using ingenuity and imagination. I'd hate it if Lego decided to do what Hornby or other model train makers do by producing just about every concievable variation of every train!

The Windhoff (sp) is used in the UK by Network Rail (who own and occacionally 'maintain' the trackwork as a multi-purpose vehicle consist (unusually using powered vehicles at both end unlike continental practise which is to have only one powered vehicle- unless used in multiple of course!). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_MPV. Essentially, it is a freight-carrying DMU designed to carry standard shipping containers secured with ordinary twistlocks. This makes it perfectly ideal for swapping different maintainence 'modules' about as required, eg weed killing applications, tunnel maintainence or overhead line work.

Nice MOC work!

Edited April 20, 2011 by Legoless

[roamingstop]

The link is wrong it should be

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_MPV

(without the extra .)

Yep this MOC is not meant to represent the Windhoff design directly - that is actually much easier if you look at the old cargo train delux and green crane module... not sure why the design is not used in the forthcoming 3677 - perhaps a copyright issue. It would also make for an interesting series of MOC's (especially after reading the wiki-link - thanks).

Anyhow for this fire-train MOC I wanted it to be more realistic for a KFOL set, and took the opportunity to reuse some of the older cockpit designs...

Edited April 20, 2011 by roamingstudio

[MetroiD]

Wow, this is a very interesting MOC of something which I must admit I've never actually seen in real life. In terms of KFOL-appealing design, this totally looks the part; I'd love to see more photos of the engine with different modules as an actual MPV!

[roamingstop]

Stage 2: The Fire Equipment Wagon.

And the original from Windhoff

Normally the equipment wagon will contain fire-breathing apparatus, spare clothes, paperwork, and on some LRZ a small trolley which can be mounted onto adjacent rails. However finding photos was not so easy.

Inside I found space to fit (symmetrically) two ladders, 2x fire breathing masks (I have a third but was not sure to include it), some fire extinguishers, some axes. Im sure the internals could be made slightly more fun for KFOL's.

I also fought myself long and hard about how the doors should work, but in the end am happy with the Bat Wings as used in the 4560 / 4561 railway express designs. I also reworked the location of the central hatch in order to keep the white stripe running.

Still do to:

• The roof is 'open' when the doors are closed, as I did not have any spare 2x8 and 2x6 dark bley bricks.
  
• Find a load of dark bley cheese slopes for the roof line
  
• Add a portable hose carrier for the fireman to extend?
  

It should then look a bit like the LDD design.

Edited April 22, 2011 by roamingstudio

[roamingstop]

Inspired by earlier comments, and after a quick inspiration this afternoon, I did a rapid prototype of the RTZ wagon as housed at Fulda

RTZ Rescue Wagon: WIP by roamingstudio, on Flickr

Any hints and tips on the interior are welcome. Currently I can't decide between seating (for rescue) or equipment. The one at Fulda is for equipment and has a nice ramp which comes out.. so perhaps that will be my (eventual) solution.

To capture the models better will need much longer bases; probably 7 or 8 wide.

Edited August 14, 2011 by roamingstudio

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Incredible train for a very good realization!

Great work roamingstudio!

[LiamM32]

I think that you chose the right full-scale train to base this model on, and you made a good KFOL-targeted model out of it. I agree that the one with the red tank with the white stripe looks a fair bit better. Lego city has had many fire sets with many fire vehicles, including some unusual ones. At first I was against this as a set, because of Lego City's excessive quantity of Fire sets, but now I think that because of it's popularity, it's a good way to get children into Lego trains. It's nice to spice up a Lego town with a bit of slightly unusual, but fun things like this. I'm now a supporter on Cuusoo. For the final set, I think it should be a 2 or 3 car train, with a bridge or small railroad-side building that's on fire. It would be better if the hose on the roof was on an arm. It's too bad that this project isn't doing so well on Cuusoo.

[wondermonkey]

Really this is genius. Fire trucks and trains combined into one awesome set. Kids would be all over this! Supported on CUUSOO, but it's too bad all the license sets get the attention, hopefully someone at LEGO is looking.

[roamingstop]

Really this is genius. Fire trucks and trains combined into one awesome set.

Thanks for the support guys - and I'm glad that it is appreciated. I agree with the problem that licensed sets, even buckets of minifigs get higher votes. The problem seems to be demographIcs - only Afols can vote, but they are not the parent buying public. Anyhow I digress

Currently the models have not been updated much since last year - I even recently considered selling them but they still sit on shelf 90% finished. Perhaps the real test would be to make a suitable diarama out of them plus a burning building or similar. The KFOL nature would have to carry across.

I had also considered more fantasy design of putting a turntable onto the wagons but this just looked silly.

The problem with a building into the set is that part count will go up too high. But I will think about it - thanks for the heads up

[cpw]

This is a really beautiful looking train; and I think that it would be great for kids. I very much like that you chose the red color scheme to go with.

[Hrw-Amen]

Sorry, but after reading back through this I cannot see the link to the Cuusoo project and I would like to add my support as it seems like a really interesting and neat idea for a fun train whilst being based on a real one, so something to keep everyone happy. Can someone point me in the right direction please?

[LiamM32]

I really like the equipment wagon. I think that in this case, it may be better as part of the set than an expansion, even though I normally like add-ons. Of course, the Lego Group will want to make it with Power Functions.

Thanks for the support guys - and I'm glad that it is appreciated. I agree with the problem that licensed sets, even buckets of minifigs get higher votes. The problem seems to be demographIcs - only Afols can vote, but they are not the parent buying public. Anyhow I digress

I have this same problem with CUUSOO. I mean, even My Little Pony is doing great, while the real good ones are suffering. But are AFOL's really the ones that like licensed sets?