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Power Functions Motor with Steam Drivers

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I'm relatively new to lego trains and own only a powered Emerald Night at the moment. I've been puzzling over making a motorised 0-6-0 model something along the lines of this:

6356.jpg

I found a really great model by Carl Greatrix which isn't motorised:

5146516568_065846bfd9.jpg

I guess the difficulty is in fitting an XL motor inside and was wondering whether it would be any good to put the big steam driver wheels on a power functions train motor. I haven't seen any models like this so I feel there must be some issue with that configuration. However I don't own one of those motors.. can anyone shed any light on it or perhaps suggest an alternative solution?

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For a model like that, an 'M' motor would probably be more appropriate. The standalone PF motors rotate much slower, but have more torque so won't slow down so much when a heavy load is applied. They are awkward shapes though, so that is a point of contention. In this model, the other problems are fitting the other equipment (and the massive cables) in.

The PF train motor can take the Large drivers, however the gearing of the motor is internal and unchangeable. This makes it move way too fast. For reference, Carl's model is using Medium BBB (Big Ben Bricks) wheels, which are in between the regular train wheel and the driver in size.

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I actually built a model of that same 0-6-0 engine (Here, if interested), and one of my goals with it was to try and have it motorized.

With these relatively smaller engines though, especially with the 5700's shape, it's just about impossible to find anywhere to put a XL motor. There are a few creative M-Motor solutions you could try instead (I did toy with vertically mounting an M-motor in the firebox/rear boiler area), but the M-Motor does have a weird shape you should be aware of. It's 6 studs long, 3 wide, and 3 tall. However, the attachment area at the bottom is the same as a 2 x 6 meaning you have an odd offset to work with.

The solution I ended up going with was to use a PF train base, since it was just the right fit for the front two axles. However my motor did end up burning out, and I'm curious if that's because of torque issues thanks to the Emerald Night's Large Drivers I used. The PF train motor may be the easiest solution, though.

The easiest solution really may be to just use a powered coach (A solution I've been eyeing more seriously lately), although the appeal of a powered engine really can't be easily argued away without good reason :laugh: . If you do use an XL or M motor to power the engine though, you also need to consider the weight and balance of where you place it. It's not really a lot of things to keep track of, but in my limited train building experience it has proved fairly tricky.

Best of luck to you in your building, can't wait to see whatever engine your efforts turn out! :classic:

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Thanks for the informative replies, i've favourited your (Deadalus304) model as another excellent reference. It definitely gives me some ideas. I've been trying different positions for the motor, battery and receiver this afternoon and come up with a configuration i'm reasonably happy with. The other issue is that i'm trying to make it out of dark green, rather a rare colour but it does seem to have most of the pieces I need.

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station_a.jpgemerald_night_and_bessborough_comparison.jpgI am currently working on a power function steam tank engine based around the 4-6-2 Bessborough of 1911. I have fitted an XL motor, with IR, lights and battery box all in the engine but it is a very small space. I have made the engine a 7 stud wide model to get the motor in. Also had to shift the gearing along to shorten the wheelbase as the engine is quite a bit shorter than the Emerald Night.

I have linked a couple of pictures of it alongside the Emerald Night from my Brickshelf page. I need a few bits to finish it off but it runs really well. When it is finally finished I'll post some proper pictures along with the station I'm finishing off.

I tired making a smaller engine but there was just no way to fit the battery box into it as well as all the other gubbins that I could figure out as it was just not long enough. I did think about using the 'train' motor and wheels but then that would just not look like a proper steam train. I thought about making a goods box car for the battery box but decided against it as the engine would always have to have this with it. The other thing that I have tried which I have have huge trouble with was just using four of the large steam engine wheels. I was planning to make a 4-4-0 tender engine, but for some reason I cannot work out when I just used four of those wheels they kept locking. As soon as I added two more they were fine? Strange but there you go. (They were offset at 90degrees.)

Anyway what I am saying I guess is that you can fit an XL motor if you make it 7 studs wide. I think the problem will be the battery box.

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Apart from the speed issue there is another problem using the PF train motor with the steam drivers: the distance between the axles is fixed and too long for steam engine models.

Here is the drivetrain of my BR65:

5162939082_67589ef74d.jpg

This obviously won't fit your 0-6-0 but it might give you ideas.

I'd also suggest taking a look at this brilliant little steamer by Holger Mathes:

3903946195_cbf8f45c23.jpg

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You'll note that HoMa is using Big Bens Bricks medium drivers in that which are a much more appropriate size and might work better with the PFS since you get a shorter wheelbase.

Personally I've always stuck to motorising a carriage for my steamers in general. Aside from allowing me to make them look better, it also means they can be 9V or PFS which is useful for me.

Of course I'm a 6w/7w builder and fitting a 3x3x6 M motor in something that small is all but impossible. If you're building 8w you'll have more space to play with. All that said I have been trying to work out how to do exactly what you're hoping to do. If I have any great ideas I'll pass them on.

Tim

Edited by gambort

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Personally I've always stuck to motorising a carriage for my steamers in general. Aside from allowing me to make them look better, it also means they can be 9V or PFS which is useful for me.

Of course I'm a 6w/7w builder and fitting a 3x3x6 M motor in something that small is all but impossible. If you're building 8w you'll have more space to play with. All that said I have been trying to work out how to do exactly what you're hoping to do. If I have any great ideas I'll pass them on.

Tim

I agree with this approach - get the loco as good as possible without worrying about how to power it. Here's my green train at STEAM last weekend: Brick Express Large Prairie loco, pusher wagon, two coaches, two box cars, two open wagons and a guards van. I used an old 16-stud train base with motor cutout for the pusher wagon and it only needs four inverted slopes and two plates to attach the motor.

Jonathan

green-train2.jpg

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How about the power functions motor block? I've seen one of the chaps on brick shelf do an 08/09 shunter with one. And with the medium BBB wheels, just add another pair of blind wheels to the front.

Cheers

- Mikka

EDIT.

my deepest apologies for the misread of the last several posts...im so impertinent.

well the guy who made the class 08 is Sekiyama found here

sekiyamas 08

and "f1963" has sort of adapted it to his br80.

BR80 f1963

so.. i will have a bit of a muck about with mlcad tonight to see if the use of the motor is possible for a larger loco...

my thoughts are pinned on a NSWGR 19 class 0-6-0 tender loco or an LNER E4, which is a 2-4-0 but its pretty british

Edited by mikka says

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