Pictures from Torben Plagborg - 9V system

[Mr Ogel]

Here  you can find a nice article in german with some pictures from Torsten Plagborg, designer of the first 9V trains 30 years back.

https://www.promobricks.de/lego-9v-30-jahre-4558-metroliner-review/114271/

I hope you enjoy it!

[zephyr1934]

@Mr Ogel thank you for sharing with us non-German speakers. The article mentions more articles reflecting on the 30th anniversary of 9v in the coming year, please post back when you see them!

Wow, that is an amazing article and the photos are unbelievable. So Torben applies to be a Lego designer in response to a newspaper ad when is 25 and 4 years later winds up in charge of designing the 9v system from scratch in a team of 3? That was a completely different world.

Lots of interesting tidbits in the photos (all links from the original article in the first post).

Take a look at the brown rails in this photo with many prototypes

 

Look at the giant metroliner in the top and many color variants of the design (the Dutch variant on the bottom is particularly striking)

 

More color variant prototypes, get a load of the gray one on the bottom

 

And maybe the best of all of the behind the scenes photos, the beautiful steam locomotives across the top, an official Lego KOF on the middle shelf, and a bunch of 8 wide on the bottom shelf!

 

[dr_spock]

Sweet.

Google translator:  https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.promobricks.de/lego-9v-30-jahre-4558-metroliner-review/114271/

[Evans]

The best article on the transition from 12V to 9V yet ! These pictures are incredibly precious in understanding the designing process back in the 80s. It's also nice to see that the 90° crossover mold was thought from the beginning, as well as other unrealeased parts such as the 6x34 train base or all the sizes of train windows (1x3x3, 1x4x2), and I note the heavy use of the 1x3x5 door on the prototype models. It's unfortunate that none have surfaced in the wild among rareparts collectors yet, but I would like to have a closer look at it.
I'm impatient to read the other articles about this anniversary!

[Murdoch17]

I just wanna say the Western loco on the second shelf from the top on this picture, third from left, is everything that was missing from the original Western theme.

Too bad they went with monorail based ones for that theme, which STILL never made it to production! 

[Mr Ogel]

I will add links to the next articles also. Next one is expected for Sunday. Glad that you liked it

[Pdaitabird]

I had no idea they had experimented with 8-wide way back then. Those steam engines at the top of the last image make me drool!  Thanks for posting the article!

[Dav1d]

On 1/18/2021 at 12:18 AM, Evans said:

It's also nice to see that the 90° crossover mould was thought from the beginning

Where did you see this?

Interesting to hear that the main reason for changing from 12V to 9V was because of Dust. I did find that I had to run (push) the 12V train around the track a few times to burn the dirt off. I would have thought that safety (12V to 9V), simplicity (one piece rather then 5 piece track) and realism (no centre conducting rail) would also have been factors.

Also interesting that the choice of Amtrak colours was a deliberate choice - I'm sure that's what made the set so popular.     

[Reker1000000]

I for one am definitely more interested in the old 12v system prototypes, they look stunning- it's a shame they didn't continue the era, although the factors that caused them to change were definitely understandable. The Metroliner is also a wonderful train, it's interesting to read about the new pieces that heralded the change from 12v to 9v back in 1990(ish). Given that I currently only have a 7745 and am working on a 7750 the red motors in the steam engines make me drool!

[Evans]

21 hours ago, Dav1d said:

Where did you see this? 

Just look at the picture below, you can see al the new molds and the unrealeased molds that are standing on the table, including all sorts of train windows, the 6x34 flat train base, the 1x3x5 train door, early version of the train station/harbor pier part, what seems to be the 30134 stairs that were first released in 1996 in the Western theme, and also something looking like an early 90201 cow catcher that was made available in 2010. There are many other parts to analyse, but unfortunately the tiny parts are too blurry.
Also note the use of Trans-Black color  for many train windows way before its 1999 introduction. 

On 1/17/2021 at 4:55 PM, zephyr1934 said:

 

 

 

[Dav1d]

Sorry, I still cannot see the 90 degree crossing. I can only see one straight rail.  

[Sunil766]

45 minutes ago, Dav1d said:

Sorry, I still cannot see the 90 degree crossing. I can only see one straight rail.  

Bottom left next to the yellow cars 

[Dav1d]

19 hours ago, Sunil766 said:

Bottom left next to the yellow cars 

Thanks, well spotted.

[zephyr1934]

In that same picture there are two red train bases sticking up from the table, the flat one looks like it is at least 34 studs long (similar length as the split level). It is hard to tell for sure how long it is, but the two holes for the power leads look like they have a 6-8 stud spacing, while all production  flat train bases only have a 2 stud spacing. If you then look at the 4558 prototypes on the wall, you will see that many of them have 6 windows+ 2 doors while the production set only had 5 windows + 2 doors. For example, compare the middle car on green and white variant (that had previously been shown publicly) on the far left to the longer car on the train above it. The aspect ratio of the windows on many of the cars seem wider than the 1x4x3 of the production windows too.

[RedBrick1]

These photos are fantastic! I am really intrigued by the 'American west' style locomotive pictured. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is it built on a 12v motor?

[Mr Ogel]

there is new a posting with an interview with Torben and some more pictures:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.promobricks.de/torben-plagborg-9v-trains-lego-designer/115553/

[zephyr1934]

Wow, amazing stuff. He should get on the lego convention speaker junket. It is stunning how few people developed so much of what we call classic lego (train, space, castle, town).

This time around there was a shot with a lot of monorail builds,

[Mr Ogel]

here the next review of 4547 Club Car designed by Torben with red prototype of the train base.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.promobricks.de/lego-9v-club-car-4547-classic-review/115728/

 

[Santob_au]

This thread makes me sad. It shows how cool Lego Train sets should have been!

[Reker1000000]

Regarding the 12v prototypes, has anynoe tried to reverse-engineer them based on the pictures? I have a broken red motor and if I can repair it, I'd love to build one of them with the extra motor.

[Paperinik77pk]

I see very interesting 12v things on the upper shelf - the blue steamer seems 8-wide, and the 12v motor looks really nice with its rods and rubber bands. I see some DB E103 in red - which could be a nice model back in the days (wonder if there was a good solution to have the three axles in 9v motor by standard). Wow!

 

[XG BC]

i also find it insane how realistic some of the models look. i mean now we have 1000s of special pieces and can just whip out any snot solution but back then? still kinda blows me away.

[Reker1000000]

Anyone else notice that the steam locomotive 4th from the left on the top row  of 12v prototypes seems to have larger wheels with rims? Maybe they experimented with a larger motor...

[M_slug357]

@Reker1000000 It looks like they might’ve just put the traction tires onto those 12V era Large steam drivers….?

[Paperinik77pk]

3 hours ago, M_slug357 said:

@Reker1000000 It looks like they might’ve just put the traction tires onto those 12V era Large steam drivers….?

It seems so - also for some locomotives of the second row. But thinking to use them as traction wheels would mean a different 12v motor, otherwise some problems could arise :

• Larger wheels mean a lower final transmission ratio, therefore a loss of torque - and those locomotive really need it (they seem heavy).
• power pickups will be higher and won't touch the rails.

Some locomotives have a visible red motor, others simply have all big wheels (in some cases with - I think - larger rods).

Or these locomotives were intended as to be pushed (so the rubber bands are used to move the wheels in a passive mode), or it could be a very improbable first contamination of Technic into train's world, so we've a 12v motor inside, but not the train one (but here I could be influenced by my past experiences).

8-wide was experimented also in the late 60s - in 241-242 books there are some pictures of larger steamers. 

I see the green color popping out  in some models - FINALLY! There's plenty of inspiration (at least for me) to work for years!!!  

Edited June 6, 2022 by Paperinik77pk