[MOC] RENFE 251-004 "La Reina"

[Hod Carrier]

On 12/5/2025 at 3:29 PM, zephyr1934 said:

That's insane what you've just done. If you are not a mechanical engineer you should seriously consider becoming one.

Oh no, I'm far too long in the tooth now to consider a career change. I'm happy just tinkering with LEGO. 

[Ferro-Friki]

On 12/3/2025 at 5:31 PM, Ts__ said:

I use for every PU Train Motor a own PU City Hub in the locomotive ;-)

Oh wow, that’s a lot of batteries to change / recharge 

On 12/3/2025 at 5:31 PM, Ts__ said:

But this is your thread about your fantastic locomotive, I don't want to hijack the thread ;-)

I think I’ve said everything there was to say about my S-251, at least for now. I’m more than okay with this topic becoming about 3-bogie engines in general.

On 12/4/2025 at 7:39 AM, zephyr1934 said:

There are lots of ways you could lock the trailer in place, including potentially doing so from both the front and rear.

That would probably be the best approach for a symmetrical engine, as opposed to steam locomotives.

On 12/4/2025 at 6:57 PM, Hod Carrier said:

As we say in the UK, there's always more than one way to skin a cat and, as someone whose garden has become some form of communal feline latrine, I'm always keen to uncover new ideas and ways to tackle a problem.

Good luck with that! The vacant lot close to my home has been taken over by cats, and the smell is NOT pleasant… 

On 12/4/2025 at 6:57 PM, Hod Carrier said:

the outer bogies were likely to need only around half a stud of movement to be able to fit around an R40 curve.

That’s perfect then, since the PF motors only have that much free space to move side to side.

On 12/4/2025 at 6:57 PM, Hod Carrier said:

I'm unsure how you might want to incorporate this into your design, or even if it would be suitable. I know how little space you have inside the loco body, but it might still be possible.

Your approach is absolutely impressive! I’ve never seen anything like it on a Lego train. I should have expected as much from the same person who cracked the code for close-coupling Talgo rodales. Thank you for sharing! :)

I think your design is very much applicable for my S-251. It would need to be redesign from the ground up around it, but I think it’s doable. The levers would have to sit as low as possible but not too low so as to interfere with the cosmetic underframe details. The PF motors currently have plenty of free space above. The battery box might be more troublesome, since it already sits as far up as it can go.

Currently I have other trains in mind, but I don’t rule out revisiting “La Reina” in the future. And this kind of lever-linkage mechanism is giving me ideas for other aplications…