[MOC] Danish Rubber Noses - An Ongoing Saga

[Nikonissen]

Background/Context

I love Danish rubber nose trains. Especially the IC3 train. And I would like to warn you already now, this is a long post, maybe even boring if you don't have any interest or relation in Scandinavian (Danish) passenger trains...

By Mef.ellingen - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=168666516 

 

Growing up in a Danish province city with non-electrified train lines, these 3-car DMUs were (and still are) a common sight. They were designed in the mid/late 80's in cooperation between the Danish State Railway (DSB) and the Train manufacturer Scandia (Later ABB Scandia, later Adtranz, and later acquired by BOMBARDIER Transportation). 

But the term "IC3" only covers the first rubber nose trains. There are 3 other types which were further iterations based on the IC3 train. Scandia referred to them as "Flexliner trains" The patented Flexliner technology consists of the rubber diaphragm surrounding the cab, which is placed in the middle. The whole cab can be folded away when multiple trains are coupled together, creating a wide passage for passengers. Pictures here: 

 

Isn't that just really cool? 

But what makes my post relevant in the LEGO® train forum?

The answer is simple: It may be the most MOC'ed train in Denmark. There are so many different interpretations on Brickshelf, flickr and the Danish RLUG forum "Byggepladen" from different AFOLs. The first IC3 MOCs I've been able to find, are from 2004! 

IC3 model found on Brickshelf - unknown builder 

 

IC3 model built by Knud Thomsen in 2006

 

My early version(s)

My own first iteration dates back to 2015, though I only have good pictures of my version from 2017:

In the background you see a model of the IR4 EMU - The second generation in the rubber nose family.

These trains were made with bricks I had in my room, collected from different LEGO sets over the years, combined with parts from Pick a Brick in LEGO Stores and in LEGOLAND Billund. 

 

As I got to know the Bricklink Studio software, I was suddenly not limited by the bricks I had in my room anymore, and I started experimenting more.

In the end of 2019, I built the Danish/Swedish Øresund train digitally. The prototype also known as the "Bombardier Contessa" train, was another younger cousin of the IC3 train. Still in the Flexliner family.

 

I bought the parts through BrickLink, and in March 2020, when I was 17 years old and the first Brick Train Awards was hosted, I submitted my model in the TFOL category, and actually won in Europe! 

Brick Train Awards 2020 - European Regional Winners 

 

This model was of course, inspired by a 7 wide IC3 model built by the legendary train builder Dennis Tomsen back in 2017 (Don't let the year on the render fool you): 

 

 

Going 8 studs wide

So where does one go from here? I had now been tweaking on my 6 stud wide IC3 and IR4 trains, and they looked pretty good now.

I now also had a 7 brick wide Oresund train that I was quite satisfied with, and I knew that I would not be able to make a better 7 stud wide IC3 model than Dennis Tomsen. 

So the most natural next step was of course to up it another notch and go 8 studs wide! 

 

 

Aaaand then Dennis beat me to it: 

 

 

Though there were two thing about this design that still bothered me:

1. The livery of the train, is the original 1989 livery, which was changed in the start of the 2000's. I don't personally have any memories of this livery, so it would make sense that I did it in the new modern livery instead of the old one

2. Going 8 studs wide, changes a lot of the proportions and possibilities for making a more rubber-like front (Or should I say nose at this point?) And I just did not think that it was quite there yet. 

So here I began my quest, to create the perfect (Or at least as close as possible to it) Flexliner front. 

One very important thing about my general design process, is that I don't do scale measurements or use technical drawings of the real prototype.

I've always built trains by simply looking at them, noting details, counting windows and finding LEGO parts that could represent key details, and go from there and onward. 

I started to look at countless other Flexliner MOCs in 6 and 7 studs wide on the internet to find inspiration, and see if some of the solutions could also work in 8 studs. 

MOC of the Spanish version "Renfe 594" by MTorralbo which was 7 studs wide 

 

And I tried converting it to 8 studs wide... (November 2021)

 

But unfortunately I did not think that it looked that good enough in this interpretation, and it also kinda became disproportionately tall. The rubber edge was too thin.

You can also probably also tell that I reused a lot of the design elements from my Oresund train MOC. 

 

I then saw 6 stud wide Oresund train MOC by Danish Esben Kolind that was built back in 2010, but liked the way the cheese slopes made up the rubber front: 

 

Maybe I just did not implement it right, but it still wasn't there. Though, as you can see here, this time the train body is a mix between Tomsen's 7 wide and 8 wide IC3 design. 

Proportions are still a bit off, too tall in my opinion.

July 2022

 

I thought that I had stranded at this point, and did not think that I'd be able to come up with a new design, until TLG released this corner slope in black in 2022: 

 

Suddenly, I had the missing link, the piece that would make the corners look rounder and more rubber-like! 

I started experimenting in Studio, this time again adjusting the design of the body. And now it's kinda starting to look like something (July 2022)

Compared to the prototype: 

 

I was definitely getting closer now... Though, I did not like the roof shaping and went back. And then there's also the detail that the front was not posibble to build, as the black 1x1 curved slope beneath the 1x4 curved slope on the sides of the rubber front, does not exist in real life. 

Once again left unresolved, I had to let the project lay still, until the LEGO gods once again heard my prayers and blessed me with another new black corner slope the following year. The same curvature as before, but now only 1x1 instead of 2x2:

 

Back in Studio again, the front slowly started falling into place (July 2023)

As I though that it wasn't too bad, I ordered a bunch of different slopes and corners, with the intention of experimenting and getting an idea of how it looks IRL. 

This mockup is from June 2025: 

 

 

Now we're getting somewhere! 

So I converted my 6 wide IC3 train to an 8 wide, by supplementing the missing pieces, and by July, I had a full working model. 

 

I also took it along to my LEGO Train Club Togklodsen's Train Show at the Danish Railway Museum in November 2025: 

There were still some minor things missing about this model: A coupling, A plow, I was not 100% satisfied with the look of the headlights, and the DSB logo on the front was a little too big. But it's able to take fairly tight turns (R56 is no issue) and it's surprisingly light. The train is powered by just one Power Functions train motor and train battery pack. 

I ended up, with Dennis Tomsen's IC3 model being the base for the body of my model, though I increased the height by a plate and made other minor design deviations from his. 

Here's what it looks like digitally:

 

 

 

And as one would naturally do, when a project succeeds, I built another version thgt's very similar: The 4 car EMU "DSB IR4" 

 

I've also built this one physically. Though the bogies ended up looking different (and better, I'd say) than on my digital model. 

 

So what's next?

The physical models still lack plows. I'd also like to find a solution for creating a close coupling to I can drive with both sets as one long multiple unit without an air gap between the trains, similar to how it looks in real life. 

 

By Leif Jørgensen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116475248 

 

Also, as The LEGO Group keeps doing new moulds, I will not exclude an updated front. Now that they are also doing inverted corner cheese slopes, and curved studs that are 1 plate shallower than the old type, it could open up for even more possibilities. 

And then there's also the face that I'd like to revisit the Oresund Train and build an 8 studs wide version. 

The current prototype still has some way to go... 

 

 

 

Thenk you for reading along! This won't be my last post on this topic, I hope that you found the design process and inspiration interesting :)) 

 

//Nikolai

Edited May 18 by Nikonissen

[Shiva]

Cheers for the different version, text and photos/renders :)

[zephyr1934]

That build turned out really good, with quite the backstory too.

[Selander]

Interesting story, and a great evolution of your building skills ! Though the improved/increased number of curved slope elements from TLG certainly helps as well. 👍🙌💪

[LL1982]

Nice. loved that i could see how it developed into its final form. Great to see how choices are also influenced by parts available logically andthat you make your interations through time based on it.

[Ts__]

Nice overview of the development. When I saw the first pictures, I thought, “This could actually look better...”

and then it just kept getting better and better, and the rubber bead became more and more distinctive! Great.

 

Thomas

[Feuer Zug]

Wonderful story, both the actual DMU design and the history of LEGO variants. Kudos for sticking with it as new parts have opened up better options for getting the look right.

[Darkkostas25]

I love it, especially for using Jacobs boogie. Nice callback for other versions and makers of LEGO versions. And waiting to see it in bricks :) Great, astounding work. And yeah, waiting for more parts/moulds from LEGO 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

19 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

That build turned out really good, with quite the backstory too.

I totally agree ...remarkable evolution and beautiful final result