steam engine. newbie advice please.

[Covenant84]

Hi all. I've just come across this wonderful model by someone called Michael gale. https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/michaelgale/15266799517/ (can't add a photo via mobile sorry).

I've got lots of track from my younger days and seeing this I'm tempted to get back into trains. So where would I start? Where do I get the wheels and are there any instructions online for anything similar to get me started? I'd like to power it using the 'old' wheel unit (via the tender?). The ones from around the mid 90 ' s as that's what I have. On a budget so would prefer to use these new fangled infrared things if possible.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ☺

[detjensrobert]

Does your motor block have shiny wheels? If so, you have the 9v system, which is not compatible for the most part with the IR Power Functions system. You would need the battery box, train motor, IR receiver, and IR train remote if you want to use PF. 9v is perfectly capable, though you may need a few motors for bigger trains.

(links go to Bricklink)

[Srbandrews]

I got started very recently with the Lone Ranger Constitution set. I'm not very 'advanced' but I felt it was a good starting point and I've since gone on to build stuff I'm surprised and pleased with. It doesn't have power functions, but it comes with loads of wheels and couplers and some nice dark green curved pieces which are good for engine building.

[domboy]

Pretty sure the driver wheels on that model you posted are the "large drivers" from http://www.bigbenbricks.com/ as they look larger the official Lego driver wheels, which you could also consider:

Flanged Driver and Blind Driver

[Murdoch17]

I got started very recently with the Lone Ranger Constitution set. I'm not very 'advanced' but I felt it was a good starting point and I've since gone on to build stuff I'm surprised and pleased with. It doesn't have power functions, but it comes with loads of wheels and couplers and some nice dark green curved pieces which are good for engine building.

The Lone Ranger train is a very good start to a train collection. I turned mine into this:

(I have since made matching coaches for this engine and redone the tender to have two double axle bogies bogies instead of one fixed with two single axle bogies.)

Edited January 20, 2015 by Murdoch17

[garethjellis]

If you feel like spending the money you could pick up an emerald night with a powerfunctions kit. Its a great model with some clever building techniques.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40%7CR40&_sacat=0&_nkw=emerald+night+lego&_sop=12

[Redimus]

I don't think Emerald Night is worth the money.

I got started by downloading Lego Digital Designer, trying to design my own loco from scratch (with no real idea of tolerances) getting fed up then borrowing one of Murdoch 17's designs (or in this case redesign of the Loan Ranger set) and modifying it extensively. He's even provided LDD files for all his designs: Click Me! (Something I keep meaning to do myself.)

Since then I've gone on to design some 6 wide (standard Lego train width) coaches for the engine (see first picture), then gone on to design my first entirely own design loco (although with a lot of useful ideas and discussions from this forum) based on a Southern Railway Q class and a rake of trucks, all in 7 wide (which I think looks a bit more natural than the Lego standard, see second picture).

(I've build more trucks since then... should really photo them!).

If you want any of my designs (which I haven't already posted here), feel free to PM me, although bare in mind some f the designs haven't yet been published because the LDD files no longer reflect reality! That said, I really recomend designing your own, you will learn a hell of a lot more through trial and error and you'll love the result a hell of a lot more too!

The custom rods used for both engines come from another regular on these forums, zephyr1934, and pretty much any and all parts needed that weren't already in my collection came from the same place his store is in, BrickLink.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Redimus

[Dan-147]

You could also have a look at instructions that are available on-line, many of them for free. I recommend http://railbricks.com/instructions/ . This will give you a lot of ideas on how to build.

You might be particularly interested in Reinhard Ben Beneke's BR-23 in the Steam Locomotive section.

Dan-147

Edited January 21, 2015 by Dan-147

[Covenant84]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses, I must say out of any forum I’m on (including non-lego) that’s been the quickest and best set of responses I’ve ever had to a topic!

Sounds like I have the 9v system (black motor bogie with metal wheels that draws power from the track. Is the new track and flexi track still compatible with this or is it all plastic now that powers via a battery box with power functions?

I did see the Emerald express over the weekend, sadly out of my price range, especially as I’d use it for bits. Will keep an eye out for the lone ranger set, but think I’ll try to track down specific bits I want a few at a time and try to build something more specific. Will probably start with some of the big ben wheels. I’m a bit of a purist but these don’t seem to bother me, I guess it could be because it’s an essential thing. I’ve seen some people use non lego coupling rods too – do these make much of a difference or do lego parts work just as well?

Will have a nosey through some of the instructions for ideas. I’ve not been back into lego for a long time, but the amount of bits has really expanded since I ‘ended’ my kids days. Last time I even considered a steam engine I don’t think there were any curved bits other than the odd basic curved brick- there seems so much choice now making those round shapes look good shouldn’t be too difficult!

I suppose the next step is to pick something to model – that’s going to be tough!

Thanks again – any further advice is still very welcome!

[Stefaneris]

The 9V motor isn't compatible with the plastic track, including the flex track. The only tracks where your motor works are the old 9V rails with metal on top.

With the Emerald Night, TLG released wheels for steam engines, if you want to be a purist, you could buy them over Bricklink.

[MusicaRibelle]

If you have a 9v motor, then consider how much 'vintage' track you have.

Anything new from lego is 'PF'. It will cost you approx $100 (may change depending on you local currency :) ) to 'update' to the basic compinents and a simple oval track.

You can search the forum for many, many threads about comparison between the two systems, it has been discusses ad nauseam.

I support the suggestion of getting the lone ranger loco, don't worry about the rest of the set: it will give you enough parts to start any customization. The BR 23 mentioned above is wonderful, but it will take a lot of time on bricklink to find all the parts, so if you start with something 'complete' yet basic, you'll learn quicker and 'upgrade' faster than starting from scratch.

But again, everyone learns and has fun at their own pace and in their own way.

Don't forget to report back when you've created something :)

[garethjellis]

You can drive the 9v motor on power functions track using a power functions IR receiver, battery pack and a converter cable. The 9v motor has power connection on the front.

[Redimus]

There's nothing stopping you buying the current none-electrified track and using it for PF trains to run alongside your existing 9v stuff, just don't expect the 9v to work on the PF stuff.

What part of the world are you hoping to represent? If it's European (and especially British) you will really struggle to fit the PF Battery pack and receiver into a decent looking representation of anything steam. If the US, you'll probably have plenty of space for it, but you'll run into the problem of long locos on toy curves. Personally, I'm all for 9v, even though I only got into it last year, it didn't take me long to realise it was the only reasonable way forward for my choice of rolling stock.

[jrathfon]

Nobody has mentioned, although your 9V motor cannot be powered by the new PF track, it will still roll on it. And as Gareth said, you can do a hybrid where you run your 9V motor just like you would the new PF train motor from an IR receiver and battery with the addition of an extension cable.

My point is the 9V and PF track are identical in shape and can be clicked and ran together. So if you get a new PF train, you can easily run it on your "vintage" track AND the metal rail looks better! You can also run your 9V motor on the same track and have independent control of two trains on one electric circuit.

I run an outer loop of 9V and inner loops of plastic PF track on my layout:

[*thomas*]

If you already have 9V track and a 9V engine, just go on from there. Don't let the difficulty of adding a PF (or even 9V) motor to the locomotive bother you, very often you can add the motor (PF or 9V) to a piece of rolling stock, a carriage or a tender.

I too had to start from scratch, I had a bunch of 12V stuff (grey track, center rail pick up) that IMHO was not offering enough detail. I chose (in 2009) to go for a combination of 9V and PF. I only use metal 9V track. Often, I bought a complete 9V set from ebay, kept the motor and track, and sold the remaining parts. I took some time, but I has cost me a fraction of the cost from just buying 9V track and motors.

[Covenant84]

Thanks again! I'd forgot the power connection for the lights, hadn't realised it would fit pf too.

Thinking British.... Planning to put the 9v in the tender.. was hoping to try something from the "Torbay Express", almost settled on a king but doubt 9v in the tender would work and would be too big to use on the front bogie.

jrathfon - I've got the same level crossing (somewhere probably in several bits - I remember it being quite fragile!)

[jrathfon]

The old 9V connector and the new PF are slightly different. Using the current PF extension cables, the 9V can be connected to one end (I believe only on the bottom) so you can power older parts. So although 9V and PF has SOME compatibility, it is not readily interchangeable.

[Crazywater]

I like your track layout, Jrathfon.

[Redimus]

Some PF cables are backwards compatible on the underside of the end bricks, but not all. I think all the standard cables are, all the cables leading out of something arn't (so if you want to use old cables, you'll need to buy the shortest available loose PF cable for each end).

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Wow amazing ballast!

[Redimus]

Thinking British.... Planning to put the 9v in the tender.. was hoping to try something from the "Torbay Express", almost settled on a king but doubt 9v in the tender would work and would be too big to use on the front bogie.

The standard solution is to have the powered bogie pivot under the tender with an extra set of wheels attached to the tender. It worked well on my Q class which arguably has a smaller tender than a King, so should be fine with a little extra space to play with. The King isn't a bad choice, as they have very large sticky-out cylinders which is easiest type you can manage with standard Lego techniques.

[Srbandrews]

Thanks again! I'd forgot the power connection for the lights, hadn't realised it would fit pf too.

Thinking British.... Planning to put the 9v in the tender.. was hoping to try something from the "Torbay Express", almost settled on a king but doubt 9v in the tender would work and would be too big to use on the front bogie.

jrathfon - I've got the same level crossing (somewhere probably in several bits - I remember it being quite fragile!)

A good choice. My 'King' was my first engine too. It's far from perfect but, even being slightly under scale, I had no trouble fitting all of the PF components into the tender without compromising the shape too badly:

I'm currently working on a project to shove all of the PF stuff into the smallest british-style steam shunter that I can, but yeah, unless you have a big tender or a comparativley boxy shape it's tough to squeeze stuff in.

[Covenant84]

Is the third wheel fixed or does it pivot?

Srbandrews I was looking at yours at lunch actually. Found it on a Google search. Am I right thinking it's 6 wide? Hard to judge some of these with the new curves. Going by the tender....

[Srbandrews]

The pf motor pivots on its built-in peg and the trailing wheel is fixed to the chassis. It would grind on the corners if it were fixed.

[Redimus]

I've tried both fixed bogie floating lone axle and fixed axle floating bogie and have found the latter to be the more satisfactory, both for looks and operation.