Custom 9V tracks

[legoman666]

How did the experiment work out?

- SteveB

Peels up at the edges. Otherwise works well.

[Lazarus]

I have been going though ideas, and this is about where i was at.

I have a drill press that i bought that i will drill a 2mm hole into code 250 rail and then screw a 2mmx4mm screw from the underside of a normal 2x8 plate with some studs removed.

This will take me longer than some of the other ways but should give me a more robust track and look more clean.

I am just waiting on finance now so i can order some rail, most of my money has been going into buying tools (benchgrinder, drillpress, track bender).

[coaster]

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! To show my love for you all, here's a progress update!

I've adopted Steve Barile's idea and been running with that. However, I'm doing it a bit differently and having a special profile rail made that mimics the overall exposed area of a standard Lego track. Here's a test piece I did:

As you may have noticed, this also give me the opportunity to wire the tracks without having to use the Lego connector, making for a more realistic looking layout (that connector still works with this, by the way, just showing an alternative).

With a bogie on it, it looks satisfactory.

Curves are a piece of cake though, so figured I'd share some progress on something a little more interesting:

Finished, it should look like this:

I was going to wait till I was finished with it before posting, but my printer is down at the moment and will take me a couple weeks to get back up and running (low on material + broken tray; it's a crappy little printer). Once I am though, I may make some additional modifications. Originally, I wanted to have 2 moving points like a traditional switch does, but that required a new switch mechanism. I wasn't opposed to this as I felt I could make it a little better. After playing with this base a bit, it would be simpler to go back to the single point Lego version. Simplifies the assembly quite a bit. So I'll likely make a new base reflecting that change. Otherwise, contacts are all good and solid, power across the frog is fine, either way, should be good to go when finished.

Now, let's get down to brass tacks. Investing in a mold to make standard angle curves isn't a big deal, should be able to make enough pieces to justify it. Something like this switch though, probably not. However, that doesn't mean we don't have some options. The rail cross-sectional profile is the same across the board, and I will be having 2 tons (literally) of that made. So, what we could do is instead simply 3D print, sand, paint, and assemble the switches. They'll look and feel a little different from the molded ones, but should be close enough no one will notice. The downside to this is, you won't be getting a switches set (left and right + curves) for $30. Most likely, a switch like the above is going to have to be somewhere around $80-100 by itself. That's just the nature of this beast.

This approach is also a bit interesting because it allows us to made some of the more exotic track pieces without having to worry about making 70,000 of them. Double outside slips, double crossovers, Wyes, 22.5° crosses, 45° crosses, odd-length straights, you name it. If I can model it, I can build it.

[Rail Co]

That's really looking good I like the idea there stupendous work! Im hoping that is a switch that I could connect a motor to!

Cool Design

-RailCo

[legoman666]

I'll buy 3d prints of anything interesting you release the files for. I can paint them or order them in dark grey from shapeways. I don't need 9v power, so that simplifies things quite a bit.

[garethjellis]

WOW, this is EXCELLENT!!

[Railfan9]

I'll buy 3d prints of anything interesting you release the files for. I can paint them or order them in dark grey from shapeways. I don't need 9v power, so that simplifies things quite a bit.

I would buy 3D prints as well. I think your custom track pieces are awesome, as they open up a bunch of layout possibility.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Railfan9

[pirzyk]

I would buy 3D prints as well. I think your custom track pieces are awesome, as they open up a bunch of layout possibility.

+1

As a PF person, I still would support you in your 9V adventure for the option to get unique geometries of track. If you are going to attempt a double crossover, I would request having a mode where you can run both tracks as straights, something that the LEGO double cross over can't really do (unless you force very specific directions).

[bricks n bolts]

Wow, missed this thread, lot's of brilliant ideas..

Personally I'm waiting another year or so before investing in any wider radius curves as then I should have more space for my layout. That should be enough time for you or ME to offer something in metal. I would rather have something 9v compatible then the current ME offering. It's great to see new switch points as any replacement 9v system wouldn't be complete without them. Also great you can use servo motors on them. If the Kickstarter happens before then I may sign up anyway.

Would also like to see sleepers/frames in light grey rather than just brown or bley.

[kieran]

That's looking really good well done

[Railfan9]

I think the best part of this switch part is a that you could model a scale switch stand.

[baard]

This approach is also a bit interesting because it allows us to made some of the more exotic track pieces without having to worry about making 70,000 of them. Double outside slips, double crossovers, Wyes, 22.5° crosses, 45° crosses, odd-length straights, you name it. If I can model it, I can build it.

It defenitely is. Nice work!

Does the plastic come in several colors, or do you have to paint it afterwards?

The price you mention, is that for a finished product? If it is, I am very interested in buying.

[coaster]

Thanks everyone. There seems some interest in the turn-table mechanism I have shown, so I'll give a little more detail about that. That section is one brick tall, studs on top, but bottom is flat (only so much I can do and there's no room for a plate bottom). The axle hole go through the part though, so if you wanted to hide your motor underneath the table or layout you could do so. Range of motion is quarter-turn lock-to-lock, and it's spring loaded such that it simply toggles between the two positions. There's no weird in-between area. But it would be simpler to simply stick with the standard Lego design mechanism. I'll make both versions, and we'll see which is better.

I was originally going to stick to strictly 9V tracks, but I don't hate the idea of modeling all-plastic track and posting it on Shapeways as an additional means to fund the 9V project. There are two issues though with just putting these on Shapeways. First, for the size of these, they can only print them in white. The gray is only available for smaller parts. Second, and more importantly, even the PF versions of switches still require a spring for the points. I might be able to get creative and add some tabs to the bottom of the points that could act as a spring, but no idea how well that would work or if it would hold up to repeated use. Of course, you could always pirate the one from the Lego switches if you don't mind sacrificing them, at which point you could steal the throw-arm as well. As long as these things aren't objectionable, I'll copy/modify the designs for PF and upload them to Shapeways.

[Railfan9]

ill definitely be ordering several.

[M_slug357]

...Even the PF versions of switches still require a spring for the points. I might be able to get creative and add some tabs to the bottom of the points that could act as a spring, but no idea how well that would work or if it would hold up to repeated use...

Instead of creating a tab, maybe a pair of anchoring points for a micro rubber band, like the size used for dental braces (or smaller)?

[Railfan9]

I see rubber bands being a problem.

[splatman]

How 'bout actual springs that you can buy off the shelf at a hardware/small-parts supplier?

Would any of these do?

[Railfan9]

That's a great idea Splatman. The thing is needs to be figured out is what tension the spring needs to be at since too strong will break the switch point, and too weak the switch point won't budge.

[coaster]

Ah, McMaster is my engineering bible. Unfortunately, their supply of springs is extremely limited. Also, those are compression springs you linked to, we need torsion springs, and those are a really narrow offering. The closest one they have is this. I may be able to make it work, but won't know till I try it. But I will.

[Railfan9]

Ah, McMaster is my engineering bible. Unfortunately, their supply of springs is extremely limited. Also, those are compression springs you linked to, we need torsion springs, and those are a really narrow offering. The closest one they have is this. I may be able to make it work, but won't know till I try it. But I will.

I haven't been through the recent micro-marks catalog but last year they had torsion springs for hand built switches. Maybe that would also be a place to look?

[splatman]

Ah, McMaster is my engineering bible. Unfortunately, their supply of springs is extremely limited. Also, those are compression springs you linked to, we need torsion springs, and those are a really narrow offering. The closest one they have is this. I may be able to make it work, but won't know till I try it. But I will.

I've never personally seen a Lego switch point, so I have little clue what their workings are like. When I hear/read "spring", if I don't think of the season, I think of compression springs. The McMaster page I linked was just really a guess on my part regarding the type of spring called for.

[Railfan9]

It's a small tab that when you press the switch lever it moves the switch points over.

[coaster]

I've never personally seen a Lego switch point, so I have little clue what their workings are like. When I hear/read "spring", if I don't think of the season, I think of compression springs. The McMaster page I linked was just really a guess on my part regarding the type of spring called for.

No problem, man. Looks like this:

There's a tab on the throw arm that fits between the legs of the spring. That moves the point while still allowing it to "flick".

[Railfan9]

No problem, man. Looks like this:

There's a tab on the throw arm that fits between the legs of the spring. That moves the point while still allowing it to "flick".

Intresting the one I had opened last week didn't have that little spring.

[coaster]

That is interesting. What did it look like? The one I ripped open is probably 25 years old, so wouldn't surprise me if the design's changed a bit since.