Which track?

[Lankygit]

Having purchased my first trains (2xHE) I am now wondering what to do about power and track? I literally have nothing, just an unpowered loco. So given my 'blank canvas' status, what version or track/power should I go for? I love the metal rail option but I am unsure on likely cost, I have a large space to fill.

[technic70s]

9V metal track and motors are out of production, Power functions and plastic track is the current in production Lego standard.

[Stefaneris]

Hello

Metal rails (9V) have the advantage of using a small amount of space in the loc comapared to the PF, however as you already said, it is quite expensive - especially the straight rails. If you consider buying other new trains then you should go for PF, and with PF you can run your train on every rail type. Also, PF rails are easier to get since they are still in production.

[Richfilth]

I'd say that if you're not building a set for show purposes, then the extra expense of metal rails is unnecessary. Batteries can power the locomotives for more than one extended play session, and the availability of plastic tracks and PF motors far outweighs the power benefit of 9V rails and motors.

Of course, if you see a job lot of metal rails selling cheaply then buy them; they're compatible with plastic rails and your HE's will have no problems running on them. But if you just want to get your trains up and running, you can get a lot more plastic rails for your money.

[JayDee96]

As others have already said, for starting in trains at this time you're probably better off going with the non-powered, Power Functions rail, basically for cost reasons and availability. There are third party metal rails coming, but my understanding is they are still a small while off, and depends if you want to go that direction. I have seen some members that keep their 9v systems running really well but is hard to maintain a system that isn't supported anymore (opinion). A big part of 9v motors also appear to be hitting their wear life and people are scratching for maintenance solutions. Ultimately depends what you're willing to chase.

[fred67]

Agree with everyone else, although I have hopes that ME models will pull through with their metal track and maybe introduce a new compatible motor. Until then, PF is the only really reasonable solution.

[Breakdown]

Having purchased my first trains (2xHE) I am now wondering what to do about power and track? I literally have nothing, just an unpowered loco. So given my 'blank canvas' status, what version or track/power should I go for? I love the metal rail option but I am unsure on likely cost, I have a large space to fill.

If I was in this situation, there is one thing that I wish people would tell me first . . . and here it is:

Aside from all of the positives and negatives metal track (9V) vs. plastic (Power Function) track.

9V and 12V tracks have one restriction that PowerFunction tracks lack and its that a train can go backwards.

Now when I say backwards, I DO NOT mean that there are trains that don't travel in both directions, but if you imagine a track shaped like the letter 'P' where you have a switch in the center of the inverted line. That illegal and your stuff will short out if you have 9V, if you are running a PF train, it'll start at the bottom of the oddly shaped P and continue around and back down the bottom of the P like a turnaround. Controlling multiple trains is also easier, or possible depending on your perspective.

[*thomas*]

I took the plunge and went with 9V many years after it was out of production. I just bough some 9V train sets and sold the trains without motor and track, did not cost me as much as buying pieces of track.

But that's just me :).

[dr_spock]

PF and plastic tracks are the way to go if you have costs concerns and not into Do-It-Yourself. 9V motors and 9V rails are out production. You would be dependent on second hand market supply and demand pricing. There are 3rd party rails, availability can be dependent on how often production runs and stock.

[*thomas*]

Forgot to mention that I run both PF and 9V on my metal track. I chose the metal track because of the looks.

[ummester]

I thought about buying up on some 9V stuff before I ordered a new PF motor. I do prefer the idea of using a power point over batteries, what swayed me back to PF was the idea that multiple trains can fun in different speeds and direction with PF and not with 9V.

Did raise an interesting question with a work mate, however - why don't LEGO or model Railways make RC Electric tracks? Have a track with constant power and RC Locos that draw from it, kind of thing?

Edited March 1, 2015 by ummester

[JayDee96]

Model railways have been doing so for a little while now ummester with DCC (direct command control), where the track gives constant power through a modified AC signal and can also send data to decoders in the locomotive through this signal. So speed, sound, lights, smoke, switches can all be controlled from the AC signal in the track and a handheld remote. Is this what you were looking for?

[ummester]

Yes JayDee, just reading up on it - DCC is exactly what I was talking about. I just didn't know it existed

Now, wouldn't it be sweet if someone made a DCC type MOD for LEGO trains - best of both worlds. Looks and power of 9V, with PF type control.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

It would be a dream, but there would be expensive costs for the digital control equipment in addiction of extra cost for an "out of production" 9V system

You have to seriously consider the cheap PF lego system (4 batteries cost just 0.99 euro) and you can play for hours

[peterab]

why don't LEGO or model Railways make RC Electric tracks? Have a track with constant power and RC Locos that draw from it, kind of thing?

Modifying a 9V motor for DCC is relatively easy, and it has been done. Why don't LEGO do it? For the same reason it killed off 9V. The track is more expensive and their target market of kids mostly don't care.

[ummester]

Ha ha - I guess if we really want DCC trains we could always just use model railways, rather than LEGO :) I like designing my own trains from scratch though, which seems easier in LEGO.

Funny thing, last year I set about building a model like Galleon out of LEGO and I looked at what the cost would be to but a similar scaled model Galleon - it was around the same. I recon trains would be similar, the 'L' gauge ones would cost pretty much the same as the others.

Edited March 1, 2015 by ummester

[*thomas*]

I thought about buying up on some 9V stuff before I ordered a new PF motor. I do prefer the idea of using a power point over batteries, what swayed me back to PF was the idea that multiple trains can fun in different speeds and direction with PF and not with 9V.

That's why I use metal track. Some off my trains run with a 9V motor (mostly trains that go round at constant speed), the other (shunting etc) run with PF.

[Aaron]

I like the power functions system because it functions the same way that real trains do. I like making LEGO trains as close to real trains as possible.

[dr_spock]

You can adapt model railroading DCC to LEGO trains. Some AFOLs already do that.

Using plastic train tracks and batteries remove the chance of killing yourself by electrocution. Except maybe when recharging the batteries but you can let your parents do that as the battery boxes and covers are screwed down.

[jamesed_1971]

I would use Power Functions and the Lego RC Track plus now with ME Models, you have more curves to use, and if you decide to go 9 volt, ME Models are doing Metal Tracks as well, and you can combine both, use a old nine volt motor to recharge the Power Functions rechargeable battery,

[Xan326]

You can adapt model railroading DCC to LEGO trains. Some AFOLs already do that.

Using plastic train tracks and batteries remove the chance of killing yourself by electrocution. Except maybe when recharging the batteries but you can let your parents do that as the battery boxes and covers are screwed down.

Killing yourself with 9 volt tracks? I don't think so, the power isn't there to really harm anything. Even recharging batteries doesn't have the chance of electrocuting someone to death. Again, there's not enough power for it to do anything. There's only one possible way that these components could electrocute someone to death, but there's a very slim chance of that happening.

[Heppeng]

Now when I say backwards, I DO NOT mean that there are trains that don't travel in both directions, but if you imagine a track shaped like the letter 'P' where you have a switch in the center of the inverted line. That illegal and your stuff will short out if you have 9V, if you are running a PF train, it'll start at the bottom of the oddly shaped P and continue around and back down the bottom of the P like a turnaround. Controlling multiple trains is also easier, or possible depending on your perspective.

There is a way round that, although it would not be 100% lego and will only work if your trains go around the loop in the same direction. Isolate the loop electrically and feed it from a bridge rectifier. When the train is in the loop flick it in to reverse, the train will continue forwards but when it reaches the end of the loop the polarity of the rest of the circuit will match and it will continue on its way.

[F0NIX]

I started with LEGO trains a few years back and had the same issue. Which type of tracks should I use? At that point LEGO had allready stopped producing 9V tracks and had switched to the plastic PF rails. The first two trains I bought was the RC trains. With those there is an issue of controlling many of them and in an city layout you always needed a line of sight.

Then the PF trains arrived, they where better as you could place the electronics where ever you like in the train even though they are a bit bulky compared to the 9V system.

With the PF-system you can have a maximum of 8 trains with no extra function on each train. I tried making systems to control them with a LEGO Mindstorm NXT and a IR transmitter to control the trains. That works fine as long as the train is in visible sight of the IR transmitter.

But now there is way around the controlling issue with PF is using systems like GamesOnTrack (www.gamesontraack.com). I have bought a complete set from GOT and got positioning and can control many trains at once and make automatic or manual decision of where to send each train. The system can also control switches and signal lights.

Here is a small test video I made to show the system:

So to wrap it up, go for PowerFuncion and then add a GamesOnTrack system later on, then you are all set up for the future of LEGO trains :)

Edited March 7, 2015 by F0NIX