BrickTracks: different curves, PF/9V compatible

[SD100]

Is the new R104 just an improved version? I just bought a full circle and they seem great.

[bricks n bolts]

Not sure, but think @coaster mentioned moving from aluminum to steel molds at a new mold shop to ensure greater polish/finish.

[coaster]

Yep, moving to steel to improve the finish, plus the aluminum tooling doesn't last forever, and we were seeing the first signs of wear.

[coaster]

Making inspections.  Lots of things needing to be fixed still, but we're getting there.

 

[ritztoys]

Those look very nice....., can hardly wait to get my hands on a least one full set! (or two or three) lol

[Matt Dawson]

Ooh. They look nice. 

[coaster]

Just an update of where things stand: I need to make some changes to the indexing mechanism of the switch stand.  I put @Cale to work over the weekend at the NILTC show and made him click it back and forth for about an hour.  It wasn't working quite how I wanted it to, and as expected, the clicks wore out by the end. 

On the switches themselves, the anti-studs on the bottom need quite a bit of work still, either clutching too tightly or so tightly that they can't even be assembled. 

There are a few other minor areas in need of improvement, but everything is being fixed. 

Beyond this, I probably won't have any further updates until after Christmas.

[lego9vtrainfan]

Thanks for the update — appreciate all the quality testing and refinements that you are putting into these. Looking forward to the final product!

[SD100]

I know the switches are the priority right now, but do you have any plans to make any curves between r56 and r104 down the line?

I gotta say, both my orders so far have been on my front porch within 3 days of ordering, you really don't screw around with the shipping!

Thanks!

sd100

[coaster]

Yep, post switches, I'll do R72 and R88.  

[Robin_IV]

Switches and more curves. This sounds very pleasant to me! 

I browse more often than I want through your Product Page on your website @coaster. I would so much buy R120 curves. But I have NO Room for these behemots :D

And I really love this test mold of the switch. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Robin_IV

[Ashi Valkoinen]

@coaster, once you shared with me or somewhere an URL on Shapeways for R104 point design suitable to be equipped with H0 flexi track to work with 9V layouts. It was available only in white colour so additional painting was needed, but 9V. I could not find this design anymore, but as far as I remember well a single crossover of this was tested on some USA LTC event definitely with 9V. Are there any updats, news around these items? I know you work in correct order to get the buisness into motion, but I'm curious if any 9V-compatible large radius curve or point will ever appear, giving up hope on these :(

[HoMa]

@Ashi Valkoinen check out https://fxbricks.com/

Michael Gale and his team are working on a complete track system based on the 9 V LEGO train system.

[Dhivael]

On 12/18/2019 at 4:59 PM, coaster said:

Yep, post switches, I'll do R72 and R88.  

Really excited to hear this news-- I've been holding off buying R88s from others hoping that this would be coming soon.

[Ludo]

17 hours ago, HoMa said:

@Ashi Valkoinen check out https://fxbricks.com/

Michael Gale and his team are working on a complete track system based on the 9 V LEGO train system.

Hi all,

I wasn't on the latest Afol meeting in Skaerbaek (Denmark), but some members of my Lug where.

Michael Gale was also present to annonce the 9V track and got some samples with him to distribute among the train fans.

I received trough one of my AFOL collegues a double length 9V track, and I can assure you that it looks great.

I'm also looking forward to those tracks as I have only 9V track at home.

My collegue kept the curved 9V track sample. I'm not quite sure, but I think its a R88.

And, also interesting for the Europeans, Michael confirmed me that there will be a European distribution point.

Where this would be is not yet known.

I hope this answer some of your questions.

 

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

19 hours ago, HoMa said:

@Ashi Valkoinen check out https://fxbricks.com/

Michael Gale and his team are working on a complete track system based on the 9 V LEGO train system.

@HoMa, thank you for the notification, I'm following both their webstie and their topic here, hope it will go well and 2020 will be a happy year for all L-gauge railroaders, but I've seen a complete product from coaster but couldn't find it anymore on the internet.

56 minutes ago, Ludo said:

Hi all,

[...]

 

 

@Ludo, thank you for information, and now we can let coaster's topic for BT-tracks. :)

[Ludo]

Hi Ashi,

The only location I know from Coaster is: https://www.bricktracks.com/

I wish everyone on the forum a Happy 2020 and a lot of building pleasure. 

[coaster]

@Ashi Valkoinen, I did have them on Shapeways, but they were removed in the great LEGO purge earlier this year.  They were custom made for a few people and used the inverted HO rail technique.  They were specially made by request, there wasn't ever a plan to produce them that way.  @legoman666 has a few of them, I'm sure he could post some pictures. 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

41 minutes ago, coaster said:

@Ashi Valkoinen[...] there wasn't ever a plan to produce them that way.  [...]

So some other way they could be produced in the future? :)

[coaster]

1 hour ago, Ashi Valkoinen said:

So some other way they could be produced in the future? :)

Not the way I would have liked, unfortunately.  There simply isn't enough demand to warrant the tooling costs.  You're talking $250k in tooling to produce those switches. 

They could be 3D printed with the rails, but it's not something I'm going to be undertaking.  I'll talk to some people though, there may be someone willing to champion it.

[Ashi Valkoinen]

@coaster: is there any way or price for the 3D-model itself to print on my own? I think with the H0 flexibe rail (am I right?) I can insert it, cut it and make it work. As far as I remember the point itself in consists of one shape, not modular like 4DBrix points. I understan tooling for 250k$ will never pay off, but on smaller scale maybe people can use the work you already done with that prototype. I'll PM legoman666 as well for details.

[bogieman]

@coaster: Looking forward to your R104 switches and wondering if two of the same hand switches are put back to back making a crossover between parallel tracks what track spacing results? Also, will you be at Brickworld Indianapolis with samples (I'm anxious)?

[coaster]

7 hours ago, bogieman said:

@coaster: Looking forward to your R104 switches and wondering if two of the same hand switches are put back to back making a crossover between parallel tracks what track spacing results? Also, will you be at Brickworld Indianapolis with samples (I'm anxious)?

Yes, a left and left for instance would perfectly space you on the stud grid.   

Not sure if I'll make it to BW Indy, but I will at a minimum have samples there in some fashion. 

Just to update everyone, the mold shop doing the tracks and wheels is closed due to the coronavirus. They were hoping to reopen today, but I don't believe that happened, so at this time I have no ETA on when these parts will be finished.

[JochemvdMeulen]

On 2/11/2020 at 12:19 AM, coaster said:

Just to update everyone, the mold shop doing the tracks and wheels is closed due to the coronavirus. They were hoping to reopen today, but I don't believe that happened, so at this time I have no ETA on when these parts will be finished.

I thought that the Bricktracks product where product in the USA.

Not that I have a problem with products produced in Asia. I don't even live in the USA.

[coaster]

4 hours ago, JochemvdMeulen said:

I thought that the Bricktracks product where product in the USA.

Not that I have a problem with products produced in Asia. I don't even live in the USA.

The current ones are, but the switch molds are so complex that they were simply too expensive to have made here.  It was either make them overseas or not make them at all.