[MOC] Dual-voltage (9V-12V) GySEV Vectron locomotive

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Hello all,

I'd like to introduce my latest MOC, the Siemens Vectron locomotive of GySEV/ROeEE railway company. These locomotive appeared only months ago on Hungarian rails, the Austrian-Hungarian railway company, GySEV/ROeEE bought 9 of these with different equipment. Some of them are dual-voltage and run under 25kV, 50Hz (Hungary) and 15kV, 16.7Hz (Austria), some of them are capable to work with DC supply as well, and 2 of them with the two different AC-supply will get diesel units inside to ensure the locos can move on industrial tracks not electrified at all. 

When these locomotives started to appear I designed it in LDD, there was a little competition between Hungarian LEGO train fans with the design. I was the first who finished the virtual build and I loved it, so I decided to build it as soon as possible. 

This was the first versions, but only AC-DC locomotives have 4 pantographs, the AC-only types have only two of them. I'm quite proud of the angular green tile in the side pattern and also the angled front needed a little thinking around. I started to love the old hing plates with two and three teeth - these teeth do NOT brake the line of the hinge plate and the whole LEGO part fit into less space and easier to build other things on the top of these bricks. The slots for lights are also capable of to be lit by LEGO LED lights - another good invention introduced first in my Stadler FLIRTs to use the flexible exoforce tubes which are capable of bringing the light of PF LEDs where I need that light.

 

You may ask why is that M-motor hanging around - it has a great importance in this model! As the real thing with two different AC-supply, my Vectron works under two different LEGO-voltages - it is compatible with 9V track and 12V track as well! The M-motor switches a polarity switch brick, which cuts off 12V pickups from 9V train motor's contacts - when the locomotive runs in 9V mode, the pickups for 12V track could touch the same rail when going through 9V points, and the loco could short circuit herself! When the loco runs in 12V mode, the polarity switch is ON, and the 9V train motors are supplied from 12V track. At the other end of the locomotive there is an another M-motor - it cuts off the 9V train motor from the output of the controlling SBrick - it won't be a wise idea to power that SBrick both from battery box and both from the 9V track, through its output... Look at the next image, how it works:

So if the locomotive reaches the end of electrified track (12V or 9V), it still can carry her train forward - it can run on internal battery box as well.

And finally, yes, these stuff did fit into the model:

(Since the lower light on each side serves as red and white light on the real thing and upper slot serves for long distance lights at night I put white lights on the upper, red lights on the lower slots.)

Also some other images and further details can be found in Hispabrick Magazine #29:

http://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/sites/default/files/Descargas/HBM029_ENG.pdf

Comments and critics welcome!

Some other photos:

Edited January 30, 2018 by Ashi Valkoinen

[DaFokka]

When I read the title I did not expect this to be an actual dual voltage loc ;). Great work!

[Selander]

Great design !! 

[Feuer Zug]

And that's a heck of an engineering feat. Getting it to run on 9V and 12V without issues, great work. The model looks good too.

[baard]

Very nice loco, will we see it run? especially interested in seeing the train run between sections with different voltage

[Ashi Valkoinen]

34 minutes ago, baard said:

Very nice loco, will we see it run? especially interested in seeing the train run between sections with different voltage

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I'm currently working on a video showing the locomotive running between differently powered sections, the only problem occured I don't have enough 12V straight tracks! I'm waiting for a bigger package of track to arrive, then I can continue with the video. :)

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Absolutely gorgeous!

It's a real dual voltage ...epic machine and beautiful picture with the real train!

Perfect work and very nice bogie details!

[Paddi]

Wow, great Snot work you did!

[zephyr1934]

That is insane!

[kieran]

Fantastic that you created a real duel voltage setup, very clever use of parts to achieve this.

[Hod Carrier]

Blimey!! You've been busy. That's some very clever engineering packaged in a fantastic bundle and wrapped up with a bow. Very very nice indeed.

[harnbak]

Last picture with loc in display ... love it!

[Man with a hat]

Another beauty!

[HoMa]

@Ashi Valkoinen great model of the Siemens Vectron engine! I really like it how you managed to make the color scheme in bricks. And the idea of making the model also suitable for two electric systems is just great. The LEGO Vectron family is getting bigger :-)

[Ashi Valkoinen]

On 2/3/2018 at 4:44 PM, HoMa said:

@Ashi Valkoinen great model of the Siemens Vectron engine! I really like it how you managed to make the color scheme in bricks. And the idea of making the model also suitable for two electric systems is just great. The LEGO Vectron family is getting bigger :-)

Thanks for your kind words. It is special for me, because the book you had written has your Vectron locomotive on its front. :)

Some straight 12V tracks arrived finally (this is my first order of such and old system excluding some 12V parts ordered before for the locomotive), and of course it haven't worked first as I hoped. It worked quite slow on 12V sections (they were powered from a 9V speed regulator, because I don't have any 12V :D), so I decided to measure voltage on the track, on the 12V pickups and on the light gray plug of PF-cable, which leads to the train motor. There was 9V in the track (I cleaned them and all connections before) and 5V at the PF-cable, and it came quite clear in minutes that there is a 2,5-3 Ohm resistance between the 12V pickup and the 9V motor. Since the current flows this through twice (+ and -), it results in 5-6 Ohm resistance, while the internal resistance of the 9V train motor is 10 Ohm. So, that's why the loco runs slow on the 12V section, I'm pulling electrics apart and cleaning every connection I have - the old 12V parts seem to be little corroded, while the PF-part is fine - when running on internal battery box, the 7,2V of my rechargeable batteries appear on the PF-plug as well.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Ashi Valkoinen

[Nik Sentker]

hello,

nice model!

greetings niklas

[Ashi Valkoinen]

On 1/30/2018 at 3:52 PM, baard said:

Very nice loco, will we see it run? especially interested in seeing the train run between sections with different voltage

So, finally, got my 12V straights, built into the layout at a small section, had time to take some videos, so here it is (first time I have to hear my voice and I don't like it :D)

 

[baard]

Fantastic execution. Love the functionality of the model as well as the looks. 

[LegoMino]

HI AshiV ,

 

How are you? I am working at the biggest Vectron vehicle owner of Europe. Before this company I was 11 years Train driver in Austria.

Would you sell me the instroduction of this Vectron X4?

Thank you. Please contact me.

 

Best wishes