[MOC] Introducing AshiRAIL - VELO electric motor unit

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Hi all,

most of those people who know my LEGO Train works (following my topic at this forum or my Facebook page) know that I am building LEGO-replicas of real rolling stock running in Hungary and some neighbouring countries. Through the years I have built four different Stadler FLIRT units, a Bombardier Talent unit, Siemens Taurus and V63 locomotive pulling InterCity cars and a full set of Railjet train (Taurus locomotive + 7 cars). I also own some rare Hungarian trainset like BVmot and a real dual-voltage GySEV Vectron and also some trams.

For this work the aim was always the same: give back as many details of the real thing as I can, and I never tried to build my own MOC. Last week I designed a crossover of the new Powered UP train and Stadler FLIRT3 EMU - putting the wonderful color pattern of the new train set to one of my existing MOC trains. Three days ago I made a step forward finally and designed my own electric motor unit with unique color pattern and design.

For first I thought that it is really unique and the freedom of building whatever I want was really nice - later my friends in our LUG reminded me, that whatever I build finally it will look that Stadler have built it. So maybe I wasn't good enough to create something really unique, but at least this is my first MOC, with - as I have to acknowledge - a big influence of the Stadler railway vehicle manufacturer company.

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Since I enjoyed the planning of this three-car electric motor unit I decided to launch a train series built by the fictional company "AshiRAIL" (using the first part of my nickname which I use for 13 years by now). The first member of this series has the name VELO - a perfect solution for suburban and regional transport in LEGO City.

1. Overall look:

The color pattern is based on different greens - lime, green and dark green, separated by white lines. White lines go up to cross each other at every articulation, but to make it more fun pattern is not the same at all car endings - the short, 4th car containing all the Power Function elements have a different pattern, which influences the neighbouring cars as well. 

2. Front design with a big bulky part - but no gaps in the curved and sloped part!

Maybe Hod Carrier's (EB-member) Desiro ML's curved front inspired me for this front - but I really wanted the big 6×6 curved slope to be built into my model. Also please note the hinge tool an the driver inside the cabin - the mirrors can be opened but when they are closed they line up with the side wall of the train making her aerodynamics better. Horns and GPS-antenna is also placed on the top, just right above the top-light, which could be enlighten by Power Function led lights.

3. Front view:

The big bulky curved slope caused a lot of problems and many hours to find a good design for the glass - take a look at the next picture to see why:

Basically the train - as my other builds is 8W. 8 studs can be easily built with 20 plates in SNOT (1 stud = 2,5 plate), and since the curved slopes are in SNOT, they consume 1-1 bricks (3-3 plates) from the total width. So I was left with 14 plates remaining in the middle - 15 plates are equal to 6 studs which would mean a really easy build for the windscreen. Suspension of windscreen is indicated on the top left of this image. Other problem was to little black and lime cheese slopes next to the front light containing transparent cheese slopes - since the curved slope is 0,5 plate bigger, making a stud connection to those cheese slopes is very hard. As a previous version I used 1×2×2/3 grilled slopes and led light should have given light through the grilles - than I rememberd the part indicated at the bottom of the above image - it simply can hold both the big curved slope and the cheeses. I'm glad LEGO introduced this SNOTting part one or two years ago.

4. Front view 2.

The thing I don't like that much in my previous MOC builds that the Stadler trains have completely flat sidewall. So I decided use the 2×4×2/3, 1×2×2/3 and 2×2×2/3 curved slopes to make it more elegant. The front's big curved slope almost passed for this, where the side pattern needed, 1×2×2/3 curved slopes were repleced with cheese 1×1×2/3 and tile 1×1 part.

5. Interior

This is a low entry train with step-free interior - we can see here the middle car with a standard toliet inside.

6. Power Module

I learned in my Stadler FLIRT units that a big AA battery box (AAA emptied too quickly), an SBrick and the cables for 4 functions (interior lights, front A lights, front B lights, driving) needs a lot of space even in a 6 wide space. So to avoid consuming too much from the place designed for passangers I inserted a power module with Jacobs-bogies, which was introduced for real by estonian Stadler FLIRT diesel units. This is a good way to keep axle-load low, and I can spare every stud at the interior for the minifigs.

With all the small details and SNOT-techniques part count went up to 5129 bricks - the four-car long Stadler FLIRTs have around 3500. So it would be fun to build and especially to motorise it, but I think SBrick and 2 or 3 Power Function train motors can do the job.

Please tell my what do you think,

best regards,

AshiV

Edited September 13, 2018 by Ashi Valkoinen

[Stefaneris]

First, I love the paint scheme. It is something one does not see everyday and it looks quite elegant with the curves. The power module makes it look like a train from STADLER, since there are a lot of trains (especially the GTW) which have such a power module.

[zephyr1934]

That looks really nice and a lot of attention to the small details. I particularly like the way you did the windows

[Hod Carrier]

That’s 100% genius from front to back. Just the livery alone is jaw-dropping, but the attention to detail and the use of parts elevates this. Congratulations on starting your own rail company. 

[Man with a hat]

Impressive piece of engineering. The colour scheme is nice and really well executed. But what you managed to do with the front is stunning.

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Thank you for your replies so far.

I went quite for a while, because I was working on my next train MOC :) :)

[Roadmonkeytj]

This is very well composed and you are using great technique keep it up!