[OcTRAINber MOC - WIP] Dodge Ferrobus

[Hod Carrier]

I hope no-one is getting bored of my updates on this little project. I promise that it won't go on much longer (well, not past 31 October anyway ).

I've progressed far enough to be able to show a cutaway of the interior, displaying the internal configuration.

Once I'd decided that I was going to hide the battery in the roof, it became clear that there would be more than enough space to install the motor and SBrick. I'm not sure, however, that I'm going to be able to put much (if any) internal details.

Staging this shot did highlight a problem with the power lead. I've had to cut back the heat-shrink sheathing to give the cable enough flexibility so that the battery would lay flat in it's recess.

One more push and I should have the bus finished.

[ColletArrow]

Who said anyone was getting bored? I love watching a model build up like this!

That's a surprising amount of space inside; I really should try out a 9V battery like that sometime. I don't think there's much need for interior details, as the windows wouldn't really allow it to be seen. However, as you have gaps around the motor, can I suggest that you brace the bevel gears with either 87408 or 48496? Although it seems this model performs well without, those parts will make it truly impossible for the gears to slip! I think (from some experience) that it's good practice to reinforce as much as possible in these drive trains.

Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished bus trundling around the track. Good work.

[Hod Carrier]

Thanks for the tip. I did consider using something similar to the parts you recommended, but by that time I had already ordered the parts you see here. When the performance proved to be acceptable I decided to put the idea on the back burner for a while, but I may come back to it. It will need to redesign the floor slightly, but I think the number of parts necessary to make such a modification will be small, so I may tack them onto another order the next time I'm on Bricklink.

I think that the interior will be limited to a driver figure and not much more. I have a suitable character on order at the moment who is winging his way to my front door as I speak. Watch this space.

I've had another push on building and got the shape and structure of the body pretty much complete. There are still one or two things that still need to be done before I'm ready to submit my entry, but the finish line is now in sight.

The PP3 battery in it's little hidey hole. Putting it under the hinged roof rack helps to hold it in place while making access easy. It's also clear of the windows so isn't visible when in place.

There are a few more photos on my Flickr page.

Edited October 19, 2018 by Hod Carrier

[Laura Beinbrech]

Wow, that looks even more impressive in actual bricks!  Excellent work, there, Hod Carrier!

[Hod Carrier]

@Laura Takayama Thank you. That's most kind. I'm actually feeling pretty pleased with it too and agree that it looks better in brick than as a digital render.

@ColletArrow I've just tried your suggested parts in LDD, but sadly there is an issue.

As you can tell, both the motor and the drive axle are attached directly to the floor using stud-matched parts. Both of the parts you suggest create a half-stud offset between the end of the motor and the vertical shaft which makes attaching the motor less straightforward. Granted, it's not an insurmountable problem and could be remedied, but it's a slightly bigger job than it appears at first glance.

I'm inclined to leave it be on the basis that it's not a hugely heavy model that will never have to contend with a tail load and that the current design does capture the shafts and bevel gears acceptably well. The only real threats are if the motor comes adrift from the floor or the gear on the top of the vertical shaft slips down (although there's really only a tiny space for it to do so and it may still remain meshed). But I will keep your suggestions in mind as I may implement them on a future model. Thank you.

[Hod Carrier]

Why does it always seem that the postal service slows down when you have a deadline looming?

I've had a little hiatus while I waited on a few new parts. Firstly, I promised a driver. And I have one!! But, uh-oh. It's Johnny Thunder.

I've also had to spoil the look of the bus because I turned up some more recent photos which show signs of accident damage. Poor old 253's shapely curves have been marred by what looks like a minor collision with a road vehicle on a crossing. Consequently there are quite a few areas of rust appearing, and I thought that I should perhaps try to capture this.

 

I've also added stickers.

[Roadmonkeytj]

Looking great...  I really love this!  The damage is a good touch! 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Wonderful work ...as already said I think this is an epic and original project!

I like how you realize your MOCs, very sleek and well made!

[Hod Carrier]

I'm going to say that I'm finished now. Click the picture. It's a video!!

Edited October 31, 2018 by Hod Carrier

[supertruper1988]

4 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

I'm going to say that I'm finished now. Click the picture. It's a video!!

Looks great!! Love all the little details for such a strange prototype.

[Roadmonkeytj]

4 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

I'm going to say that I'm finished now. Click the picture. It's a video!!

This really moves like I pictured a rail bus would the shaking with the uneven track was great!  The video was really well composed.  Overall this is a favorite of mine!

[Andy Glascott]

That's a wonderful build @Hod Carrier. Very like the real thing, both in the way it looks and wobbles on the track.

[Hod Carrier]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone. 

Yes it does wobble a fair bit. Part of that is no doubt due to it being a bit top heavy but it’s also because the track wasn’t the smoothest. In both respects that probably makes it very much like the prototype. 

[Laura Beinbrech]

Excellent work on the final project, including replicating the damaged left fender (I did a google search for "Ferrobus 253" and it turned up plenty of shots of the original).  I also recognize the tune you used in your video:  There was a group from Peru called K'antus, who were mostly Inca that played traditional music from the Andes who were in Japan the first year I was stationed there, and you could find them playing in the streets in various towns around Tokyo, and I actually bought one of their CDs and I know I still have it around the house somewhere.

Anyways, I've really enjoyed your build for the Octrainber contest from start to finish, and appreciate you sharing it with us.

[Hod Carrier]

@Laura Takayama You're most welcome. I enjoy the challenge set by OcTRAINber to try and design and build something new against the clock like this, and being able to share the process with the community just adds to the enjoyment. It's nice to put other projects aside for a while because you can come back to them fresh later. Maybe you'll join in next year...?

I remember that there was a brief vogue for Andean panpipe music back in the 1990s that even reached as far as the UK. I don't recall if any of the more successful groups like K'antus ever visited, but every Saturday there would be an Andean musician dressed in traditional clothes in the town centre playing panpipes to a backing track. I'm afraid that, although the music track for my video may sound like K'antus, it actually came from an online library of copyright-free music. The artist is a very Nordic sounding Magnus Ringblom.

[Laura Beinbrech]

@Hod Carrier, I know it's not K'antus, because their version of the song, which I believe is actually called "Ferrocaril" (railroad/train) is a bit faster & has some additional "vocals" which evoke stationmasters calling out & such like that. ;)

And the time period you mentioned would be correct:  I was stationed in Yokosuka from 2000-2003, and K'antus was in Japan in 2001.

As for participating in OcTRAINber next year, we'll see... I'm currently trying to build up my train stuff, and currently everything I'm doing (including building replicas of East Broad Top RR equipment) is going to be used in my post-apocalyptic setting (like the mutant double-ended evolved EMD F-unit that is a hybrid electro-biofuel locomotive used by the Federal Republic of America's Army Logistics Command for hauling fast troop & supply trains). 

If I can get at least one or two full, working motorized trains done before October of next year AND my budget allows it, I might participate, but I do really bad with events that have hard deadlines, due to being busy with a lot of RL stuff (including volunteer work at two RL heritage railways) and being a horrible procrastinator.... As a matter of fact, my registering to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, even with setting a personal goal that is only half of the 50k word official goal is a big, and somewhat scary, step for me in regards to things like this.

 

[Hod Carrier]

You've just floored me with that fact. Wow!! I'm going to have to search now for the K'antus version you mentioned.

The music I chose was one of only three suitable tunes in the library, all of which have the same meter and feel. I could have used any of them but, of the three, I chose this one simply because it was the right length. To know that the K'antus song evokes the railroad and rail travel just makes it seem even more appropriate to use it.

I do know what you mean about doing things against deadlines, because I'm not terribly well-organised either. I tend to leave things to the last minute and then rush to get things completed on time. But in the case of things I enjoy doing it doesn't seem like so much of a chore.

I like OcTRAINber primarily because I don't see myself as a particularly skilled builder. I have a fairly haphazard approach to choosing subjects and build things without any particular idea how they go with each other or anything else. I have a cupboard slowly filling up with Dutch 4-wide scale models, two UK freight wagons, a signalbox interlocking frame and now a Bolivian narrow gauge railbus. I don't have the backing of a LUG or any other contact with the AFOL community at large except through this forum. I just seem to have a knack for putting one brick on top of another and creating things that look not entirely unlike what they're meant to look like. For me, OcTRAINber is a way to get a feel for where my skill level actually sits by having my work judged by some of the best LEGO train builders and being in competition with other skilled builders. And, wouldn't you know it, I even won a prize last year, so I can't be doing too badly!!

Ultimately it's just a bit of fun; something to look forward to and join in with. It's great to see all the amazing designs that come out of contests like this one. We get to see some great creations throughout the year but, thanks to the guys at BMR, October now brings the richest outpouring of new MOCs. It would be great to see you involved (and everyone else too) next year if you can spare the time and resources.

[Laura Beinbrech]

Right, I understand, but another thing I have to deal with, particularly when any kind of competition is involved, is the fact that I have general anxiety disorder & periodic depression (which is mostly caused by my anxiety), and while I've been seeing a professional therapist for the past 2 years and have been making significant progress in getting both under control, the fact is that even now, just the idea of entering into a competition is enough to send my anxiety into overdrive right now, and losing would probably put me in a month-long depression spiral...  Especially since I struggle with depression around this time of year for several personal reasons (not the least of which is that this is around the time my mom lost her battle with cancer last year).

Hopefully by this time next year, I'll have made further progress in overcoming my anxiety issues, and since I won't have the Great Army Update of 2018 going on (seriously:  I've spent at least $500 on minifig parts & custom minifig weapons/accessories since August of this year so I could finally get all my various factions' militaries sorted out), I might be up to participating.

[dr_spock]

Very nice work on the bus. I like how the battery is almost like cargo for the roof rack.  I used the same motor mount for my Pacer railcar MOC.  It worked well enough for Pacer reliability and ride quality.     Actually it is fine for light loads like one car.

 

[Hod Carrier]

Thank you, doctor. Yes, the transmission seems to be holding up pretty well and caused no trouble at all. 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Really nice progress, fits very well to the competition, both the model and the WIP photos, descriptions. My favourite part is above the roof - I like the paralel bars which are so close to each other, this technique could be very useful in many other non-trains MOCs as well.

Looking at the interior may I suggest the old 9V battery box and a short Power Functions extension cable? It could make all your driving systems based on unmodified LEGO parts at a little cost of interior space. Also maybe the motor PF M could be suspended under the carriage to win some more space inside. Just ideas. :)

Your bus reminded me to a prototype they tried in Hungary for marginal lines - converting Ikarus 260 buses to trains. Tests were unsuccesful, but we had a yellow bus on train tracks for a while. I'm wondering in how many countries they made a try with such a combination to cut costs...

https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/MÁV_Ikarus_260#/media/File:Ikarusz260sinautobusz.jpg

[Laura Beinbrech]

1 hour ago, Ashi Valkoinen said:

Your bus reminded me to a prototype they tried in Hungary for marginal lines - converting Ikarus 260 buses to trains. Tests were unsuccesful, but we had a yellow bus on train tracks for a while. I'm wondering in how many countries they made a try with such a combination to cut costs...

https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/MÁV_Ikarus_260#/media/File:Ikarusz260sinautobusz.jpg

I think just about every country has done something similar at some point to help reduce operating costs during the period of transition from steam to diesel, with the concurrent rise of the automobile.

The Pennsylvania & other railroads used what were essentially self-propelled gas-electric combine cars (that looked a lot like streetcars, but without the pole for collecting power from overhead wires) called "Doodlebugs", one of the last surviving & probably the only operational example being East Broad Top Railroad's 3-foot gauge M-1.  Then there were the Rio Grande Southern that converted pretty much all its operations over to a class of rail buss/trucks known as Galloping Geese.

If they ever make all the parts I need in Dark Green & Dark Red, I want to try and make the East Broad Top M-1 at some point.  In the case of the M-1, the front half of the car (not including the cab, which also has the gasoline engine & generator that powers the electric motors in the wheels) is for freight/mail & the back half of the car has passenger seating.

[Hod Carrier]

They tried something broadly similar here too in the shape of the Leyland Experimental Vehicle (LEV), a series of prototypes that eventually lead to the almost train-like Pacers that are still with us today.

@Ashi Valkoinen Your suggestions are noted and I shall have a look and see if any changes could be made in the light of them. It would have been nice to have had the space for some sort of interior.