Fx Bricks (Michael Gale) announces Fx Track system

[zephyr1934]

3 hours ago, Black Knight said:

P40 Switch Preview (Video)

Wow! (the video clearly shows a prototype of the power supply and track connectors too)

[McWaffel]

Yes! Track connectors! 
Shut up and take my money 

[Toastie]

8 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

and track connectors too

The color is interesting - "prototype" means, it may change with regard to colors, right? I mean, I am good at gray - but that connector is a bit color-rich, isn't it?

Just curious.

Best
Thorsten 

[dylanfarrow]

his Flickr account shows them in grey. Sorry, don't know why I can't find it right now :/

[zephyr1934]

15 hours ago, Toastie said:

The color is interesting - "prototype" means, it may change with regard to colors, right? I mean, I am good at gray - but that connector is a bit color-rich, isn't it?

I have no inside information, I just know that previously he showed renders of them and I'm pretty sure they were dark blay. Michael is too serious to do something so obnoxious as orange track connectors. My guess is that the ones in the video are either 3D printed or test moldings.

[mark6399]

On 2/12/2022 at 4:57 AM, dylanfarrow said:

his Flickr account shows them in grey. Sorry, don't know why I can't find it right now :/

He may have taken the picture down for some reason. I had Favorited it, but it isn't showing up in my Favorites Album anymore. He also showed prototypes of his metal wheels, which looked pretty cool!

[Traintrax]

Is it my imagination or does the power truck appear to raise up when going through the switch frog and then lower back down?  Like it is not deep enough to accommodate the extra large flanges on the wheels.

[supertruper1988]

16 minutes ago, Traintrax said:

Is it my imagination or does the power truck appear to raise up when going through the switch frog and then lower back down?  Like it is not deep enough to accommodate the extra large flanges on the wheels.

it is not just you. I had the same thought.

[Andy Glascott]

I suspect that once a locomotive is sitting on top of the motor any bump will be hardly noticeable. The motor unit is so light on it’s own that any small bump will be noticeable.

[zephyr1934]

1 hour ago, Traintrax said:

Is it my imagination or does the power truck appear to raise up when going through the switch frog and then lower back down?  Like it is not deep enough to accommodate the extra large flanges on the wheels.

If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure normal lego 9v motors on normal lego 9v switches do the same, keeping the motor wheels from dipping when the wheel actually goes over the gap in the frog and the gap as it goes over the missing point on the lego switches.

Regardless, it is probably not an issue for lego train motors that have sprung wheels that press them to the rails, but it might be an issue for the FX train motors that are sounding like they have rigid wheels. Presumably they will test their new motor design on the switches before finalizing production of either the switch or the motor.

 

 

[dr_spock]

On 2/6/2022 at 11:49 PM, mark6399 said:

@michaelgale I had one question I wanted to ask related to the metal composition of the rails. I saw on your website that the rails are made from nickel-plated copper beryllium, and I was a little concerned seeing the copper beryllium as I've heard of health issues regarding beryllium dust. How durable is the nickel coating? Would it wear down over time at the rail joints from connecting and disconnecting tracks together or wear down where the metal wheels contact the edge of the rail, exposing the copper beryllium?

If I were to modify any of the tracks to different geometries, would special PPE be required if I'd be cutting into or grinding the rails with a Dremel? I've heard that the main hazard with the beryllium alloys is breathing the dust.

I might be being paranoid, but also just curious.

Thanks

What kind of health issues?  Did you look up the material safety data sheets? 

[michaelgale]

@mark6399 Our rails (and also LEGO® brand 9V) are make from nickel plated copper beryllium (NiBeCu).  This is a very common material for fabricating precision stamped metal components.  NiBeCu is perfectly safe in its finished form.  The safety concerns are related to machining/sanding/etc. NiBeCu and the inhalation of particles.  This is a safety concern which relevant to any material which is machined and the use of masks is always recommended.  Check out the comment section on my BrickNerd article for more info: https://bricknerd.com/home/this-old-track-maintaining-and-restoring-your-metal-9v-track-11-2-21

Re: Orange Feeders:  These are 3D printed prototype enclosures.  The real product as shown in other photos on my flickr page is injection molded ABS in dark bluish grey.

Re: Bogie wobble:  What you observe is a very light weight vehicle reacting normally to vertical deflections of the rail due to the gap in the frog.  There are two main points to make:

1. The LEGO 9V motor bogie wheels are not rigidly mounted to the drive axle.  Rather, they are "sprung" outwards so that the comically sized flange can make electrical contact with the rail.  This loose and elastic wheel mount is less than ideal for smooth ride quality.  Its difficult for a LEGO 9V motor bogie to maintain consistent vertical "ride height" since its wheels are constantly being "pinched" by the track and deflected slightly upwards due to its inherent sprung mounting.  You can see this especially in tight curves where the gauge-narrowing increases the effect.  When the bogie is mounted into a locomotive, the weight due to gravity of the locomotive helps resist these vertical forces and the effect is less apparent.

2. The Fx Bricks P40 switch is designed to be more like an actual railway switch.  Firstly, it does not include any artificial filler segments in the flangeway to support the wheel flange over rail gaps or transitions.  The principle of allowing weight transfer from the wheel tread to the wheel flange and using the wheel flange for vertical support is completely unacceptable.  The role of the flange is strictly for lateral guidance.  If weight transfer is constantly being exchanged between the flange and tread this can increase the probability of derailment and prevents the flange from performing its role of maintaining lateral guidance.  

All of the rails in the P40 switch have consistent cross-sectional profile along their entire length--even in the frog/crossing vee.  This ensures proper guidance and smooth running along the entire switch.  The gap in the frog is short enough that vertical deflection of the wheelset is subtle and brief.  We have verified wheelset ride quality using every Lego train compatible wheel size/shape we can find, including the small "narrow gauge" wheels up to Big Ben XL.  

[Wimmer]

@michaelgale Hi Michael,... I'm still very interested in all this and bought some boxes of track earlier to check it all out.  But I'm also very resistant currently to buy a lot more track until switches, motor bogies and power supply units/transformers are introduced.  Do you have a (very) rough idea of when these items will be coming available, and what the estimated prices might be for them ?

I'm not asking because I can't wait; I'm asking because I discontinued my Fleischmann HO hobby after the company went out of business, and I wanted to combine your new package, with my Lego hobby, and with my still burning desire for a model railroad layout...

Thank you for answering...

[michaelgale]

@Wimmer Your sentiments about waiting to see if other key products are "real" before willing to invest in metal track are definitely shared with many fellow hobbyists.  I completely understand this position and it makes sense.  

At Fx Bricks we have always recognized that making metal track for a declining market of existing 9V Lego train fans does not make sense.  A metal track system can not survive without "closing the loop" with other support products such as feeders, cable, power supplies, controllers, motor drives, etc.  We did not invest significant resources into making track without an overall strategic product plan.  

Here are some overall points which I think will help folks understand us:

1. We have a plan

The Fx Track system is the first of part of our product development strategy.  It poses relatively lower technical risks and was quicker to design/tool/manufacture ready for market.  It also offers us a modest revenue stream to offset on going investment in new products.

Metal track is 1/3 of our plan.  The other 2 components are power/control systems and motor drive systems.  Without all 3x elements, our plan is not viable.  

2. We can't predict availability / schedule

I know its frustrating to not know when we might be releasing new products.  Ironically, we share the frustration because we are at the mercy of many other supplier/manufacturing partners in terms of their capacity and availability.  Some of the uncertainties are due to normal engineering process.  That is, we design a product and its elements, we produce a small batch of prototype samples, and then perform testing and evaluation.  Inevitably, there are things that will require correction/iteration/refinement etc.  Sometimes these errors are made by us, but more often it is due to one or more of our manufacturing partners.  This requires yet another round of tooling, production, and evaluation.  We have to make sure its correct, because of massive risks of investing in a large scale production for 1000s of units.  When we are satisfied with the design, we then "green light" production.  Usually at this point, we open our store for pre-orders.

3. We're getting closer

By now you have seen some evidence of our progress on several key products:

a. P40 switch - Its tooled and we have pre-production samples.  We have several changes to make to both plastic and metal components.  This will take some time, but hopefully after these corrective actions, we'll be in a position to green-light production.  Our best estimate is summer 2022.

b. Track feeder - It is also tooled and we have samples.  The manufacturer has to correct some mold issues, but the electrical design is good.  

c. Motor bogie - There is so much going on behind the scenes that I will share later.  Suffice to say it is going to be well worth the wait!

I hope by now we at Fx Bricks have earned enough of your trust and confidence that we are capable of developing and manufacturing high quality products with care, passion, and attention to detail.  The scale and scope of work required to develop these products is massive.  Yet, by now, you are seeing some hints and indications that they more than concept pictures or CAD renders, but actual physical items which have been tooled and produced.  This should inspire enough confidence that the products WILL be coming, not IF.  The WHEN part of the equation, we don't know yet, but suffice to say within the year.

Another confidence factor is that we have not resorted to crowd-funding or pre-orders based on concepts/prototypes.  We only take your money when the product is ready.  We are incurring almost all the risk and hope that it will give you folks the confidence that we're in this for the long-game.  

[XG BC]

30 minutes ago, michaelgale said:

@Wimmer. Motor bogie - There is so much going on behind the scenes that I will share later.  Suffice to say it is going to be well worth the wait!

but please please dont let me wait too long. my e69 005 loco that ill build irl some time this year will need a motor and i dont want to have to buy a 20+ years old motor that has been abused for her.

[Wimmer]

50 minutes ago, michaelgale said:

@Wimmer Your sentiments about waiting to see if other key products are "real" before willing to invest in metal track are definitely shared with many fellow hobbyists.  I completely understand this position and it makes sense.  

At Fx Bricks we have always recognized that making metal track for a declining market of existing 9V Lego train fans does not make sense.  A metal track system can not survive without "closing the loop" with other support products such as feeders, cable, power supplies, controllers, motor drives, etc.  We did not invest significant resources into making track without an overall strategic product plan.  

Here are some overall points which I think will help folks understand us:

1. We have a plan

The Fx Track system is the first of part of our product development strategy.  It poses relatively lower technical risks and was quicker to design/tool/manufacture ready for market.  It also offers us a modest revenue stream to offset on going investment in new products.

Metal track is 1/3 of our plan.  The other 2 components are power/control systems and motor drive systems.  Without all 3x elements, our plan is not viable.  

2. We can't predict availability / schedule

I know its frustrating to not know when we might be releasing new products.  Ironically, we share the frustration because we are at the mercy of many other supplier/manufacturing partners in terms of their capacity and availability.  Some of the uncertainties are due to normal engineering process.  That is, we design a product and its elements, we produce a small batch of prototype samples, and then perform testing and evaluation.  Inevitably, there are things that will require correction/iteration/refinement etc.  Sometimes these errors are made by us, but more often it is due to one or more of our manufacturing partners.  This requires yet another round of tooling, production, and evaluation.  We have to make sure its correct, because of massive risks of investing in a large scale production for 1000s of units.  When we are satisfied with the design, we then "green light" production.  Usually at this point, we open our store for pre-orders.

3. We're getting closer

By now you have seen some evidence of our progress on several key products:

a. P40 switch - Its tooled and we have pre-production samples.  We have several changes to make to both plastic and metal components.  This will take some time, but hopefully after these corrective actions, we'll be in a position to green-light production.  Our best estimate is summer 2022.

b. Track feeder - It is also tooled and we have samples.  The manufacturer has to correct some mold issues, but the electrical design is good.  

c. Motor bogie - There is so much going on behind the scenes that I will share later.  Suffice to say it is going to be well worth the wait!

I hope by now we at Fx Bricks have earned enough of your trust and confidence that we are capable of developing and manufacturing high quality products with care, passion, and attention to detail.  The scale and scope of work required to develop these products is massive.  Yet, by now, you are seeing some hints and indications that they more than concept pictures or CAD renders, but actual physical items which have been tooled and produced.  This should inspire enough confidence that the products WILL be coming, not IF.  The WHEN part of the equation, we don't know yet, but suffice to say within the year.

Another confidence factor is that we have not resorted to crowd-funding or pre-orders based on concepts/prototypes.  We only take your money when the product is ready.  We are incurring almost all the risk and hope that it will give you folks the confidence that we're in this for the long-game.  

@michaelgale Thank you Michael !...  I do agree that you are taking all of the risk. And I also want to mention that the boxes of straight track are beautifully made and packed. So I do really appreciate what you're doing for the communities of Lego train enthusiasts, world wide...

You have my support for sure, and I will be ordering some curved track soon;... but I was just wondering when the "important" bits are coming so that I actually can run an engine on that gorgeous track you're making !...

So, thank you for explaining it to me. I do understand that you want to be absolutely sure about manufacturability and quality; and I do very much appreciate what you guys are doing for us !

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Wimmer

[dtomsen]

In my opinion the 9v tracks from FX Bricks currently on sale are relatively low risk to buy since anyone can run battery driven trains on them now regardless of any new 9v motors in the future 

More expensive compared to most plastic tracks (but prettier) sure but potentially unusuable no.

Make no mistake tho, I want all the other promised stuff too 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by dtomsen

[dylanfarrow]

22 hours ago, mark6399 said:

He may have taken the picture down for some reason. I had Favorited it, but it isn't showing up in my Favorites Album anymore. He also showed prototypes of his metal wheels, which looked pretty cool!

Thanks! Hoped I hadn't gone crazy and made it up...! Those copper wheels looks amazing, however glad to know they'll be dark / black in the future.

3 hours ago, michaelgale said:

*snip*

I hope by now we at Fx Bricks have earned enough of your trust and confidence that we are capable of developing and manufacturing high quality products with care, passion, and attention to detail.  The scale and scope of work required to develop these products is massive.  

Another confidence factor is that we have not resorted to crowd-funding or pre-orders based on concepts/prototypes.  We only take your money when the product is ready.  We are incurring almost all the risk and hope that it will give you folks the confidence that we're in this for the long-game.  

Emphasis mine - and yes, yes you have. I can't wait to drop a huge order when the plan comes together. Save now, use plastic and batteries for awhile longer!

Thanks @michaelgale for taking all this risk. I truly hope we can make all the risk worthwhile for you.

[McWaffel]

I already have the P40 switches, track feeders and motor bogies/pickups on my list. I absolutely cannot wait to throw bags of money in your general direction. 
After buying a bunch of straight track from your first batch back in March 2021, I am absolutely confident your future products are going to be amazing in functionality and quality. Good job so far and keep up the amazing work 

[zephyr1934]

16 hours ago, dtomsen said:

In my opinion the 9v tracks from FX Bricks currently on sale are relatively low risk to buy since anyone can run battery driven trains on them now regardless of any new 9v motors in the future 

More expensive compared to most plastic tracks (but prettier) sure but potentially unusuable no.

Make no mistake tho, I want all the other promised stuff too 

 

If you run 9v none of the metal track is a risk and in fact the wide radius curves are a godsend. After 9v was discontinued I started to build longer and longer trains. With the R72&R88 they no longer look silly going around my 9v loops.

 

[Matt Dawson]

Although I don't own any, my friend got the Brickset review R72s after they'd finished the review. And I must say, at a quick glance I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them and official R40 curves.

Now hopefully my bank balance is prepped for when the turnouts are released...

[mark6399]

@michaelgale Thanks for the clarification and info! Looking forward to getting these in the future!

[MellonHead]

Hello @michaelgale I am wondering what is the sound of your motor bogie like, because the original LEGO one sounds very harsh/loud compared to the lego pf and pu motors from recent years. I think this is because they used different/better electric motors compared to 15 years ago.

When put under a diesel or electric train, i really don't mind but with a Steam Locomotive it is rather odd (soundwise).

In the future you will provide us with dcc compatible products,. I am wondering how and if the sound of your bogie might affect the speaker sound when they run together, my guess is not that much of a problem as you will use new highly standard electric motors from today's market, but i am still curious.

Thanks in advance,

Mellonhead. 

[Wimmer]

On 2/14/2022 at 6:19 AM, supertruper1988 said:

it is not just you. I had the same thought.

I saw the same thing; it is “bouncing” up and down on the frogs ?…

[Ropefish]

I have a odd question but would it be possible to run a smoke generator off a PFx brick LAB?