[MOC] Thalys train

[traintraum]

Hi there!

These days, I luckily had some more freetime than usual.
Hoping having it used well, first of all I ordered some bricks for realizing one more of my train projects which was existing for some months just in my PC.

Just last saturday, I recieved all of the ordered bricks. After twio building sessions on that afternoon and on sunday morning, a new train was ready - just on the right time for my setup.

 

So I am able to show some impressions! :D

 

First of all the train in all ( Currently one more coach is existing - that time I just waited on 16 more windows.) .

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The locomotive`s design is close to the design of the TGV, which is now made on my own - maybe you can remember the post of lego9vtrainfan who presented that model in 2009 - I recovered/ copied his models, too ;-)

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Taking one closer look on the space between the coaches, you maybe will get the idea that the current soultion isn`t fitting well in regular switches and curves tracks - I guess, I still have to work on this! 

By the way: Maybe you will also take a note of the castle windows - the regular plane bricks would cost 2-3€ each - by using 12 of them, it would be quite expensive

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What do you think of the 1x2 hinges in red ... not dark red... first of all I was afraid of the price of the dark red elements - now a am also happy with the regular red. 

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If you know my MOC-posts well, you maybe would await one more thing: a video...

I hope, whatching could be interesting for you! :-) Take a look :D

[youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbXflKgIi4w

 

As always, and kind of commend, idea and criticism is welcome - as always!
Also some ideas of further models for my collection would be welcome! :D

Best wishes and good health for these crazy and mad days from Germany!

 

Niklas// Train-Traum

Edited March 19, 2020 by traintraum

[SeaKing61]

Wow, I like it. Good adaptation of the TGV design. The bright red hinge isn't that noticeable. Real vehicles are not as uniformly coloured as we try to make our lego models after all.

[aawsum]

Nice work! As I am a real 6wide train guy I can appreciate what you have build here. To have the coaches more tightly together there is a technique that I used (I saw it once by somebody else) that works great. It uses the lego elastics the bring the coaches together and to move them further away in the tight corners. (I can't find the link but if you are interested I can upload some pictures)

I am wondering, it looks you only use 1 motor for the whole train. Is that correct because it runs very smoothly. Is there something modified on it or is your 9V system still running standard.

[traintraum]

 

9 hours ago, SeaKing61 said:

Wow, I like it. Good adaptation of the TGV design. The bright red hinge isn't that noticeable. Real vehicles are not as uniformly coloured as we try to make our lego models after all.

Thank yoiu, that`s great to hear :D    Okay, the´n I have the chance to "save" about 20€. :) Luckily today most of the bricks are already available in dark red. 

 

2 hours ago, aawsum said:

Nice work! As I am a real 6wide train guy I can appreciate what you have build here. To have the coaches more tightly together there is a technique that I used (I saw it once by somebody else) that works great. It uses the lego elastics the bring the coaches together and to move them further away in the tight corners. (I can't find the link but if you are interested I can upload some pictures)

I am wondering, it looks you only use 1 motor for the whole train. Is that correct because it runs very smoothly. Is there something modified on it or is your 9V system still running standard.

Thank you! :D Till now, I hold all my models just in 6-wide. Would be great if you could post a photo showing the technique. ;-)  Is that also working well while trains are crossing the switches.

I am using two motors - one at each locomotive.  All parts used are just original lego bricks. On the one hand, the train has less train wheels due to the 
double bogies - on the other hand, the friction is less due to not using any curved tracks. 
That train is really running quite well.
On the other hand, I had also some motors stopping after a while - for example the Eurostar cunsisting of 12 parts (íncluding locomotives) means much work for just two little lego-motors.

So sometimes, I wished, there would be a costum solution with more power. 

[zephyr1934]

Looking great! And even though it is bare bones, that layout must have taken a couple of hours to set up.

 

5 hours ago, traintraum said:

On the other hand, I had also some motors stopping after a while

I always assumed running a motor until it overheats yields excessive ware. You might want to impose breaks, maybe only run a given train for 30 min and then swap it out so that it can cool down.

[Andy Glascott]

43 minutes ago, zephyr1934 said:

I always assumed running a motor until it overheats yields excessive ware. You might want to impose breaks, maybe only run a given train for 30 min and then swap it out so that it can cool down.

I've worked on that basis for a while, particularly as most of my motors are 20+ years old, particularly the 12v ones.... 

[aawsum]

5 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Looking great! And even though it is bare bones, that layout must have taken a couple of hours to set up.

 

I always assumed running a motor until it overheats yields excessive ware. You might want to impose breaks, maybe only run a given train for 30 min and then swap it out so that it can cool down.

this works well, indeed driving for a short period (90 minutes is also working and then swap the motor or the complete train.

12 hours ago, traintraum said:

Would be great if you could post a photo showing the technique. ;-)  Is that also working well while trains are crossing the switches.

Well I can't find any pictures that I posted online from it, so I have to look it up.
This instagram post also shows the technique, but as the picture quality is bad it is not that visible.

You have to look at the sliding mechanism with the elastic band around the 3 round 1x1 plates.

edit:
I found the idea on brickshelf.
Hereby the link to it. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=121573

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Oooh man this is too cool!!!

[lego9vtrainfan]

Love the Thalys and all of your trains - and the triple track long curve layout is super impressive! Nice work 

[Pdaitabird]

Well done! The brick-built nose and transition between red and white look really good.

[Man with a hat]

Oh, nicely done. The brick build colour scheme is great.

[Thai bricks]

Great job and I like your collection of European passenger trains.