[MOC] Atomic Streamliner

[Electricsteam]

2 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Glad to see it's working better for you now @Electricsteam! There are always teething troubles with some designs, and some just never go away even in the real world railways! Just think if you could ask the the designers of the PRR T1, which really never overcame the slipping-at-speed problem, or the Big Boy when it was originally tried on oil firing back in steam's heyday. They never could get it right back then! (They now have got teams that are working on T1 5550 that supposedly "won't slip at speed" and the restored Big Boy 4014 burns oil, but I'm getting off topic.)

Hopefully you get your model working the way you want it to without having to redesign it in any major way... though the front step might be a smidge too low, according to my eyes. I also can't wait to see the passenger cars!

Totally!  I might be able to play with the front sloped nose shape up a plate without rasing much else.  This was all designed in LDD which is a perfect world with perfect physics.  Which we all know never translates.   I need to take stock of the parts I have for the order.  I ordered a crap ton of 2x2 45 green slopes and the 1x2 rounded slope peice.   Not sure what else.  It's the same problem as before that so many average bricks just dont exist in green.  Like those 2 roof top to 45 slope peices on the back of the cabin where like over a $ each at the time because no one sold them.  Just stupidly rare even though they existed.  

[rday1982]

8 hours ago, Electricsteam said:

Somehow the front truck wants to jump the track sometimes but only the front truck. Also!  Somehow the front yellow lip of the train rocks so low that it can hit the edge of the track it switches into... which is a problem.... 

These may be related problems. Raising that yellow lip by the height of one plate might solve both of these. Then again, it may be due to the low-riding front pony. That bottom plate might **just** be catching on something. In either case, raising the height that plates travel above the railhead will lessen the likelihood of the wheels jumping out of alignment with the rails. However, if it **is** related to the rocking of the front lip, that section may also be somehow pushing the front pony out of alignment with the rails as it passes over the wheels during the turns. It may be wise to check that the articulation of the front pony allows for totally smooth and unhindered movement across the top of it by the top assembly, as well as looking at raising that front yellow lip.

 

With or without problems though, it does look absolutely glorious in motion.

[zephyr1934]

16 hours ago, Electricsteam said:

New problem is these BrixTrix switches.  Somehow the front truck wants to jump the track sometimes but only the front truck. Also!  Somehow the front yellow lip of the train rocks so low that it can hit the edge of the track it switches into... which is a problem.... 

First off, from your layout it looks like you have a diverging switch right after a curve. That alone can lead to problems with the train coming out of the curve and picking the switch. Probably worse when the locomotive is actually being shoved and also worse when there is a long wheelbase.

Second off, I have had problems with TrixBrix switches, but I suspect (and hope, since I've since bought some of their slip switches) it was due to how I was using them. I had them in a dogbone configuration with a R40 curve, TB switch, turning loop. So the layout was exactly the situation I noted in the first point, only worse. I do think that the mechanism in the TB switches is not as nice as that in the lego switches. So when the train ran through the switch the point might not have come all the way back to neutral. Thus, leaving a little gap that increased the possibility of picking the switch.

So I would try paying attention to whether running through the switch in the opposite direction (such that the points spring back) increases the chance of problems. If so, you then know that with TB switches you need to be careful to reset them after such a movement. Next, you might want to try putting 1 straight segment between a curve and a diverging switch (or better 2 if you have space). Even if you don't have space to keep it this way if/when the problem occurs you could do a temporary modification to diagnose the situation. But be careful not to adjust how the switch is set, in case it is actually due to the points not returning all the way.

 

[Electricsteam]

The parts came in for the coaches!  I gotta say.  Has anyone had a BL order come in entirely correct before? Because something is wrong with every order. Also.  What's up with legos QC I got a boat load of the 2x2 curved slopes for the roof and just about every one is a different shade of green and one looks almost translucent.  

 

They are all built though! Gonna find some stuff to take real professional looking photos. With nice lighting and a backdrop.