New England BrickWorks: 3rd party curves and switches

[Coal Fired Bricks]

@Matt Dawson I will be using Task 11 food grade molding resin for all parts which are very similar to plastic and Task 11 is semi-rigid so it should have some flex.  I hope this answers your concern.

[Vilhelm22]

4 hours ago, weeble1688 said:

because making multiple train cars can become rather expensive. 

@Coal Fired Bricks - I believe @weeble1688 means that because of the demand for these parts mentioned, if you want them the prices are so expensive that just one wagon is a stupid price that would be much less if still produced.

[dr_spock]

2 hours ago, Coal Fired Bricks said:

@Matt Dawson I will be using Task 11 food grade molding resin for all parts which are very similar to plastic and Task 11 is semi-rigid so it should have some flex.  I hope this answers your concern.

Is Task 11 cheaper than Task 21? 

[Coal Fired Bricks]

@dr_spock I chose task 11 because it is food grade(for all the little dogs who lick Legos) and semi rigid(so you can drop it) it is abrasion resistant(think of the stress on a side rod) and lastly because it has a longer cure time(molds last longer). 

 

3 hours ago, Vilhelm22 said:

@Coal Fired Bricks - I believe @weeble1688 means that because of the demand for these parts mentioned, if you want them the prices are so expensive that just one wagon is a stupid price that would be much less if still produced.

Don't worries the molds will be able to produce a butt ton of couplers so these should be dirt cheap for 3rd party stuff maybe $1(us)-$2(us) not sure I will have to work the math out.  I want most of this stuff to be at the ME models(**don't speak of the scamming devil***) prices so $30-$40(US) for a loop of r88 will be the norm for this.  For something like the couplers they are so small and take up so little space on the mold(I can put more in one mold which make the cost go down that is why I want to do rails so I can keep the price not scary)

 

Again with the rail thing I can try to do something more like the TLG track but to keep manufacturing costs down it will be 2 parts, the rails with slots for the ties and ties. If I don't do that it will cost $60(US) for one loop of r88 vs 20$

Edited May 29, 2020 by Coal Fired Bricks

[Thai bricks]

Why not make the ties 2x8 plates, which people could just buy from Lego or BL? Except for the ends, of course.

[Coal Fired Bricks]

I  nearly finished all of the rails r56-120 just have to but the holes in for the pins? for storage.  

All the tracks in the house! by Coal Fired Bricks, on Flickr

On 6/5/2020 at 11:33 PM, Thai bricks said:

Why not make the ties 2x8 plates, which people could just buy from Lego or BL? Except for the ends, of course.

I did the math and I will just be doing everything in one piece.  After waste is accounted for they are the same price.  I may not do the rails just because they look a bit less realistic/ugly. 

After some requests, I will do r56 switches but no r120 (compatibility to other brands).  One last announcement, I will be doing r136 switches as a "Serius Modler"(***Caugh Caugh @Cale's Y6b and others***).

 

Bye Bye EveryBody

Conner

[legotownlinz]

2 hours ago, Coal Fired Bricks said:

I  nearly finished all of the rails r56-120 just have to but the holes in for the pins? for storage.  

All the tracks in the house! by Coal Fired Bricks, on Flickr

I did the math and I will just be doing everything in one piece.  After waste is accounted for they are the same price.  I may not do the rails just because they look a bit less realistic/ugly. 

After some requests, I will do r56 switches but no r120 (compatibility to other brands).  One last announcement, I will be doing r136 switches as a "Serius Modler"(***Caugh Caugh @Cale's Y6b and others***).

 

Bye Bye EveryBody

Conner

The tie distance of r72 looks way too large, why didn't you add another tie, or even two? Bricktracks and Trixbrix have one additional tie for r56. From a customers perspective, I wish that all tracks are compatible.

The pin holes are useless imho. 

[M_slug357]

@Coal Fired Bricks Idk if replicating the radii that’s already available from 2-3 other manufacturers is the way to go.

Something fresh to see would be half-curves for the r56 - r120 family. Another fresh take would be producing the r136 - r200 family of curve tracks.
Lastly, those pinholes are useful for two reasons: 1) they’re great for stacking& storage for ppl with temporary layouts and 2) they can serve as mounting holes for ppl with more permanent layouts (esp gartenbahn)

[ivanlan9]

Yes, as @M_slug357 said, those pinholes are more useful than you think. That said, I'm holding out for 9v metal track.  Sorry, mate.

Metta,

Ivan

[bogieman]

I actually prefer the countersunk hole that Lego provides in the center tie for use in mounting with flathead #4 screws.

Regarding what to offer, for me the gap between standard Lego R40 switches and R104 switches is too great - I'd like to see R56 or R72 switches.

Dave

[weeble1688]

As @M_slug357 and @bogiemansaid, I love the idea of shorter sections of larger-radius curved track and/or R56 or R72 switches, IF they will fit into the geometry of Lego track.  Another thought is yard ladders, which again have to fit into the geometry, i.e. keeping 8 studs between tracks, etc.

[legotownlinz]

No matter what products you'll offer, please pay attention to details. If we should take your efforts seriously, there shouldn't be obvious mistakes like the tie distance in your recently posted image. If the design is not ready yet, don't post it. Take your time to review it before going public.

[Coal Fired Bricks]

Sorry about all of the confusion, I posted the wrong photo.  I took screenshots of the whole prossess and a must have chosen a "no no" photo.  Will get a correct one up tomorrow when Flickr is working faster.   Also about the r56 I went off of the tie #'s for 4dbrix you want the tie numbers for trix and bt I'll do them.

4d brix r56 track

About the gap between r104 and r40 switches I will do some r72 switches.  And also 1/2 tracks for r120-r56  I will get some higher radii out soon. 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Coal Fired Bricks

[Coal Fired Bricks]

I was fiddling around because I was bored and started some switches. 

r104 switches which one by Coal Fired Bricks, on Flickr

 

Left or right.

 

I will get the r72 and 56 pics up soon. 

 

Also, it would be funny if someone made train tracks out of gallium so they work for 9 volters but the tracks would melt in your hand.

 

-Conner

 

PS I know that looks like tinkercad, I DO NOT USE TINKERCAD, I use Sketchup and export the designs into tinkercad because the photos look better.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Coal Fired Bricks
I was being super silly

[davidzq]

Would love to see a new R56 switch option since 4DBrix has thrown the towel.

Need some for a project, so was looking like I'll have to brick-build some switches (which has been done by others in the past).

 

My belief is that you are entering a market that has already had several players (most unsuccessful!).

If you're going to succeed, I recommend focusing on NEW products.

We already have options for wide radius curves and R104 switches. And TrixBrix's selection has grown considerably in the last year.

[bogieman]

For what it's worth, I emailed TrixBrix a while ago asking if they would be doing R56 or R72 switches and this is the reply I got:

"We don't have plans for making switches R56 or R72 right now (maybe next year) , the reason is that there is a complex system R104, and in case of smaller radii not all configurations of crossing and crossovers would be possible to make. 

 

best regards

Lukasz Kwapinski"

 

Not sure I understand the reasoning, I'm only interested in bigger radius switches without the reverse curve built in to Lego's switches, I don't need them to result in an 8 stud track spacing if that's the thinking.

 

Dave

[Vilhelm22]

Just before they went bust, 4DBrix released some switches located on curves - will you be doing these?

[Coal Fired Bricks]

2 hours ago, davidzq said:

Would love to see a new R56 switch option since 4DBrix has thrown the towel.

Need some for a project, so was looking like I'll have to brick-build some switches (which has been done by others in the past).

 

My belief is that you are entering a market that has already had several players (most unsuccessful!).

If you're going to succeed, I recommend focusing on NEW products.

We already have options for wide radius curves and R104 switches. And TrixBrix's selection has grown considerably in the last year.

Yes, I agree, many have failed but one reason I believe this is caused by is COST COST COST COST there are not a ton of people who want to pay $120 for one lop of track, I'm proposing to slash those prices in 1/2 to open the hobby up for many more people.  And yes I will be doing "new products" including r72 switches, true curved switches, higher radii, and some high radii(r88) narrow gauge.

 

1 hour ago, Vilhelm22 said:

Just before they went bust, 4DBrix released some switches located on curves - will you be doing these?

Yes, I will do them for r72-r136.  They should look like this:

 

So you can use them as a curve. 

 

Also, I was thinking of doing track packages as ATLAS does.

And also a "small flange" So there is Hi rail and scale. 

 

Have fun in the sun,

-Conner

Edited June 10, 2020 by Coal Fired Bricks

[LegoTrainDude9231]

I like the idea of having a non-high rail so we can have scale(10/9/8 wide) and non-scale (7/6 wide).  I come from a 2 rail O scale background until my kids got me into this crap, now I am addicted to Lego train(bonus they are cheaper)

 

Hi-rail, yes it is not a true model train but you can easily see the big fat flanges. 

More hi-rail

Norm Charbonneau's scale O gauge train with scale track and flanges. 

Look at the scale.

 

It would be nice to have the option for small flanges and for lower more scale track hight. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by LegoTrainDude9231