[MOC - MOD] 7777 Idea book - Obscure unloading station locomotive - 12v

[Paperinik77pk]

 

Hi all,

during a pleasant discussion in this thread...

...a very interesting question was raised by @SDLgo9 member:

On 10/20/2021 at 1:14 PM, SDLgo9 said:

I just noticed that there's another rebuild of 7730 on pp8, 9 and 11 of the 7777 book, but without a view of the front it'd be quite tricky to replicate.

The 7777 idea book pages mentioned here are those three pages showing the blue matter (!) unloading station and the famous auto-unloading wagons. These wagons are pulled by an obscure locomotive, which is never fully depicted. In fact - the front view is missing, and there's no clear view of the boiler. I've NEVER taken care of it, nor analyzed it too much.

It really seems a 7730-based locomotive, but simplified in some details. There's a strange combination of "simple look" and now overpriced rare parts. 

So maybe it's simple - but it is a wanted effect? Analyzing the whole scenery depicted in the book - it's not a place for a fancy locomotive. There's work to do - wagons are fully loaded and heavy, so that unloading station surely needs a workhorse.

And these workhorse is powerful, maybe not so good looking, but simple and solid, ready for its everyday duty. Here's a rear view, similar to the one in the Idea Book:

It's a long locomotive and it's not using the classic train base (like 7810). It's pretty boxy and looks heavy. I had to take the scans from Brickfactory and to modify the photos to see a bit better. But which parts were used of the body is pretty unknown to me. So, we have the 2x2x1 black windows on the rear part - being a 7730 derivate - there are also doors, and at this point, the 1x2x1 small black windows. But it seems (to me) that these are not facing towards the front, and instead are used as small side windows. Side reservoirs are big, so fitting the two weight bricks was not a problem. The smoke stack is visible and there's not so much to say - but the boiler...is not completely visible. I added a square steam dome just for completeness. There's an headlight on top of boiler, and it seems there are also two headlights on the "nose". They are not fully visible, for this reason I think these are not placed on the corners of the  chassis.

Let's try:

Simple and straight - the boiler is not round, but goes down to the chassis, same "steering wheel" as in the 7730. Headlights are a bit more inwards. All in all it's a simplified 7730 nose.

Then, a more "Narrow Gauge" look - always with 7730 parts:

There could be more styles, just removing the front steering wheel part and playing with slope parts. 

Suggestions are welcome!!! 

Davide

 

[HoMa]

Well done Davide. Good job recreating this workhorse by so few dark images. Maybe a black 1x6 with light prisms was used as front light? 

Next challenge: what is standing behind the train on page 8? We can spot 3 yellow cones from the 7730 wagon. But it looks more like a stationary structure.

And on page 11 we can spot a grey mudguard an a car wheel and a red slope behind the black locomotive. This seems to be the car shown on page 9 next to the transformer.

[Reker1000000]

I love this :)

[Paperinik77pk]

On 10/25/2021 at 11:01 AM, HoMa said:

Well done Davide. Good job recreating this workhorse by so few dark images. Maybe a black 1x6 with light prisms was used as front light? 

Next challenge: what is standing behind the train on page 8? We can spot 3 yellow cones from the 7730 wagon. But it looks more like a stationary structure.

And on page 11 we can spot a grey mudguard an a car wheel and a red slope behind the black locomotive. This seems to be the car shown on page 9 next to the transformer.

Thanks Holger - good point at 100%. Looking better at the original photo directly on the in the book I spot better the light brick, and yes - it could be the classic 1x6 brick with light prisms (or a normal light brick, since this locomotive is a bit simplified).

On 10/25/2021 at 1:07 PM, Reker1000000 said:

I love this :)

Thanks to your thread title this morning I wanted to go beyond the Lego model and see if there was a kind of prototype to follow. 

I refined my search on Google using german words "Werkslokomotive, dreiachsig, tenderlok" and I found this little Marklin Lokomotive (3090). 

Take a look!

 

Indeed there are many similarities, in the locomotive itself, in the wagons and - all in all - in general purpose of the whole consist  

So I modified the "face" of our locomotive, and the identikit seems now more reasonable (and with 1x6 light brick!)

 

I think it fits nicely.   I kept the boiler simple, and added only something over it - to make it more like the Marklin's one.

Ciao!

Davide

Edited October 26, 2021 by Paperinik77pk
updated picture, adding a little "nose" to the boiler!

[SDLgo9]

That's an impressive piece of reverse engineering!

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Hello Davide,

my father has the same Marklin model and as a child I bought the set n. 133 to emulate this locomotive ... you made me relive old memories!

[Paperinik77pk]

11 hours ago, HoMa said:

Next challenge: what is standing behind the train on page 8? We can spot 3 yellow cones from the 7730 wagon. But it looks more like a stationary structure.

And on page 11 we can spot a grey mudguard an a car wheel and a red slope behind the black locomotive. This seems to be the car shown on page 9 next to the transformer.

I've always asked myself what those cones were used for. They are everywhere in the book and always three at a time, like pyramids! Is it a COINCIDENCE? Noooo, I believe it's a good way to sell the 7730!!! ("Mommy I want hat one with the yellow cones!" "Oh dear, it's pricey, won't you like this one with blue and yellow wagons?")  

At page 11 you see the same car for sure, but where's that lady going? These are really mistery pages - the front part of that car is NEVER shown!!!  

1 hour ago, SDLgo9 said:

That's an impressive piece of reverse engineering!

Thanks sir! It could be interesting to build, even if it's so simple - just to complete the tipper wagons train, 

Pity for those windows, which are really not so cheap 

1 hour ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Hello Davide,

my father has the same Marklin model and as a child I bought the set n. 133 to emulate this locomotive ... you made me relive old memories!

Ciao Emanuele!!!

This Marklin model is indeed a nice H0 locomotive - it can be found for a relatively good price. I wanted to buy one, then I remembered my Piko track is not A/C!!! 

The 133 is a  sweet locomotive!!! 

[Reker1000000]

I might have to build this nice engine this weekend...

Now try the red shunter with the red motor on pages 14-15 and the small red electric locomotive on page 22!

[SDLgo9]

6 hours ago, Reker1000000 said:

Now try the red shunter with the red motor on pages 14-15 and the small red electric locomotive on page 22!

There are instructions for both of those locos at cubic.org. I've got them currently built, though neither in plain red. (We're drifting more towards the 'Building 7777' thread now, I think).

Edited October 27, 2021 by SDLgo9
Added an afterthought

[Paperinik77pk]

5 minutes ago, SDLgo9 said:

There are instructions for both of those locos at cubic.org. I've got them currently built, though neither in plain red.

Nice little things!

There's also the nice 4,5v Locomotive of the Circus scene (that you already have) which could really be a nice shunter, even powered with current pickers from the 70s in a side line with a dedicated 12v Transformator set at 4,5V /5V.

6 hours ago, Reker1000000 said:

I might have to build this nice engine this weekend...

Now try the red shunter with the red motor on pages 14-15 and the small red electric locomotive on page 22!

Nice idea. It's simple, straight and basic...but somehow nice, and makes for a good set with tipper wagons.

I've to invest on a spare red and black motor to be shared on these little models - they are nice to see around from time to time! Christmas is coming!!!

 

[Reker1000000]

11 hours ago, Paperinik77pk said:

I've to invest on a spare red and black motor to be shared on these little models - they are nice to see around from time to time! Christmas is coming!!!

Ooo, good idea... maybe I will do the same! Although I think first I have to get more points and a signal + decoupler.

Also, one thing: The big black part in the center of the shunter looks like it could be the right size for 2 black weight bricks, has anyone done this? Usually 12v locomotives have 2 weight bricks and I can't see the red ones there, also it's not large enough to accomodate weights anywhere else... Or would these weights interfere with the middle pin of the motor?