Looking to build a small model railroad

[mdtvandy]

As an additional note, it looks like the track is back in stock on Amazon at retail price: Amazon.com: LEGO City Tracks 60205 Building Kit (20 Pieces), Multicolor : Toys & Games. They also sell TrixBrix (bought my first set today): Amazon.com: Trixbrix Double Straight Tracks Box 10pcs Compatible with Lego City Train Sets 60197 60198 10277 60205 60238 : Toys & Games

 

 

edit: even the passenger train is available: https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Passenger-Train-60197-Building/dp/B07CC37F63/ref=sr_1_26?crid=1EAHQ45MRJUOX&keywords=lego+trains&qid=1645126486&sprefix=lego+trains%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-26

Edited February 17, 2022 by mdtvandy

[ivanlan9]

Slick.  Now if only Amazon would carry the FxBricks 9v track. ...

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all! I was finally able to get the train set I wanted, the 60197. I was able to get it from a store called Target here in the U.S. (I know this is a worldwide forum and am not sure if store is in other parts of the world..) I ordered it on a Sunsay and got it on Wednesday. Now all I have to do is get on Bricklink and order the extra pieces of track I need. Yippee!!!

[dr_spock]

32 minutes ago, JohnsLegos said:

Hi all! I was finally able to get the train set I wanted, the 60197. I was able to get it from a store called Target here in the U.S. (I know this is a worldwide forum and am not sure if store is in other parts of the world..) I ordered it on a Sunsay and got it on Wednesday. Now all I have to do is get on Bricklink and order the extra pieces of track I need. Yippee!!!

That's great. Target did expand into Canada years ago but they didn't offer the same kind of deals as in the U.S.A.   They couldn't achieve their financial targets and left the country. 

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all, I'm happy to say that I am getting the parts I need to complete the train layout. I contacted Lego directly the other day about the straight sections and I can actually purchase the pieces from them. It is a little over $30.00 for the track, shipping costs, and state tax. So I have them on the way as well as the curved sections I got on Bricklink. As for the baseplates, I still need 19 more to make the "scenery". Slowly getting there.....

[zephyr1934]

On 2/28/2022 at 11:52 AM, JohnsLegos said:

It is a little over $30.00 for the track, shipping costs, and state tax.

How much did it come to per straight segment?

[JohnsLegos]

16 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

How much did it come to per straight segment?

About $.90 per piece

On 1/5/2022 at 3:16 PM, Yoggington said:

Do have a look into some software, as you will have more questions no doubt.

 

This is simple enough. We can work this much out from the diagram above already. Each right angle corner requires 4 bend pieces, so that's 24 total.

Straight runs start 1.5 baseplates from the end of the table, and each cover 16 studs length (half a baseplate). So that becomes 14 + 8 + 3 + 9 for 34 straight pieces.

Unfortunately due to the radius of the track, and the widths of your tables, the internal curve cannot fit correctly to this configuration. See this picture: https://i.imgur.com/6u6QWe5.png You could resolve that by adding a bridge/triangle of ground under it. Pushing the whole track right against the lip would *nearly* resolve. Or you could look at non-lego products with a tighter radius - though this may affect any long carriages you have, or carriages with fixed wheels/no bogeys.

At the time of this quote, I was looking at the "L" shape layout. Now I am wondering if the same amount of track will be the same or different if both pieces were put side by side (7 plates high and 6 wide or 6 high and 7 wide)??

[Yoggington]

5 hours ago, JohnsLegos said:

At the time of this quote, I was looking at the "L" shape layout. Now I am wondering if the same amount of track will be the same or different if both pieces were put side by side (7 plates high and 6 wide or 6 high and 7 wide)??

I don't really understand what you mean - could you draw a diagram?

Better yet, check out that software and just drag/drop a  layout together.

[zephyr1934]

6 hours ago, JohnsLegos said:

About $.90 per piece

that's a great price, if you only wanted straights it would be 8 for $20 with the current track pack, and still comes to 16 for $20 if you valued curves and flex track equal to straight.

[JohnsLegos]

2 hours ago, Yoggington said:

I don't really understand what you mean - could you draw a diagram?

Better yet, check out that software and just drag/drop a  layout together.

I guess what I meant was, if you took the original diagram I had quite a few posts ago and put both boards side by side. Each board will have the same amount of base plates (21 per) and would run on an outside loop with Lego kits on the inside. I'll look at the software on Bricklink and see if it helps

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all! A little update on the train layout. I am getting closer to having all the baseplates  I need for the track to sit on (only need 15 more) and am waiting (patiently....) for the track I ordered from Lego to arrive. I ordered the track on February 28th and it still hasn't shipped. After a couple of weeks to see what was going on, I contacted Lego to see what was going on and their reply was they are 5 to 6 weeks behind on getting orders out of the warehouse so at this point it will me shipped to me in mid April so hopefully when I take some time off of work in late April, I can start getting the wood and piecing everything together. I'll keep you all posted on the progress as it comes together.

[JohnsLegos]

Hi everyone!! I know it has been a while since I have updated on the train layout but made quite a bit of progress this past weekend and finally got the platforms made for under the baseplates and laid everything out to see how it looks. It took a little time to get all the baseplates I needed as I was getting them from Wal-Mart and Target a few here and there and needed 3 more to get the 42 but nobody had the ones I needed so I had to order them online and wait for them to get to me. In the photo you can see all the baseplates laid out with the track on top and I used 2  8's where 4 of the baseplates came together so they would not move. I see where there is some overhang on the inside corner and I have an idea how to hold the track up so I am going to cut a small piece of wood and use some Lego pieces to make a "bridge" to go under the track so I am going to look aroung on Bricklink to see what I can find. Have a good one all!! Sorry I could not get the photo to upload my software to resize it is being a pain in the butt.....

[zephyr1934]

Remember, the EB storage is only for your avitar and very small graphics. If you want to share photos you need to use something like flickr or brickshelf to host the images.

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all!! I finally got everything together built the engine and used the trucks and base of one of the cars to make this video. Enjoy!! 

 

[JohnsLegos]

Question for you all: I had an idea on how to free up some space on this layout by putting the "Speed Champion" cars on the cars (or carriages as some of you call them..) and pull them behind the engine. As you can see in the video of it running, I took the truck assemblies and just connected them to the upper plate to put the camera on it and that is what I want to do with the others. I will use the 2 that came with the set and piece the other 3 with parts off of Bricklink. So will this engine pull a total of 5 cars with little weight on them?? Thanks.

[Brickblock1]

Yes, but you might get some wheel slip if you speed up to fast

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all!! Just a little update: I am waiting to get parts in from Lego and also from on Bricklink for parts needed for the car (or carriage) chassis to finish things off. I am hoping to make a small video clip of the train pulling the cars with the Speed Champions vehicles on them. I had to order enough parts for a total of 4 cars to do what I want. Stay posted here!

[JohnsLegos]

I recently purchased some of the metal "axles" for the extra cars for my 60197 train and was wondering: does Lego manufacture these or are they "out sourced"?? I mean if you did them in house you can keep an eye on the quality control. Just curious....

[JohnsLegos]

Hi all! I finally got all the parts I have been waiting for from Lego and got all the cars together. See the train run here!!