Train stuff on Ideas getting approved? Forget it!

[Tube Map Central]

No complaints about TLG, it's their company, they can do what they like. Perhaps they missed the potential for "The Meeting Point" or perhaps not.

But maybe an element of realism from posters here? If only we can get it to 10,000 votes, we have a chance of making it happen.

No, it won't happen!

[Karle]

And that is why, when asked if I build Lego trains, I tell them No I build trains with Legos.  I have a Dream that one day Lego will come out with the couplers without the bumpers.  On that day I can finally quit circumcising mine.

[Maple]

To be fair LEGO Ideas has been dead for quiet the while. Trains, no trains it ain't happening.

Unless you put a Boy Band on a train....

[Tube Map Central]

This isn't a million miles away from that, although Queen might be fussy with their licensing

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a4f69599-1ef2-4959-b81f-17862dc9b810

Not approved!

[JopieK]

But yet we still need to support all those trains: LEGO will definitely also keep an eye on popular themes even those that don't get approved. There are more genres that don't seem to have any chance to get approved (e.g. modulars).

[Tube Map Central]

Why should TLG look at Ideas votes, when they have actual £££ votes for train sets, special trains - such as crocodile - and track? Presumably the last station was deleted because it was not generating enough sales.

Or turn it round, is there any evidence that any voting patterns on Ideas has shaped adjustments to TLG set releases?

[Toastie]

8 hours ago, Tube Map Central said:

Why should TLG look at Ideas votes

Well, nothing much to add to what you said.

With this BTS thing, it finally became absolutely clear (to me, that is), what's going on. As if it were different in the past, but this time they even did not bother at all to cover it up - other than with selecting in parallel the A-frame: TLG looks at Ideas votes to just find the 10000+ entries and then select the one that will generate the maximum revenue. And that's it. Over and out. The machinery of capitalism capitalizing on ideas. And you know what? I wouldn't even be surprised, if they are pulling some strings behind the screen regarding the whole Ideas instrument for profit maximization ... just as any other large profit oriented company would do.

Trains? No. Look at the 12V (and maybe 9V) era: In comparison to what is available now, I'd call it a massacre what they did with the train theme. Why? Has been discussed over and over again: Trains are a total market niche. Back then, TLG may have operated differently: There was no competition, zero. And virtually "no" licensing. So a little here and there was acceptable. Today there is not only competition, there is serious competition on all fronts; this usually happens, when patents run out - but then you had 30 years of further development: Quality competition, licensing competition, portfolio competition, creativity competition (I am not talking about copying, I am talking about genuine newly developed models from the competitors), competition to reach out to MOCers all over the world - i.e. in the public domain ...

Yes, it is getting much tougher. Raking in profit from an Ideas idea - why not. I have no clue what this does to the folks sending in ideas to Ideas. Quite honestly, after BTS it would have been my absolutely last entry as it openly looks like what it really is - but never did that anyway. The "make no profit for three years after sending it in" thing was more than enough for me.

On to much nicer ideas : I am almost done with retrofitting my 10-wide BR 89 from BB with TLG PUp stuff (L-motor and 2 port hub). It is so absolutely nice that the stuff is compatible.         

Best,
Thorsten

[idlemarvel]

17 hours ago, Karle said:

And that is why, when asked if I build Lego trains, I tell them No I build trains with Legos.  I have a Dream that one day Lego will come out with the couplers without the bumpers.  On that day I can finally quit circumcising mine.

I'm sure I've seen (magnetic) couplers without bumpers/buffers. I'll have a look on BL. Or perhaps you mean they already have but you want them to make new ones. Sorry if I have misunderstood, blame it on me being a newbie.

EDIT Here: (#2920)

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2920

Edited February 23, 2022 by idlemarvel

[XG BC]

4 hours ago, idlemarvel said:

I'm sure I've seen (magnetic) couplers without bumpers/buffers. I'll have a look on BL. Or perhaps you mean they already have but you want them to make new ones. Sorry if I have misunderstood, blame it on me being a newbie.

EDIT Here: (#2920)

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2920

yes these are what he ment. i think he wants lego to make new ones.

[zephyr1934]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:53 PM, XG BC said:

yes these are what he ment. i think he wants lego to make new ones.

I think everyone here knows that Lego will never go back to the old magnets, they are just too easy to swallow. What I think Karle meant that Lego should produce something like this:

For my 2c, it would be even better to put studs where the buffers are so that those of us in North America can leave them off to have locally prototypical trains without buffers while still being Lego-pure while those in Europe and elsewhere can still easily have their locally prototypical buffered equipment.

 

 

[Polarlicht]

On 2/25/2022 at 3:47 PM, zephyr1934 said:

I think everyone here knows that Lego will never go back to the old magnets, they are just too easy to swallow. What I think Karle meant that Lego should produce something like this:

 

For my 2c, it would be even better to put studs where the buffers are so that those of us in North America can leave them off to have locally prototypical trains without buffers while still being Lego-pure while those in Europe and elsewhere can still easily have their locally prototypical buffered equipment.

 

 

Or something like this

[zephyr1934]

2 hours ago, Polarlicht said:

Or something like this

I like that one better, but I don't see Lego doing that because that could still be swallowed

[dr_spock]

Swallowing one is probably ok.  At least two strong magnets are needed to pinch your intestine walls to cause life threatening issues.  Maybe if LEGO stop being a children toy company and change to an adults toy company, they can produce those couplers.

[Polarlicht]

3 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

I like that one better, but I don't see Lego doing that because that could still be swallowed

Most parts can be!...

[Toastie]

20 minutes ago, Polarlicht said:

Most parts can be!...

Yeah - Clikits - Dots - you can swallow them by the bucket. Some look like candies ... but they will see the light again without much change other than a brownish cover, I believe.

I guess this is about the metal/magnet? They are fully enclosed in ABS, but ...  it is stupid anyway. Swallow a technic 1x6 brick, and you may be in trouble as well.

Hmm, on another thought: What if the swallower has a pacemaker ... no, we were talking about kids.

Nope, I don't get the swallowing fear ... we can run down the list of LEGO pieces and trouble is clearly ahead - when swallowing them.

Why does Deep Thought come to mind - NONONO, not what you ... here it is: "Six pints of bitter, said Ford Prefect. And quickly please, the world's about to end."

Best,
Thorsten

 

 

[JopieK]

It is because of international safety regulations and/or regulations in certain important areas. There was a time when toy trains were powered from the mains without any transformers...

[Toastie]

14 minutes ago, JopieK said:

It is because of international safety regulations and/or regulations in certain important areas.

The magnet swallowing thing??? Or swallowing in general?

I am confused - but that's OK

Best
Thorsten

[dr_spock]

I think there were some regulations in the USA but were overturned.  No rules stopping LEGO from offering a North American style bufferless magnetic coupler buffet in the States, it would seem. 

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/little-magnets-are-a-big-health-hazard-when-swallowed-/2021/04

 

[Toastie]

1 hour ago, dr_spock said:

I think there were some regulations in the USA

Nice article! Thanks for sharing.

So the "international safety regulations" @JopieK was referring to are actually US national safety regulations? I mean - this swallowing thing seems to be a localized issue ... I have never heard of such issues in Germany. But what do I know.

Phew. When you suck in H2 gas and then O2 gas (well, that's there anyway) and then - well - ignite that by swallowing a burning match, it would be a mess. Depending on the match, of course. Big health issue, though.

Why is there no such article about the "big health hazard" when swallowing a 1x6 technic beam with a technic bush attached, which has one of these poky things (there are so many) in its center? Weird ...

Whatever, I agree, swallowing two of the current train couplers will certainly not pose a "magnetic" health issue - it will cause severe injury way earlier. Which in turn makes me think: Is a current magnetic train coupler not a "big health hazard" by simply existing? There is no reason not trying swallowing it.

Best,
Thorsten

 

 

[XG BC]

lego in itself is a health hazard if you look at it that way. contains wayy to many small pieces.

[JopieK]

On 2/28/2022 at 12:31 AM, Toastie said:

Nice article! Thanks for sharing.

So the "international safety regulations" @JopieK was referring to are actually US national safety regulations? I mean - this swallowing thing seems to be a localized issue ... I have never heard of such issues in Germany. But what do I know.

Phew. When you suck in H2 gas and then O2 gas (well, that's there anyway) and then - well - ignite that by swallowing a burning match, it would be a mess. Depending on the match, of course. Big health issue, though.

Why is there no such article about the "big health hazard" when swallowing a 1x6 technic beam with a technic bush attached, which has one of these poky things (there are so many) in its center? Weird ...

Whatever, I agree, swallowing two of the current train couplers will certainly not pose a "magnetic" health issue - it will cause severe injury way earlier. Which in turn makes me think: Is a current magnetic train coupler not a "big health hazard" by simply existing? There is no reason not trying swallowing it.

Best,
Thorsten

 

 

I have lived in the US for half a year (internship). I was amazed by all the strange regulations there. On the microwave there is a sign that you should not use it for pets, on the bleach there is a list for which purposes you can use it and "All other use prohibited". In Germany or Holland if you would microwave your cat and send a claim to Siemens / Bosch / Philips they would probably report you for animal cruelty instead of you getting a chance to win any court case with the millions of bucks that come with it. The best chance for 'winning the lottery' in the US seems to find a loophole of some random product, misuse it and get rich.

[zephyr1934]

I can't find the information quickly, but at least at the time Lego seemed to be motivated by safety regardless of regulation- even without government regulations they did not want a headline that their product proved fatal.

These days there are third party suppliers for the adult market though

[Dr Snotson]

Let me bring some light to the dark magnet chapter. One swallowed magnet is no problem as long as it has found its way to the stomach. But imagine if a child swallowes two or more magnets step by step and these magnets travel down the road. When they reach the bowels they will connect even if they are in different stages of the bowels and will impact the sidewalls of the bowels between them. This leads to local necrosis of the sidewall. The result is a hole in the bowels which leads us straigh forward to peritonitis, septic shock and certain death. The magnet issue is a true classic paediatric emergency case. I have worked as a doc for over a decade in a big childrens hospital and have seen several severe cases. None of the kids did die thanks to quick diagnosis in most cases but some did loose part of their bowels due to necrosis and inflammation. In one case several neodyme magnets formed a bizarre ring inside the belly of a young boy. Thats why these toys should be kept away from young kids and TLC covers its magnets with plastic and connects them to even bigger parts.

[XG BC]

6 hours ago, Dr Snotson said:

Let me bring some light to the dark magnet chapter. One swallowed magnet is no problem as long as it has found its way to the stomach. But imagine if a child swallowes two or more magnets step by step and these magnets travel down the road. When they reach the bowels they will connect even if they are in different stages of the bowels and will impact the sidewalls of the bowels between them. This leads to local necrosis of the sidewall. The result is a hole in the bowels which leads us straigh forward to peritonitis, septic shock and certain death. The magnet issue is a true classic paediatric emergency case. I have worked as a doc for over a decade in a big childrens hospital and have seen several severe cases. None of the kids did die thanks to quick diagnosis in most cases but some did loose part of their bowels due to necrosis and inflammation. In one case several neodyme magnets formed a bizarre ring inside the belly of a young boy. Thats why these toys should be kept away from young kids and TLC covers its magnets with plastic and connects them to even bigger parts.

i get your point. maybe we will need to make aftermarket ones just for adults. the other question is why we even need magnets in the first place. traditional model railways dont use magnets for connection either.

Edited March 3, 2022 by XG BC

[Maple]

On 2/27/2022 at 5:11 PM, dr_spock said:

I think there were some regulations in the USA but were overturned.  No rules stopping LEGO from offering a North American style bufferless magnetic coupler buffet in the States, it would seem. 

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/little-magnets-are-a-big-health-hazard-when-swallowed-/2021/04

 

There were no rules in the USA. Why would there be? Children in the USA are drinking lead water. Pretty sure the EU made the rules about magnets in children toys a decade ago.

Either way if one country has regulations then LEGO is going to make the pieces for all the countries.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Maple