2022 Winter Village Tram w 9v Train Motor?

[Pirate_King_1982]

Hi all, I’m currently in the process of building up a small city that has to fit within the footprint of six baseplates x 4 baseplates, and I’m thinking that the Winter Village Tram may be a good way of having a train in my display, as a larger train would end up chasing its tail. Now assuming price isn’t a concern and I don’t mind chasing down parts on Bricklink, would it be feasible to build the tram around an ol 9v train motor and run it on the 9v tracks? I get that there are more modern parts and solutions, but I think that the battery box and receivers and such a look ugly in this particular model and I am.assuming that the 9v setup would use less space, allowing the top half of the tram and the interior to remain untouched. I’m just wondering erring whether anyone with experience in the 9v train range and/or the Winter Village Tram could offer any advice. Any assistance anyone can offer with this would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance, Dusty.

[Phil B]

I'd look into CircuitCube instead. Yes, it is non-LEGO, but it is small and should be powerful enough to propel the tram on regular plastic track.

[zephyr1934]

A 9v motor is easy to build on (well, that's semi-relative, there are only 16 studs available, similar to the current PUp motor only no cable to get in the way. R40 metal track should be fairly cheap, and if you get a 9v set cheap you might have everything you need. Straight metal track is more expensive, but it sounds like you don't need much or any of it.

Phil B is also right that circuit cubes offer a potentially cheaper option, why someone recently posted a circuit cubes tram here: 

 

[Pirate_King_1982]

Yeah after a little investigation Circuit Cubes seem like they’re likely the route I’ll go. I’ll do some in depth research into them tomorrow and find out exactly which parts I’ll need. Thanks for assist guys, much appreciated.

[CCSG]

If you only plan on running a small tram, you could go with Trix Brix track which has R32 and R24 curves. 

[XG BC]

maybe use a normal powerfunctions/powered up train motor and this for power pickup from the rails: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/191833-9v-power-pickups/

[Pirate_King_1982]

23 hours ago, CCSG said:

If you only plan on running a small tram, you could go with Trix Brix track which has R32 and R24 curves. 

I assuming that these track pieces will allow for tighter curves and smaller diameter track loops?

Edited August 25, 2023 by Pirate_King_1982

[zephyr1934]

23 hours ago, Pirate_King_1982 said:

Yeah after a little investigation Circuit Cubes seem like they’re likely the route I’ll go. I’ll do some in depth research into them tomorrow and find out exactly which parts I’ll need. Thanks for assist guys, much appreciated.

If you go that way, you'll probably want the Bluetooth starter pack

6 hours ago, Pirate_King_1982 said:

I assuming that these track pieces will lol for tighter curves and smaller diameter track loops?

Just be careful, the tighter the radius the closer you need to put your wheels on one truck. I think R40 curves are okay up to a spacing of 10 studs between axles. Smaller radii curves will need closer axle spacing. All of which can easily be accounted for, but it helps to know that going in.

[Pirate_King_1982]

32 minutes ago, zephyr1934 said:

If you go that way, you'll probably want the Bluetooth starter pack

Just be careful, the tighter the radius the closer you need to put your wheels on one truck. I think R40 curves are okay up to a spacing of 10 studs between axles. Smaller radii curves will need closer axle spacing. All of which can easily be accounted for, but it helps to know that going in.

Thanks for the info. Just out of curiosity, how much space is required between two separate tracks? Could I run an outer R40 track and an inner R32 track so I can have two trams travelling in opposite directions? I feel a little apprehensive about running them on R24 tracks but think R32 might not be as bad. However I’ll have reconsider using R32 along with R40 if both trams would constantly colliding and derailing each other and breaking pieces off.

[Dav1d]

R32 & R40 would be too close. You normally need space between them depending on the overhang of your tram.

I only have standard R40 track. To get different radius I add the odd straight between curves (the more straights the bigger the radius).

You could add four straights to a circle, one in each of the the N/E/S/W positions to give a larger 'radius'.

You really need to try it with your tram(s).

[zephyr1934]

The ties on the track are 8 wide, if your trams were truly 6 wide and the one on R32 is very short you might be able to pull it off. A safer bet though would be to get 4x 1/4 length straight tracks or just use flex track segments if you have them to extend all four of the sides of the outer loop by 4 studs, so that it effectively functions as an R42 (the curves are still R40, just offset by 2 studs). With two loops you might want to connect them together either with a baseplate below or a plate above to maintain the spacing. If you run trains for a while on unsecured loops they will slowlly drift and you'll eventually get a collision (though if you have kids that could be a bonus). Why not start with one at R40 and if you like it, then buy the specialized track for the inner loop

[Pirate_King_1982]

Hi all, sorry to add to an old post. I’m just wondering if anybody can confir whether the TrixBrix track pieces are plastic injection modded or 3d printed?

[zephyr1934]

6 hours ago, Pirate_King_1982 said:

Hi all, sorry to add to an old post. I’m just wondering if anybody can confir whether the TrixBrix track pieces are plastic injection modded or 3d printed?

Most of them are 3D printed, but some of the common configurations are injection molded. Without checking, I would guess S8 S32 and R56 are injection molded. Their 3D printing is very good though. If you look you can easily tell its not lego but if you are not looking it does not jump out at you. I am quite happy with some of their unusual switch geometries, really helps make a layout work. But their switches are a bit weird the way they piece together they can benefit by being glued (it's not lego so its not illegal, grin) and I suspect the spring mechanism in the throw is not as good as lego's.

 

Oh, and bumping a 3 week dormant thread is hardly old around here. If it's in the first 20-30 topics probably don't even hesitate to reply to it (with the exceptrion that if its something someone dug up from 3 years ago only to ask, "do you have the instructions?")

 

[XG BC]

On 9/7/2023 at 9:59 AM, Pirate_King_1982 said:

Hi all, sorry to add to an old post.

3 Weeks isnt old here  i have bumped my own posts from like a year ago.