Ideas for making an articulated bus?

[jonwil]

I am thinking about building an Articulated bus model, anyone got any ideas on how to build the articulated bit so that it looks good and so that it actually articulates?

More specifically, the bus model I would be trying to build would be a Mercedes Benz O305G

[Brickmaster]

This is very tricky and it's something I've actually brainstormed and experimented on. I've tried various combination of different tubing, interlocking joints, and more.

For ideas, it's actually great to look at some pro mecha builders; look at how they make their seamless joints, how they can rotate and move, yet always appear connected to the body and such. Some of the expert gundam builders are especially great at this.

[rriggs]

I have thought about this a lot in the past; I came up with a couple of ways using technic pieces together with tiles and curved plates of building the articulation and the floor above the articulation but always struggled with the flexible body section. The closest I got was using heavy paper folded and then attached to technic pieces but this still left gaps and looked iffy. I think some kind of frame maybe with material over it might work but I've given up trying!

Good luck!!

Cheers

Rog

[jonwil]

I think the best way to go is to build similar to how many trains (e.g. Metroliner, 4561) build the links between cars only instead of train couplers, use some hinges like this

http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/3640

http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/3639

or some suitable technic

[AwesomeStar]

I'm attempting to make an articulated tram for a little street scene I'm making, so I'll pay close attention to this topic.

As for an answer, I'm not sure myself, maybe some stacks of 1x1's on 1x6 plates that all move separately?

Tricky...

~A.S

[The Cobra]

An Italian builder did this.

I'm not much into MOCing, but what about using that "rotating" tecnique that alternates 1x3 bricks + 1x1 round bricks?

Edit: or maybe, something like this:

Those blue 1x2's under 1x1 lower bricks are obviously tiles, not plates (those in black are plates).

[xenologer]

I guess the hardest part is going to be the 'accordion' folds.

What if, you made thin frames out of plates, and stacked them, but each one is not actually connected to its neighbor, instead they are strung like pearls onto a technic flex tube?

Then each end of the flex tube is attached to the front and rear bus sections. when the bus pivots, the flex tube bends, and each of these plate frames will kinda go along for the ride...

Here! I just made a LDD model for the concept:

What do you think?

Of course, under the floorboards you still need to make a technic chassis that joins the front and rear bodies and makes them hinge nicely.

Edited May 18, 2009 by xenologer

[MetroiD]

Sorry for digging up an old thread, but I was hoping this might help a bit, even though it's a solution for trains not buses:

http://iltco.org/library/docs/CloseCoupling.pdf

(Thank goodness there's ILTCO :) )

[AwesomeStar]

IDEA!

Use two pieces of flex tube (cut to whatever length you'll need), and put 1x1 clips on the end of a 1x6 plate, then repeat all the way down, with about 2mm gap in between each one. That might work, but its theoretical, and I haven't put it into practise...

~A.S.

[prateek]

use a turntable in the middle and well i dont know what else...

[MetroiD]

use a turntable in the middle and well i dont know what else...

I don't mean to come across as being rude or anything, but what's the use in clogging up the thread when you're obviously unable to offer a real solution or even a far-fetched idea...!?

Threads such as this one are extremely useful for MOCers like yours trule here who for one reason or another are unable to start experimenting on these ideas straight away. You can imagine that it's a bit of a bother when you decide to check out that old thread three months later and you notice that you'd have to make your way through 3 pages of random clutter.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand:

I remembered that while browsing MOCpages I'd come across a few creations which implement this unorthodox way of building a realistic articulated connection. Not one for the purists though.

If you want it to all to remain LEGO-built, I guess using (and cutting) tubes would generally be a good idea. I've been thinking of building an articulated trolley bus for our town sometime during the summer. If I get to that, I'll make sure I post any futures findings & results.

[SeaKing61]

How about a pair of black walls made with the ridged bricks to give a concertina effect? these walls would be pivoted on attachment to the front part of the bus but allowed to slide in and out of the rear portion when turning. If the two parts of the bus are secured by pivots at the top and bottom then it shouldn't matter if one end isn't fixed. This wouldn't give a true concertina and would require space in the rear portion of the bus for the walls to move in and out but it would at least leave the corridor open. I guess it would need at least an 8 wide vehicle to look any good though. It depends whether your main aim is the appearance of a concertina or a working joint that minifigs can pass through.

Laurie

[AwesomeStar]

Following SeaKing's idea:

Using 1x6 plates, make stacks of 1x1 bricks, but turn them so that the corners are facing North, South, East and West, like a star-shape. That'd give that concertina effect.

[mikey]

I've been thinking about this as well, to make a real concertina may well be beyond what is possible with Lego. But if a 'pretend concertina' would be acceptable, as in the .pdf linked by theOtters, using these technic pieces might look good:., for the sides and top, but the top corners would loose the effect a little.

[SeaKing61]

Depending on the scale of the bus, could you use the hinge formed by these 2 pieces to make a concertina? It would need quite a gap between the 2 portions of the bus but would be strong with only a small structural turning hinge required.

Laurie