MOCs: Models of trains running in Hungary

[ColletArrow]

Another beautiful looking model! I think this is my favourite prototype you've modeled so far, and it's done perfectly. The colours and lines look smooth and the lights work well. Very good work!

[Stefaneris]

Looks great, the front looks smoother than the one of the old FLIRT.

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Thanks for you comments so far.

She is alive, here are some test loops at our permanent exhibition:

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Less than two weeks ago the first renders of the new Hungarian tramtrain got online. It is a really important point in our railway history - until this point we had tram lines and traditional train track lines quite separated with no passanger trains switching between the two different networks (until the end of last century traditional trains however used the tram network to serve some factories in the middle of Budapest, check this video about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRZdV-2jTZ4 ).

The new tramtrains will operate between two southern cities of Hungary named Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely. They will run in diesel-mode on traditional train tracks between the cities, but when reaching the urban area they go off train tracks and start their run with 600V DC on tram tracks, between "tram-only" cars, giving a better connection to the inner cities, which previous trains couldn't offer.

The vehicle will be the Citylink type train of Stadler, the design itself belongs to the former company Vossloh which were bought by Stadler recently. Similar tramtrains run in Karlsruhe, Chemnitz and Sheffield.

This is the overall look of my trains which exactly shows the two compromises I had to deal with. First is the cover of the train bogies - the single Power Function train wheel is too large for this model, but the tiny train wheels can't be powered and they are noisy with big rolling resistance. Since all the bogies look the same on this train I preferred to hide them with two of the 2×4 tiles - but this makes the bogie cover too tall, a single 1×8 tile on the bogie bottom and an another 1×8 tile fixed to the cars itself would be better. Unfortunately, with the latter design it allows only 8 degrees turnout, but I need more on R40 track geometry (articulation, which looks closed when train stands on straights enables 45 degrees, bogies 20 degrees turnout). The other part I'm not satisfied but I can't get more accurate detail with LEGO-bricks are the lights - I have three yellow lights and two turning signals on the front, but the real thing has much more and smaller lights there. But still, a single transparent plate or tile has the 8 mm lenght in two dimensions of 3 possible ways.

Besides these things  I was not able to give back as accurate as needed I'm quite satisfied with this model. The entire thing is 7 wide which allows to proportional to my 8 wide train stuff (remember, this is a tram with less width compared to trains), and the angled sidewall makes the width decreasing to 6 studs on the top. The 5 studs wide doors could be opened by hand and both two wings of each door could be mover separetely. Note that they have different height (two plates), inner doors are for train track platforms (higher), outer doors for tram platforms. The two differently sized doors enables the step-free access for both operation modes. The tramtrain has a cover at her front's bottom - it could be moved by hand upside and a singe coupler mechanism could be turn out. The magnet is stored on the top and could be easily assembled to the coupler mechanism, which is basically hidden underneath the driver's cab.

Comparison to technical draw:

You can see that PF train wheels makes it a little taller than needed however with other dimensions it fits nicely. The exported LEGO-image is also a little false - the edge of wheels make look it even taller without a train track sitting underneath. Left side shows coupler mounted, right side with closed front cover.

The front is also narrowing from 7 wide to 6 with a little stressing of bricks. I used some curved and round sloped where LDD doesn't allow me to fit some parts but this stress could be applied to real bricks without the danger of any explosion of the model. The white part next to windscreen is held by old hing plate 1×2 (with 2 and 3 fingers), which is much better part than nowadays bulky hinge plates.

One last image of the front, driver's cab has a door on the right side with glass. Also mirrors could be set to the proper direction.

---

I'm planning to build this in the following month, so I can try how these thing work and look for real.

Please leave comments & critics!

 

[Vilhelm22]

Another really nice MOC!  Looking forward to seeing it come to life in the coming weeks!

[Ashi Valkoinen]

However I haven't built anything new train in the recent months (founds, founds...), but I participated a model railway exhibition last weekend with my own layout. The full layout is around 17,28 m^2, including my 6-track train station, a little rural environment and a double loop of track around. But the main focus is on the trains and the train station itself - the station can handle now even my 4 metres long railjet train and also coupled FLIRTs (3,2 metres) can be parked at four tracks of 6 (some others all still shorter, but it is just matter of 9V straights).

Plan of my layout in BlueBrick:

(Higher resolution: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/AshiValkoinen/Exhibitions/2019-03-Szolnok/layout_plan.jpg )

Speed regulators control the 9V track - two speed regulators for outer track (the station is one section and the upper part is an another section), one speed regulator for inner loop (not divided into two sections), the last speed regulator gives current to the platform lights and the SBrick controlling the motorised points. I switch poins with hand where I am sitting (next to speed regulators) but the other side is motorised so I don't have to walk there to throw those points. :)

Motorised points:

I also managed to keep the layout modular, the throwing mechanism is above the point but the motor is connected to the neighbouring baseplate, but the axle-connection between motor and point is easy to dismantle. PF-cables are hidden almost everywhere under the tan sandy part.

This was the whole layout:

And my trains:

Railjet moving through the station:

FLIRT3 entering the long straight:

At level crossing:

Triple FLIRT:

Storage building:

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

And how does it look from the view of driver?

Like this:

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

New pantograph design using RC train metal axle and Belville ice skate part. As far as I know noone used metal axles for trains as pantograph parts, the upper part using ice skates appeared before I'm pretty sure.

 

 

[Feuer Zug]

The trains look great, but for some reason I'm drawn to the cantenary built from window frames.

[Man with a hat]

The use of those train axles is really clever. It looks great. But what is the magic piece you use to attach to the clips?

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Just now, Man with a hat said:

The use of those train axles is really clever. It looks great. But what is the magic piece you use to attach to the clips?

3 mm rigid hose (this is the Bricklink-category of the part) cut to the desired lenght. 

[n3t3rb]

On 5/28/2019 at 8:57 AM, Ashi Valkoinen said:

New pantograph design using RC train metal axle and Belville ice skate part. As far as I know noone used metal axles for trains as pantograph parts, the upper part using ice skates appeared before I'm pretty sure.

 

 

Hej Ashi

This is a very nice solution for the pantograph!
I have to remember that for my FLIRT ;-)

[Ashi Valkoinen]

@n3t3rb Then you should really check my update in chasing a good pantograph saga:

 

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Aaand... prototype-design is alive!

 

 

[Sérgio]

On 7/7/2019 at 6:35 AM, Ashi Valkoinen said:

Aaand... prototype-design is alive!

 

 

Delightfull !!

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Hello all,

this day is very important for me in the LEGO Train fan hobby - this is the 10th anniversary of creating my MOC topik here on Eurobricks. I opened this one in 23th of December, 2009 to share my Hungarian railway related train MOC. During these years I created ten trains, mostly full trains with locos and cars or motor units (one single loco only) and five different trams - however two of the has no relation to Hungary so they won't be displayed here today. During this journey I got much help from those who started this hobby earlier, I got good tricks and ideas from people who are a decade or more younger than me. I brought you some photos today I took today at our permanent layout opened in the December of 2017 - a good place which forced me to make all my train MOC less fragile and durable - including power, controll system and rolling stock.

My first "real" train MOC was the red Stadler FLIRT electric motor unit delivered for MÁV (Hungarian State Railway), I started the MOC in 2009, finished first version at the end of December (check the first post of this thread), however many rebuilds she had and got her maybe final form in 2016 with the front design update. She has SBrick with 3 PF train motors as powering and controlling system, switchable front/tail lights independently at both ends and indoor lights. She is able to run with my other LEGO FLIRTs.

 

My second MOC was the Siemens Taurus locomotive - finished in December of 2010. These theys curved slopes were reailly rare, especially in my desired colours so I used SNOT cheese slopes for the front. With all her imperfections (position of lights, cheese slopes on front instead of curves) she is a good loco, the Power Functions train motors are controlled with V2 IR receiver and these motors run still perfectly after 300-350 real km-s she already run on shows. Pulled cars are Austrian (ÖBB) IC cars which appeared previously on Hungarian rails before the Railjet trains came. Gray car was built in 2015, the red-black just days ago.

 

 

After the red FLIRT EMU was built I discovered that MÁV also operates 10 pieces of Bombardier Talent EMUs as well. I built one of them also in 2011, however she ran not so much compared to my other trains - this EMU was always the first to pull out a motor or other electric component I needed for other train designs. At the end of 2019 I totally renovated her adding an SBrick, pantograph-moving mechanism which is quite unique around the hobby and I also introduced my solution for "bicolor" LED lights on this train (the trick is the light transmitting cable cut in half lengthwise - on half is enlighten by a PF led light through a trans-red plate, other side with trans-clear, so depenging on which light is turned on the correspondent colour will lit)

 

The typical Hungarian locomotive, Ganz V63 is a little outsider in my collection - these locomotives are now 30+ years old while most of my trains were built after year 2000 for real. The locomotive is pulling a so called "3G InterCity cars", which are some old cars rebuilt for the needs of 21th century. The locomotive runs with two PF train motors controlled by V2 IR receiver, other output of this is used for lights (cabins can be switched on depending on direction of run).

Blue-white-yellow coloured Stadler FLIRTs were delivered for MÁV first in 2014 and by this date my model was ready to be brought to the ceremony where the State Railway Company showed the real train to the public first. She got a controlling system update in 2016 (9v -> SBrick) and also a front update in 2017. She can run with all my FLIRTs and has the same features as the red one.

 

In the same year GySEV/ROeEE company also got some FLIRTs in a delightful yellow-green pattern and I was fortunate enough to cooperate with Stadler Trains Hungary Ltd. and they paid me to build some models for themselves and also covered the full cost of the yellow-green EMU built for myself. Got the same updates and features just as the blue one and now runs together with newer GySEV FLIRT3 EMU.

 

I started with my Railjet in 2015 and for one year she ran with four cars and a loco for one year on 9V - then I added the missing three cars and SBrick both to the loco and to the driving car. Four PF train motors serve under the train powered from two battery packs. The Taurus design follows my older Taurus - it will be a great task when I decide to update the complete train.

 

This electric motor unit is really rare - only three of them were built in 1994 and only one operates on daily basis. I choose this train to built with LEGO-bricks in 2017 because she is unique and it is one of the last products of Hungaran Ganz-MÁVAG train factory. She runs on V2 IR receiver with two PF train motors and has lights both ends - so the driving car has an IR receiver and an AA battery box to controll power those lights. I faced a really interesting building problem with this train - the middle two cars have the same length but different number of windows - 11 big side windows in the 2nd class and 10 in the 1st class car. This was a great step in my hobby to realise that I can imitate train window parts nicely with some SNOTting - further application of this method is expected in other MOCs I have in my mind or LDD.

 

GySEV Vectron is or was one of my most difficult builds. Not only the colour patterns and the shapes of the loco were hard to design but she could operate from both 9V and 12V LEGO-systems and also could run on battery. Since I gave up on 9V and never had 12V more than a test loop I removed these functions and left only lights and SBrick-based powering inside. However I think she is still great loco and I'm satisfied with her - but she needs some cars to pull.

 

2018 was the year when GySEV FLIRT3 EMUs were introduced to public and I finished with the LEGO-replica just in time. This EMU was equipped from the start with SBrick and has the same functions as my other three FLIRT units.

 

So, here I am, ten trains for ten years. The double-deck Stadler KISS with MÁV colours is on her way...

Trams. Sometimes I wish I started with trams theme only and not with long trains - I could have been finished with all the trams running in Hungary. But I build trains mostly so I have trams from three different eras.

My first tram MOC was "Muki", a little gray freight tram built back in 2011 - however the real things are now 70+ and 80+ years old. She runs on 9V but not so much - I keep the motor underneath in good condition.

 

Tatra T5C5 type trams are quite common on the streets of Budapest - many lines are served with them and these 30+ year old trams are still bright, comfortable and well-operating vehicles of Budapest's public transport, despite of the lack of low floor service. The hardest part of the MOC was to connect the cars in some aesthetic, but working way, including sharp turns on R40's of TLC. In January of 2017 I won a building competition with this one organised by the Public Transport Services of Budapest. The LEGO tram was built in 2016. Since March of 2018 she runs around 5-8 hours each day at our permanent exhibition - the wear couldn't be unseen but the small battery box, the IR receiver and a single PF train motors still doest the job - after approx. 2500 real km-s run. The rolling axles - just as at my any other MOC - are updated with ballbearings.

 

Another and last tram from year 2016 - CAF Urbos 3/5 of Budapest. This was a hard one on built - the narrowing and curved front, the suspended 2nd and 4th sections meant many work hours to figure out how she could work. Fortunately now she is done, running quite lot a day. She has two PF train motors, V2 IR receiver underneath, however I'd like to figure out how can I put the big AA battery box inside without consuming too much from the interior.

 

So, this is my 10 years works, trains, trams - comments and critics, as always, welcome. :) 

[Phil B]

Nagyon jo! Your work is exquisite. I like the Budapesti trams - having lived in this beautiful city for a few years in the late 90-ies, I recognize and remember the Tatra model very well.

[Selander]

Looking forward to your next 10 years  

Edited December 23, 2019 by Selander

[bricks n bolts]

Congratulations on the last 10 years. All the best for the next 10.

[dr_spock]

Happy Anniversary.

 

[Ashi Valkoinen]

Thank you for your kind words. For the future 10 years I plan to improve my MOC-s - after completely switching from R40 to at least R104 geometry I plan to rebuild my length-compacted train cars - both ÖBB and MÁV-Start waggons need more length, I hope FXBricks, BrickTracks will release more tracks to buy, I'm especially interested in 9V however I keep no 9V trains anymore.

About scale, windowing passanger cars I plan to write an article in January - I made a lot experience with LDD and real designs which should be shared with the community.

Happy New Year to all of you!

[Man with a hat]

Nice overview of your trains. You did an amazing job at all of them.

[aussie_huddo]

@Ashi Valkoinen Great MOCs!!

Any chance I could get a digital model of your updated urbos 3 shown above?

[Ashi Valkoinen]

9 hours ago, aussie_huddo said:

@Ashi Valkoinen Great MOCs!!

Any chance I could get a digital model of your updated urbos 3 shown above?

Been there, done that, the upgraded design is available for almost two years by now. You can find the .lfx file and some instruction about building the MOC here:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=574265

If you build it, or use any part of it, please refer both online and offline to my name (Raáb Donát), to my nickname (Ashi Valkoinen) or to my root Brickshelf folder ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=AshiValkoinen ) as credit. :)

[aussie_huddo]

12 hours ago, Ashi Valkoinen said:

Been there, done that, the upgraded design is available for almost two years by now. You can find the .lfx file and some instruction about building the MOC here:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=574265

If you build it, or use any part of it, please refer both online and offline to my name (Raáb Donát), to my nickname (Ashi Valkoinen) or to my root Brickshelf folder ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=AshiValkoinen ) as credit. :)

Thanks so much!! Will be sure to credit you if anything comes of my plans