Lego trains at our local train show

[hoeij]

I had a lego layout at our annual local train show. Setup time took longer than

anticipated, so some things of the things I brought stayed in the box

(some of the buildings, roads, but most important: the green paper I brought

to cover the tables). Nevertheless, kids loved the layout. I think they liked

the 4511 train the best.

There are a few MOC's, but most of it are standard lego sets. The layout allows

any of the trains on the track to be started/stopped with a flip of a switch. I built

my own interrupter rails for the 12V track because the ones on bricklink

were too expensive. Most of the time there were 2 trains running simultaneously

on the 12V track, and 3 or 4 on the main 9V loop, and one train (Emerald Night)

on the loop in the middle.

I had multiple trains running on the same 9V loop. This worked because the trains were

very close in speed and the loop is quite long, so it takes a long time for one

train to catch up to the one in front of it, and when it does, there are plenty

of sidings were I can temporarily halt a train to let a faster one pass. In

the video I have on youtube you see only one train on the 12V track, and 3 on

the 9V track, but this is because I was having a little break at the time.

I think my favorite train is a 9V steam train (from My Own Train) that I converted

to 12V. By making the engine a bit longer, I could put a 12V motor with moving pistons

in the front. Looks very nice going down the track but unfortunately I don't have video

of it.

You can find my video's on youtube, username: mhoeij

Let me know what you think.

[Night City Dream]

It would be much better if you put videos right here.

[MrTools]

You have a nice setup there and a nice collection of trains, but it would be easier for other users to find it if you had a link.

mhoeij's youtube channel

[Night City Dream]

Veri nice, indeed. I like the way you made the layout and the fact that trains are running at various speeds. 4511 looks cool, even very cool, even better than Metroliner.

I guess why the 4560 that I like so much is not running? And why isn't there 4559?

[MetroiD]

Here are the two YT videos from that show (careful with the volume!):

From what I can see, you ran a couple of trains on the same loop, did you only use one connecting wire for the entire loop or did you have multiples?

[hoeij]

Very nice, indeed. I like the way you made the layout and the fact that trains are running at various speeds. 4511 looks cool, even very cool, even better than Metroliner.

I guess why the 4560 that I like so much is not running? And why isn't there 4559?

The 4560 ran many times, just not in this video.

The track is designed to make it very easy to change trains, stop one and start another.

Every couple of minutes I'd make a change. You don't see that in the video because I

was having a water break at the time. At the moment I do not have any other footage (I'm

hoping to get some more footage from other club members, but at the moment this is

all I have).

Kids that stayed at this layout for more than 20 minutes would have seen every

train run at least once. My plan was also to ask kids which train they want to

see running, however, the guy in the display next to mine had his music so loud

that it was difficult to communicate with people in the audience.

PS. Did you notice the handcar in front of the Emerald Night? (I used instructions

copied from Big Ben's Bricks website, I would have bought the handcar kit but I

was too late and it was sold out). Also, did you notice that kid in the first

video that came very close to grabbing the cargo train?).

The trains on the outside loop would quite often leave some cars behind, presumably

due to kids hands, but kids never caused a train car to go on the floor.

I don't have a 4559 train. I bid on it numerous times on eBay, just never won one

(they tend to sell a bit higher than the 4560 train). I don't want to bid too much

for it because I'll need two copies to make the length comparable to that of the

other trains.

[MetroiD]

Also, did you notice that kid in the first video that came very close to grabbing the cargo train?).

The trains on the outside loop would quite often leave some cars behind, presumably due to kids hands, but kids never caused a train car to go on the floor.

Due to some previous experience with mischievous kids' hands, we now make sure to always use Tensabarriers around layouts... It's safer that way

[hoeij]

From what I can see, you ran a couple of trains on the same loop, did you only use one connecting wire for the entire loop or did you have multiples?

The main 9V loop had on average 3 trains running on it (sometimes

more, sometimes less). To ensure constant voltage along the track,

power is supplied at 4 places using 3 controllers. The speed

setting is 4 (out of 6) which means there is 6.5 Volt on the track.

Not all of the controllers are sitting next to each other (after all,

the idea was that power is supplied at various points in the track

so that a train is never far away from a power supply). So it is

not easy to turn them all off. To deal with that problem, I got

a remote-controlled AC outlet. This way I can shut down all the

electricity with a click on one button, and prevent a collision or

fix some other type of problem. The only train that is

not stopped by that button is the Emerald Night, that's why it

needs its own separate loop.

All the 9V trains have one motor in it. There are two reasons for that.

First, it makes it easier to make them run at nearly the same speed. But

more important, if there are two motors in one engine, then it tends to

pull the magnetic coupler loose when I turn the AC power back on. With

one motor it is easier to organize this layout (the long cargo train on

the 12V track is the only one that does have two motors).

PS. Thanks for showing me how to post the link to the video.

Edited June 28, 2010 by hoeij

[lightningtiger]

Excellent layout 'hoeij' - looks like you had your hands full there eh ?

Nice mix of old with the new - I'm a conformist! !