NEW MEMBERS TRAIN TECH Registry

[legobanker]

10 hours ago, bogieman said:

I've been a lurker here for since September last year when my wife encouraged me to buy my first train sets (60197 and 60198) at the Lego store at Disney World. This forum has been an invaluable help to understand the Powered Up system and its predecessors and to see the range of possibilities in Lego trains.

My background is I'm a retired mechanical engineer who has worked in the US rail industry for 47 years,  42 of those at Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors. I'm best known in the industry as the inventor of the EMD HTCR radial steering 3-axle locomotive bogie (or "truck" as used in the US), but I also designed the SD80MAC and the DE30AC and DM30AC passenger locomotives during my career. My most recent designs are the 2-axle bogie on the MotivePower/GE HSP-46 commuter locomotive and the 4-axle articulated bogie on the EMD SD70ACe-BB built in Brazil which was granted 8 patents. My main hobbies have been building and modifying cars over the years, do a google search for "Daverri" to see the car I've been working on for the last 26 years.

As my two boys were growing up they got plenty of Lego sets of all varieties, including 4.5v, 12v, and 9v trains and the monorail in the late 1980's and throughout 1990's, all of which my older son, now 36, still has. He continues to buy new sets, mostly modular buildings. I live in SW Michigan now and he's in Houston so taking advantage of his huge stock of bricks is not so easy. My younger son lives near Chicago and has two sons, 3 and 5 years old, who are serious Lego builders and love to come here to play with our Lego's. While our kids were growing up, the most memorable Christmas day's were spent in our pajamas around the kitchen table assembling Lego sets the kids got for presents.

My Lego layout has taken over the basement at my house now, I'm just finishing building 200 sq. feet (18.6 m²) of tables around the perimeter, soon I'll start laying track. My wife is building most of the city building sets we've bought. I've bought several retired train sets, mostly on eBay, over the last few months, including the blue cargo train and the Maersk train and modified them all to add headlights and ditch lights. How I've gone about that would not be approved by most I imagine as it's involved drilling holes and sometimes a bit of superglue but I consider that the beauty of Lego's, making what ever you want. I've also come up with an easily changed rechargeable battery solution that I've implemented on most of my locomotives. I'll create separate threads to show what I've done if there's interest.

Dave a.k.a bogieman

Welcome to the club!  It is an honor to have someone of your knowledge and expertise join our group. I am eager to see your setup once it is done.  Be sure to post pictures and videos of your handiwork.

Brian

[XG BC]

Hello guys i am the same guy as @XGBC because for some reason as i changed my password and then logged out i cant log back in and the email password forgotten thing doesnt work because i dont know my email password anymore so i had to create a new account so dont be confused.

XG BC (Former XGBC)

[Roadmonkeytj]

On 1/15/2019 at 11:29 AM, bogieman said:

I've also come up with an easily changed rechargeable...

I for one am very interested in this.  Where abouts in MI...  I'm near Ft Wayne IN.   I'm impressed with your portfolio of designs...  Hopefully it will transfer over to Lego easily.   

You will find some are squeamish about modifying Lego.   Generally if it sticks with the general "idea" and "spirit" of Lego it can be overlooked by most.   I personally don't disassemble trains once they are built.  So If I modify something on one I'm OK with it.    

[bogieman]

22 hours ago, Roadmonkeytj said:

I for one am very interested in this.  Where abouts in MI...  I'm near Ft Wayne IN.   I'm impressed with your portfolio of designs...  Hopefully it will transfer over to Lego easily.   

You will find some are squeamish about modifying Lego.   Generally if it sticks with the general "idea" and "spirit" of Lego it can be overlooked by most.   I personally don't disassemble trains once they are built.  So If I modify something on one I'm OK with it.    

Thanks. I live in Bridgman in the very SW corner of Michigan. 

I posted a thread just now detailing the mod of a Maersk loco with the rechargeable battery.

Dave

[joff-turbo-nova]

Morning all, just thought I would pop in and say "hi" - been registered on here quite a while but only used as a source of information - I now happy to start contributing - I specialise in the 1980's era 12v gear and you will note from my two recent posts I have been busy repairing some 12v motors and signals.

Did my first show a few weeks back  and although hard work , I had loads of parents thanking me for displaying old Lego and bringing back memories from their childhood....

My display was a mix of old 80's Lego and a few bits of my son's more newer sets. Since the show I have been slowly swapping out the newer stuff for classic sets for the next show in April, but I think I will keep the construction gear as they are cool !

I'm based in East Yorkshire in the UK and am really enjoying getting back into the bricks again!

Jonathan

[Bartosz]

20 hours ago, joff-turbo-nova said:

Did my first show a few weeks back  and although hard work , I had loads of parents thanking me for displaying old Lego and bringing back memories from their childhood....

That's beautiful. I'm pretty sure everyone agree this deserves a thread on its own instead of being buried in here!

[Entalyan]

Hi everyone, I just joined both this site and the hobby in general. I wanted to get into Lego trains for a while now, and this site has been a great resource for inspiration so far. I am planning to work on automating my layout as far as possible, and I found some great information here, so I decided to join up. I don't have a lot to show yet, since my entire kit exists of an old 9V train and related sets, and the new PU cargo train, but this is likely to soon expand. When I have something to share I will do that here, but for now I just wanted to say hi. 

[XG BC]

On 3/24/2019 at 11:44 AM, Entalyan said:

Hi everyone, I just joined both this site and the hobby in general. I wanted to get into Lego trains for a while now, and this site has been a great resource for inspiration so far. I am planning to work on automating my layout as far as possible, and I found some great information here, so I decided to join up. I don't have a lot to show yet, since my entire kit exists of an old 9V train and related sets, and the new PU cargo train, but this is likely to soon expand. When I have something to share I will do that here, but for now I just wanted to say hi. 

Hello and welcome to the lego train community! I hope you are going to have fun automating your trains. Make shure to post a thread in this topic so we can see your result once you are done with it.

XG BC

[dr_spock]

On 3/24/2019 at 6:44 AM, Entalyan said:

Hi everyone, I just joined both this site and the hobby in general. I wanted to get into Lego trains for a while now, and this site has been a great resource for inspiration so far. I am planning to work on automating my layout as far as possible, and I found some great information here, so I decided to join up. I don't have a lot to show yet, since my entire kit exists of an old 9V train and related sets, and the new PU cargo train, but this is likely to soon expand. When I have something to share I will do that here, but for now I just wanted to say hi. 

Welcome aboard. 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

On 3/24/2019 at 11:44 AM, Entalyan said:

 I don't have a lot to show yet, since my entire kit exists of an old 9V train and related sets

9V is a beautiful system ...it's a pity that Lego has switched to the power function!

[Entalyan]

20 hours ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

9V is a beautiful system ...it's a pity that Lego has switched to the power function!

I agree, I would like to run the 9V as well, but that will have to wait. The PU/PF system is a lot cheaper and easier to get started with right now. I am more comfortable dealing with software than I am with electronics, so being able to control the trains using software without having to do too much wiring is a big help. I did order a bunch of Arduinos, which is the closest to doing any hardware work I have ever done, so having to regulate voltage on a track seems a bridge too far right now. Still have to wait a while before they get delivered though, so started on writing a UI for my planned MQTT-based control mechanism. While I wait for the electronics to arrive I can make some progress on that, so that when they are here I can focus fully on getting them working. 

[SpaceCossaX]

Hello, comrads =)

I just join that forum community.

If talking about my passion in Lego models - it's trains. Not Lego's Stock models, but MOC's, coas of sizes and size proportions. I like models in 8 or more pins wide and realistic, not toy_a_like visulas.

My future plan - make some replicas of Soviet and Eastern Europe diesel and electrical locomotives with cargo and passenger wagons (cars). 

I have some virtual models, that was builded long time ago. Will post them with model files separately, but here is previews:

Soviet flatbed car:

Soviet 8-axle tanker car

Edited October 24, 2019 by SpaceCossaX
Grammar correction

[Bludchylde]

5 hours ago, SpaceCossaX said:

 

Soviet flatbed car:

 

I love the look it gives the sides by having the tiles facing inwards, exposing the bottom of the plates. Usually you see the tiles facing outward, but this gives a rather unique look to it. Definitely stands out.

[mfair]

Hi,

I am completely new to rail modelling and have chosen Lego for reasons of convenience and currently having the space to do it justice, I hope!  I’ve worked in the U.K. rail industry for 15 years and have commuted every day to work into Manchester by train.

Although most of that time has been spent in boring back office work, I’ve recently moved into a role where we provide direct support to the guys undergoing the big rail infrastructure projects in Britain including some engineering feats like the chord in Manchester connecting the city’s two main stations.

Always fancied jumping into this hobby at some point in life, but have been put off by time and cost of it.  Now circumstances have eased a little and I’m thinking I’d like to give it a whirl.  Apologies in advance for all the newbie questions that are likely to be coming from my direction!

My initial collection at this point is:

-60197 City passenger train set 

-60238 City switch tracks 6 piece extension x 2

-60205 City trains track 20 pieces extension x 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by mfair

[Phil B]

Welcome! That’s a nice little track layout you set up there with minimal track. I like it!

[mfair]

2 hours ago, Phil B said:

Welcome! That’s a nice little track layout you set up there with minimal track. I like it!

Thanks!

Sadly I can’t claim any credit for the layout unfortunately as it was displayed as a possible option in one of the pamphlets that came with the passenger set.

Thinking of adding the cargo set (60198) which is currently available for £115 over here and will hopefully drop a little in our Black Friday offerings.

That’ll give me a lot more track to play with and the chance of dual running a cargo train with the passenger train in a much bigger and more complex layout!

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by mfair

[Grimscale]

Hello,

 

Long time lurker on eurobricks and longer time AFOL.

got started in Lego trains with set 4561 when I was a kid.  Still have it to this day.

Found set 4559 on craigslist for $30.  complete with box and instructions.

Have gotten into the recent Lego train sets as well.

 

Finally decided to join the forum officially after building a MOC of a railtruck. 

[TuxTown]

Let's lift the 10 post restriction, this is post number 10 ;-)

 

I'm from Utrecht, and I have 4 trains, 2 cargo ones and  2 passenger ones. Plus a living room full of tracks. I'm replacing the PF motors for PUP, and experimenting with the BAP software.

[nwbricks]

Hello everyone, another long time lurker who decided to finally make an account. I've been ploughing some time into a "proper" layout recently after a stay in hospital so this is my therapy (thats my excuse anyway...)

Would love to have a 9v setup but I only have the tracks that came with the 4564 I got as a kid, and would also love some wider curves but space is at a bit of a premium!

Here's a little video of my current setup - still a lot of work to do but its coming along nicely - excuse the bad filming

Next stage is constructing a station to sit along the long straight length at the front, and ballasting the rest of the track. Also need to fill the insides of the tunnels with some black board or similar as it all looks a bit bare at the moment. 

Cheers! Looking forward to getting involved here :)

 

[mark6399]

Hi Everyone!

I've been lurking around here for ages, admiring everyone's great work and getting ideas! I'm ready to start building again and sharing as well! Quarantine has brought me out of my dark ages. The last time I really built was around 2012. I didn't have my bricks when I went to grad school and fell off of the hobby. 

I'm a big fan of steam engines and love mountain railroads. I've been lucky enough to visit multiple of the Colorado railroads (Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec, Royal Gorge Railway) and I've taken a lot of inspiration from them. My plan is to start building some scenes and steam trains from that area/era.

Here's a couple pictures from the last major build that I did back in undergrad. I may make a dedicated post if I can take some better pics. Looking forward to learning and sharing builds with y'all! (I'm from Texas, hush )

I present, Windowsill Town!

Windowsill Town-1 by Mark, on Flickr

Windowsill Town-2 by Mark, on Flickr

@electropie That's a great looking setup you have started! I'm starting to experiment building some cliffs and rockwork. Man, that gets tedious!

Edited May 6, 2020 by mark6399

[Duq]

Welcome back to the light ;-)

That's a nice little layout you have. Word of advice for steam engines: start small. I've seen too many people get started on some monster project only to get frustrated...

[nwbricks]

11 hours ago, mark6399 said:

@electropie That's a great looking setup you have started! I'm starting to experiment building some cliffs and rockwork. Man, that gets tedious!

Man, I'd totally forgotten I posted in here, things have progressed a lot since then haha! Windowsill town looked great! :) 

[mark6399]

Thanks @Duq! Glad to be back. That's good advice, I've got my eye on a 2-6-0 as my first build.

Thanks @electropie ! Looking forward to seeing your updated layout.

[NickLafreniere]

My name is Nick, my favorite LEGO theme, and pretty much the only theme I like, are LEGO trains. As a kid, I only owned 1 train set... 4559 Cargo Railway from 1996. This set is considered to be the worst train set, as it is so unrealistic! That has always inspired me to make my own train that does represent a real life vehicle. I like to design digitally and only recently have I been showing my stuff online. 

In the near future, I'd also like to go to a convention or brick show. I was going to attend Bricks in Six this summer, but it is canceled due to the pandemic...

Edited May 7, 2020 by NickLafreniere

[dr_spock]

9 hours ago, NickLafreniere said:

My name is Nick, my favorite LEGO theme, and pretty much the only theme I like, are LEGO trains. As a kid, I only owned 1 train set... 4559 Cargo Railway from 1996. This set is considered to be the worst train set, as it is so unrealistic! That has always inspired me to make my own train that does represent a real life vehicle. I like to design digitally and only recently have I been showing my stuff online. 

In the near future, I'd also like to go to a convention or brick show. I was going to attend Bricks in Six this summer, but it is canceled due to the pandemic...

Welcome aboard, Nick.   Bricks in the Six is rescheduled for 2021.  There is the Greater Toronto Train Show on October 3-4, 2020.  No cancelation announced yet but organizers are monitoring the situation. We will be there with our LEGO trains layout if it's still a go.