Doubling up the Horizon Express - 5 Car Set

[woofmcmoose]

Ever since I got the HE I started considering doubling up as temptingly shown on the back of the box. The train just doesn't look quite right running with an open passenger carriage back end. As my train room (or as my girlfriend prefers; our 'study') is pretty small I was worried about it being rather long though, and spending it's entire time turning corners in a not very 'express' fashion.

However, when I saw that people were charging almost 70GBP on ebay for just the power car, I decided it would be far more cost effective to buy a second set and perhaps sell off the middle two passenger carriages- 4 was just too long and I didn't like the non-Jacob's join in the middle. But 2 cars looked equally silly so I set out for 3.

First step was to modify the centre car undercarriage to stretch the distance between two Jacob's bogies:

However something still didn't seem right! The doors- the middle car and hence the train was not symmetrical. But now having two full sticker sets and one donor car I could remedy that:

For this I had to dig in the spares box. To get the windows in I had to borrow 2x technic 1x1 brick with hole to replace the 1x1 with headlight holder on side so that the snot would not obstuct the doors at one end. Then I had to borrow some black 6xn plates to make the removable roof segment (the originals were too long):

I was pretty happy with the result overall, long enough for the feel of a sleek express, short enough to fit in my house, and even with a single PF motor, still fast enough to scare the cat!

Comments? Suggestions? Anyone else doubled up their HE? A quick search of the forums suggests from your signature blocks and discussions of doubling the no of motors suggests yes but I found no pics or descriptions.

[Duq]

I haven't got my second set yet but that should be sorted soon. I do plan to keep all six carriages or maybe even build a seventh if I can find the parts. I'm looking for a house with a bigger 'office' though ;-)

Your five car version looks good. You've got the proper bogies and like you said, it just wouldn't look right without the second motor unit.

[mapimi]

It's cool, looks good! The speed record holder TGVs tended to be 5 car sets, so you could claim yours is one of these models! Although four doors on the middle carriage means it isn't a TGV even if it looks nice due to symmetry. I have two HE but ordered parts off of PaB to add a jacobs bogie in the middle, and orange parts to extend the underside of carriages 2 and 3. But I think the 5 car set looks as good as the 6 one so it's a good compromise for those who don't have room for a 6 car one, might follow your lead as I barely have room for my HE. Thanks for the good idea :)

[dr_spock]

Your 5 cars look good. Not too long or too short. I haven't added a second train motor to mine. Instead I replaced the technic axle boogies under the engines with regular train wheels for less rolling friction.

Edited April 29, 2014 by dr_spock

[Man with a hat]

There are several examples in this forum of double HE's and with putting normal train wheels instead of the technic axles you really don't need an extra motor unless you go to 6 or 8 cars :

...

And my newest addition, the Horizon express:

It has 8 passenger carriages. Three first class, one dining car, and four second class wagons of which only two have a toilet.

...

Edited April 28, 2014 by Man with a hat

[LegoSjaak]

Great!

[CodysLegos]

Hi guys! Im a new member and I really love the HE.  I have two doubled up and im looking for cars to put in the middle.  How did you guys add another powered bogie in without dealing with the polarity issues?  also how do you deal with wheel slip caused by one engine being slower than the other?  Thanks guys, hope to learn lots from this comunity!

[Duq]

Welcome, and congratulations on your new addictive and expensive hobby ;-)

The only way to avoid the wheel slip issue is to run the two motors off the same IR Receiver output. That may require long extension cables.

Two ways of dealing with the polarity issue:

1. Add polarity switch (8869) to change the direction of one motor.

2. Put the second motor under the next carriage so both motors point the same way.

[broomhandle]

Has anybody built extra cars thru bricklink? It looks like the pieces are common except the orange plates.

And stickers...

 

Edited September 14, 2017 by broomhandle