Toxic43
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Everything posted by Toxic43
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Wonderful! I can imagine the wok crew pulling up in the speeder train and the relief shift arriving on the pump cart. I'm also kicking myself that I didn't think of that coupling solution! It is brilliant. I have swapped mine back to the standard fixed axles and set up your drawbar solution. It works a treat!
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Coupling system issues solved! Nice. I bought these instructions a while back but haven't been able to use then on the layout with the Speeder because of the coupling system. I have tried articulating the axles on one end, but it raises the height by a plate and ruins the aesthetic. Changing the coupler to a receiver on both sides and using a double ball end is inspired! I'm going to change the couplings on mine to the same, then I'll be able to actually use it on the layout!
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Controlling multiple locomotives on the same train with Pybricks
Toxic43 replied to and_ampersand_and's topic in LEGO Train Tech
Agreed, I can live with my passenger locos having a single motor at each end if I get to have lights on both ends as well. For my freight locos, I'm not so fussed about lights, but two motors are a must here. -
No problem! I can see someone eventually doing this. You could build the original in the Bricklink Studio software, then once you have the full train built you could work on converting it to a 6 wide build. You'd lose a lot of detail that way, but I think it could be done. You would save a ton of weight as well so would make for much easier motorisation, if that is the route you want to go down. I'd do it myself, but I haven't the time to build the real set, let alone build it digitally and then re-engineer it!
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Controlling multiple locomotives on the same train with Pybricks
Toxic43 replied to and_ampersand_and's topic in LEGO Train Tech
2 motors and 2 sets of lights. I have this set up on my 7939 loco, which is Power Functions. Easy to do, because you can just stack the lights together on a channel and the motors on the other. Powered up is limited to 2 motors, or a motor and 1 set of lights. Quite the downgrade in terms of connectivity. However, I think the ability to add custom firmware to the hub makes up for it a little. -
Not really a MOD, but this MOC is the only 6 wide Orient Express I could find on Rebrickable: LEGO MOC Orient Express Luxury Train by Handers | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO
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Controlling multiple locomotives on the same train with Pybricks
Toxic43 replied to and_ampersand_and's topic in LEGO Train Tech
I just finished converting my PF Horizon Express double set over to PU with this Pybricks code installed. Main unit with train motor and lights with the main unit code, and the same in the rear running the observer hub code. It's so great! I have the lights set to start at 20%, which is just perfect, and the smooth acceleration is wonderful! Going to go back through my other locos and redo all their code to use it as well! But the cherry is really the two hubs/one controller functionality. I just turn on the main unit and controller, then the observer in the rear unit and away I go. It's beautiful! And when it is time to pick it up from the layout, I can just separate the units from the rolling stock and put them on the shelf. No long extension leads to separate! I'm sold on the system completely! Now, if only Lego had a city sized hub with more than two outputs... -
Bricklink Designer Program Trains Sets | 2024 & Beyond
Toxic43 replied to RedBrick1's topic in LEGO Train Tech
@Space78 Same here. Ordered one, but would have loved a second. The Logging Railway seems like it will be a chore to build, and has a lot of parts that aren't really necessary for the train to function as a train. I'm not about display pieces and so for me it's a miss, because it will be twice as expensive for including raised track I won't build. The Brick Cross Train Station looks interesting, but at the price points the current lot are going for I'm not as interested as the Train Shed. -
Controlling multiple locomotives on the same train with Pybricks
Toxic43 replied to and_ampersand_and's topic in LEGO Train Tech
I watched the Youtube video from @BatteryPoweredBricks yesterday evening, and I was amazed at what you guys have managed to accomplish. I thought the original script from @Lok24 was amazing (It is!), but this addition will really make a difference to me personally. Presently I have a 10233 Horizon Express double set with Power functions. Battery Box, Receiver, lights and motor at one end, then two really long extension leads through the coaches to the other loco where there is another motor and lights. With this new setup I can remove all the extension leads, and still have lights and motors at both ends! Just incredible. No move having to separate the extension leads to break the train into two halves. The idea of double or triple heading is also very appealing. I have built @zephyr1934's Conrail version of the 10219 Maersk locomotive and am looking to build a few more in various liveries. This development means I don't need to add more weight to the train with unpowered dummies and can actually get some decent tractive effort at the head end. Gosh! I can practically feel my wallet lightening at the thought of it! Yikes! Well done @and_ampersand_and. -
They do, up to a point. But, as I found out, you can't really pull much more than 3 or 4 carriages/coaches before you lose grip. I upgraded the traction bands to black hardware store O-Rings whcih give more grip, but it would still slip. Ended up having to add some lead shot into the short hood cavity at the back. It is only a small amount, but gives enough weight to be able to pull an extra carriage or two, depending on which ones I run. I'm trying to redesign to a point where I can get a weight brick in there, but I don't think it'll be possible. Doesn't help that my attic floor is not level and the trains have to run partway uphill!
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2-6-2 Prairie steam loco MOC - heavy Sava instructions MOD - finished in the real world 1/29/24
Toxic43 replied to Murdoch17's topic in LEGO Train Tech
Fantastic as always! Looks like some technic 90 degree liftarms there for the cylinders. Always interesting to se your models as there's always something new for me to learn! -
I didn't, and my drivetrain is set up exactly like this. I haven't had any issues with the mesh or the motor separating from mounting etc. It is also capable of pulling quite a bit. I ended up having to add weight to mine because it ran out of grip due to the low weight over only 4 wheels.
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I like the idea of being able to get the roof down lower. You'll have seen how tall mine is. I might just have to borrow some of your ideas here and redesign mine to be a bit lower! Rear cab FTW!
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@faph Love it! Another great shunter! The colour scheme goes so well with 60198. If you use PyBricks for the hub software, you can get this thing to go really slow. It's beautiful!
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Frisco 1522 (4-8-2 steam loco) with St. Louis Steam Train Association excursion support train models - finished in real life 9/23/23
Toxic43 replied to Murdoch17's topic in LEGO Train Tech
@Murdoch17 Wow! Very impressive! So glad you managed to get it all together. Did you go with a power system or is it unpowered? If powered, what did you go for? I'd love to see what is going on in there. -
XL two track railway locomotive shed (finished in real bricks 10/4/23)
Toxic43 replied to Murdoch17's topic in LEGO Train Tech
This is awesome! Great, now I have another project to start! Thanks! Just kidding, this is an amazing design. I love the way it has been designed to maximise the same common types of parts, Keeps the costs down whilst also looking the part. Now my Son has seen it I have been tasked with designing one for our layout! -
Frisco 1522 (4-8-2 steam loco) with St. Louis Steam Train Association excursion support train models - finished in real life 9/23/23
Toxic43 replied to Murdoch17's topic in LEGO Train Tech
Awesome! So great to see your model with the real thing. I feel your pain with ordering the parts though! It seems everything has gone up, except my disposable income, which seems to have taken a nosedive these days! I hope you manage to get this train together as it's rather impressive. Even more so knowing the history behind it. Getting to see the model run will likely be the only chance to see it run again. -
It took me a minute to realise how to power the blinds and leave either the front or rear unpowered. I got it though. I may give that a shot. The loco is due a tear down anyway as its been stored for so long now without a good run. I also took it apart recently for the photos above and I can see now how I can improve the design internally. I may even drop to a single motor for economy's sake. This thing eats batteries. Sure it's cool, but I'm the only one that knows the motors are in there. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions!
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Oh, yeah, sorry about that. They have technic half pins in the pin holes which are then connected into the underside of technic plates to hold them. Each motor has two pins, one at the front and one at the back, both on the same side. This is because there is a gap in the plates along one side of the loco near the front into which I have pushed a coil of motor cable. There isn't that much space to work in there with the motors mounted flat like I have them. I may have to rework it with them rotated 90 degrees. Then I'll bet I could actually fully build the side plates as right now they are two separate pieces and have some big gaps. Thanks for asking a question. It has inspired me to work some more on the loco. I'd like to take it to a show one day but I'm lazy so it'll probably just be for my own self gratification! When I get home later I'll see about getting pictures of my ghetto motor mounting solution.
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No problem. Tore it apart on my lunch break and got the following for you: So, first off... it's 4wd not 6wd as I remembered it. The blind drivers are just held in place with 2L axles and pins connecting to the coupling rods for as little friction as possible. Here you can see that centre axle between the two motors which connects to the gears in the chassis below. And below you can see how the motors and the extension are wired in and where the plugs are stored in the smokebox. The motor wires aren't long enough to reach back into the tender, so I added the extension. Now I have too much cable. I have plenty of spare extensions though so I'm, considering cutting one down just for this loco to give me the perfect length. Please excuse all the dust on the pictures. I haven't had this one out in quite some time. It's just sat in the dusty attic. I'll get it cleaned up and running again over the summer. Maybe... To add to the above, powered up will be an issue with dual motors because there isn't currently an extension cable. The motor wires aren't any longer, so unless you can orient the motors on top of each other or side by side with the wires both facing towards the back, you'll have an issue getting them to the battery box.
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Something similar I did was to get two PF L Motors into the boiler, because, you know... overkill. The gearing is 1:1, using 12 tooth bevel gears. One single bevel 12t on each motor, both driving a common vertical shaft again with a 12 tooth above the chassis driving another 12t single which is below the chassis. This in turn drives all 6 wheels, which I know is pointless as the middle drivers are blind, but as I said... overkill was kind of the point with this one. I can probably take it apart a bit at some point for more photos and I'll have a look around to see if I have a stud.io file for it. Maybe not though as I made this one in real bricks mainly.
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Friends themed train needs to be done. I still have ideas about them and just need the time to commit to building it. My youngest is 4 right now and would love a Friends train. She watches the show on Netflix all the time. I've seen Friends inspired trains before, but yours above looks like it could be do-able!
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[MOC] Union Pacific Big Boy 4014, free building instructions
Toxic43 replied to Berthil's topic in LEGO Train Tech
@Berthil No worries. Happy to help. I thought my motors were broken when I first tried them using PyBricks at speed step one and they just stalled. Starting them up halfway through their range is not ideal, but then again, I don't think Lego had trains in mind when they designed them! -
[MOC] Union Pacific Big Boy 4014, free building instructions
Toxic43 replied to Berthil's topic in LEGO Train Tech
I had this same problem recently with the PU WeDo Medium motor as well. I found that there is basically no starting torque until you get to speed step 4 or 5. It does start with a bit of a jerk at 5, but maybe you could lower it to 3 if you have two motors working together. I haven't looked at the instructions yet as I'm at work, but are they coupled together to a common input or are they running separately on each set of driving wheels? If they are coupled maybe you'd get away with speed step 3, but if separate and with that much weight, I'd suggest speed step 5 to get enough torque. Frustrating, as you do lose a lot of the fine control and speed steps are reduced, but it is the only way I know you can make these work properly. In the App Controlled Batmobile they're used it, they are bang on/off at 100% torque/power, which is how they work so well there. Anything less than 100% is not optimal I have found. The alternative motor to use would be the PU Medium Linear Motor 88008-1, which as far as I know has a reduced operating RPM, but higher torque. It's about 1 plate taller than the WeDo Medium motor but wouldn't be too hard to integrate I'd imagine. I used it geared 1:1 in my small PF shunter MOC and the torque is incredible. You could probably gear it up some for a balance of starting torque and top end speed as well. Awesome design by the way. This one is already wishlisted on Bricklink. After my other 4 Train related MOCS are fulfilled, I'll begin this one! -
Stupid name, I know. It wasn't intended to stick, but here we are... This MOC started out as a chassis test and grew from there. I was trying to build as compact a steam based driveline as possible, similar to my Powered Up Shunter from a while back. While that was the smallest I felt I could go with a Diesel (using strictly LEGO parts and legal techniques only) this was kind of the same exercise but with a steam locomotive. Obviously I couldn't hide a battery box in the loco anywhere, so I made a tender. Not prototypical, I know, but this isn't based on anything in particular. It's fantasy for a fictional railway that doesn't really even exist outside of a couple of locos with the WFLR initials on them! That being said, here is my design process so far. Power Tank Engine MOC on Imgur. Sorry for the whole external host thing. Maybe I'll modify the post once I get time to manually resize all the images and embed them from the Imgur links. For now, the external link will have to do. Sorry! I may convert this into a proper tank engine at some point with a coal bunker on the back and a boxcar for the battery box, but I'm pretty happy with it for now.