michu4

Hello everybody, this is my first post in this form. After having built several models of Swiss trams in model railway scales 1:87 (H0m) and 1:22.5 (IIm) I thought it might be a nice challenge to try it with LEGO. So, the first attempt is a vehicle from the city of Bern. The prototype is still in regular use and looked after by BERNMOBIL historique http://bernmobil-historique.ch/vierachs-tramzug/ After some first trials I decided to go for seven studs wide. I think that is a good compromise. What still concerns me are the side frames of the bogies. The LEGO ones have nothing to do with the prototype. It would be nice to find a more realistic solution. The main struggle is to find a decent fixation to the LEGO train motor, as I want the model to be powered. Suggestions are very welcomed! Michael

Thank you very much for the positive and encouraging feedback! The idea with custom built bogies and gearing instead of the train motor is brilliant. I redesigned the model and was incredibly happy when I realized, that the new and much lower bogies allowed me to simplify the lower part of the body a lot. In the first version I tried to hide the upper part of the train motor behind a skirt of tiles. This was the only solution I found that allowed enough freedom of turn for tight curves. This is now no longer necessary. So far I don‘t know whether the new arrangement will give a reasonable speed and whether it will derail easily or not. I‘m a bit concerned, because the vertical axle that brings the motion from the motor to the driven axles acts as pivot for the deflection of the bogie. But as I‘m obviously not the first and only one who uses this arrangement I will give it a try. So, I wait for the missing parts to arrive and look forward to build this MOC for real.