Arcade Machines Series

[Arcade Machines Series]

Here the latest addition to the Arcade Series.

A simple and easily customisable (stickers) upright cabinet and a air hockey table

[Research Lab - Materials Chemistry]

Thx a lot for your feedbacks.

My idea for the larger MOC is to have several dedicated rooms: Chemistry Lab, Furnace Lab, Facilities (X-Ray + ...) , a classroom/meeting room... and of course a coffee break corner.

I've combined both workbenches to start have an idea of the room setup. Stil need to add the fumehood somewhere.

[Custom Stickers]

I make my own very cheap sitckers with :

- Inkscape software to create the stickers design and the cutting template
- Some A4 paper label (i can probably improve the result here with thinner paper but i have a huge stack to go thru first)
- A good laser printer
- Some crystal tape to prevent wear and bring some shininess
- A laser engraver/cutter (there are fablabs everywhere now)

Here is the result

[Research Lab - Materials Chemistry]

I'm currently working on a series of small MOCs to later be used in a Research Lab larger MOC with several rooms.

So far, i've done an X-Ray diffractometer, a couple high temperature furnaces, a white board with a periodic table and a couple attemps at some lab benches

[Arcade Machines Series]

Here a few additions to the arcade series theme

Taiko No Tatsujin - Master of the Drums

 

UFO Catcher - Claw Machine

 

Gashapons - Capsule toys machine

 

Junior Arcade Cabinet

 

 

Versus Candy Cab

 

[Arcade Machines Series]

Few modifications to make it more modular. I also want to do an attachment with the entrance

[Arcade Machines Series]

42 minutes ago, Karalora said:

These look really good! Did you design custom graphics or are all those existing tiles?

There is a few custom graphics made using PartDesigner to test the look with DIY stickers. Those are the tiles for the screens, the 6x2 side tiles for the light blue and bright green cabs as well as the orange window frame for the light blue cab. Also the M:TRON marquee. The other graphics are available parts or stickers.

 

47 minutes ago, Killian said:

So awesome! We need building tutorials for them 🤩

Most of them have building instructions here (Rebrickable). But still have to do some more for the latter ones.

[Arcade Machines Series]

Lately, I've been giving a try at various designs for minifig scale arcade machines. Next step would be to design an arcade hall to fit them (not all of them).

So far only the Japanese candy cab has been built IRL for stability test (it is quite sturdy)

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

2 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

So what are you thinking of for powering on/off and replacing batteries, that you would just do a minor disassembly?

For powering the train, i implemented a simple mechanism in the front hood. Just by pressing the first 4x2 tile as picture inoragne below. For battery change, there not much to unbuilt on the front hood to remove the battery box. But i might also try to source a rechargeable PF battery.

 

Regarding the 1x1 plate with a red side, it does exist only in white but i just wanted to see how it looked. Sticker or bit of paint would have done the job i guess.

 

Also, i'm not quite happy yet with the look of the side windows, so i tried a different design for the upper part of the cab. Also gives me more lateral room to shift the driver a little bit.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

I put all the last bits all together, here is the result with the "Infra" derived color scheme:

I think i'm really close to what i was looking for

Still have to test the other color scheme and upgrade the "no-motor" version with the last upgrades so that the model can be compatible with both versions.

And of course, screen for possible built unstability.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

5 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Anyway, to clarify what I was suggesting in my last post, right now the IR receiver sticks into the cab by 1-2 studs. If you move the cab forward (to the right in the picture below) by one or two studs you get the receiver out of the cab. The trouble is, you now have the lower part of the IR receiver filling the gap behind (to the left of) the cab but a 1 wide hole above the PF connectors, e.g., where the yellow brick with a clip is in the picture. So I was suggesting that for this row of studs at the bottom you could have the cab be 6 wide  until clearing the top of the PF connectors, then drop to 4 wide for the rest of the way up.

I see your point now. As it is to use in our living room on limited sized tracks, lower the IR by one layer should be fine. Thus the inner cab will be fine with a proper floor and enough room to fit the minifig seated with a hat. I know going PU will clear room but it is no cheap for such a little loco and we already have a train with PF.

 

5 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

If you build it this way, you could just use a train motor with an axle on one end.

You are right and that was of my initial thougt actually but kinda forgot about it in the rush of finding a solution for the motorization.

Anyway, here is an update with the train motor. Just have to think about adding a hole in the base to accomodate the moto plug even if not functional.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

2 hours ago, ColletArrow said:

I would heavily recommend using LEGO's various gearbox frame pieces wherever possible - they virtually eliminate the potential for slippage, resulting in better traction.

Thanks for the feedback :) Could you linked me some example af gearbox you are thinking about. I'm a newbie and quit lost in all that is coming up when i google.

I've made some quick test and the design works fine in the curves with a fixed front bogie. So i've been reworking a little bit the design of the underneath to try to fit the motor inside.

Here is how it looks so far. Don't pay attention to the broken axles, i couldn't fit the 6L axle due to a tiny overlap due to the fixed angle of the arms used as "springs". IRL, their position will be adjust and the 6L axle will fit fine.

 

and with a base plate on top of it

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

17 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

On the short hood (IR receiver) the cab does not need to be full height, just tall enough to clear the PF connector on the given side. You could shift the windshield back from the short hood (making it longer) if you wanted to keep the cab itself 5 long.

I'm sorry but I'm not sure to picture well what you're proposing.

I've a question though. Does the dome of the IR receiver as to be totally out or could it be receded a little bit. that would allow me to keep the red strip going and gain one layer more in the cab to add a proper floor/seat for the minifig.

One last question. i'm working on the motorized axle with a L-motor under the train. To have a good fit, i need the shift the motor shaft one layer up vs the wheel axle. Would it still be OK for the gears (both 12 teeth) to work properly? I need to get some technic parts to test it out for validation i guess.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

Thanks for the feedback. Really appreciated as i'm new to that kind of build :)

If possible, i'd like not to sacrifice to much the cockpit and keep some room for the minifigure as my son makes up elaborated stories with his vehicules and they have to have a driver.

Here are some additionnal pictures of the "Motor" version with the previous design upgrades. Also managed to modify the cockpit so that the minifig will fit seated and with his hat.

 

Here is a view of the inside of the cockpit to picture the room left for the wires. The minifig has a seat without bottom and will seat directly on the connector (if i go PF) and will be hold in place by the back and side of the "seat".

 

If i can discard the rear mobile bogie and have it mount rigid to the chassis, i should be able to fit the M-motor in the thank assembly with sacrifing a bit of the appearance. This is just a very quick visual test to have and better idea of the size. Basically it would be an assembly including the motor and the rear axle.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

You are both right. The actual design of the bogie is fine. I've built it IRL to check and it work fine with all flanges sitting on the tracks. And i think i will keep with the small axle behing the front wheel and in front of the rear ones as it is a simpler built.

I will look at what can be improved on the overall look of the shunter to make it feel less bulky even if it's how it looks in real like. The idea it to keep the built not too complicated so that my 3-1/2 son is able to built it on his own. He already does the new big fire engine by himself following the instruction. So the idea will also to make an instruction booklet for the shunter as well as a box for it :)

I will a try to rebuilt the main axle to fit better the real Y8000 and try to include the motorization. The circuit cubes is nice but i'd prefer to go with something compatible with Power Function (or Power Up) for compatibility with possible new additions to my son's set and the remote controls as it should quite fun for a shunter.

If i go PF, as the battery and IR sensor take most of the room inside the main body, i'll have to fit a motor underneath by designing one. I could salvage a generic motor and fit it in a 3D printed case to built a stud compatible half motorized bogie. That should be fun :)

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

 

1 hour ago, Hod Carrier said:

The alternative might be to turn the bogies around so that the small wheels are on the other side of the axle. Your underneath render suggests that the steps and coupler are part of the same assembly as the axles so clearance for movement would not be so much of an issue. Also you might find a way to hide the small wheels behind the steps. 

Thanks for the input. I thought about putting the small wheels in front of the axle as well but the width of the small axle, which is the same as the main one doesn't fit under the actual design. But instead of using wheels, I'm thinking using a bar guide which will seat behind the rails and prevent the bogie to desalign from the tracks. that should be easier to fit under the front of the current bogie.

A problem i have with the current bogie design is that the small wheels are a tiny bit lower than the big one which will be an issue for motorization of the train (see picture underneath)

15 hours ago, jmchisel said:

It's the cousin to my (8-wide) Y7100 shunter! 

Nice Y7100 :) . Your design help to modify the front of mine which i wasn't totally happy with as the front grid was going all the way to the edge.

Also made some attempts to upgrade the lower part of the train.

 

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

6 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

My personal recommendation would be to use small wheels on a second axle to form a proper bogie.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I was aiming at the same one but wasn't about the outcome. Nice to have some experienced feedback :) Big kuddos for the explicit pictures

Here is the update design. I had to reduced the lenght of the underneath tanks to make some clearance for the "stability" axles. Also tried to add an extra layer of tiles on the tanks to see how it could cover the small wheels but the gain is limited. It would be difficult to hide them completely on a "6-wide" train anyway.

 

Same thickness for the tanks as the initial design. Tanks are less long.

 

With a extra layer to try to extend the tank

 

Last picture is to illustrate the clearance between the underneath tanks the extra wheels with the two above options

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

Thanks.

Done some more reading as i'm new to this and it appears that mobile 2-wheels bogies do not work great. The 16 stud gap between the axles make to it goes thru the turns but it's quite terrible to the hear and to the sight :).

I'm trying to figure out a solution either by adding a small wheels 2nd axle that could be hidden by the underneath decoration or couple both bogies with a flexible stick as seems somewhere on the forum.

Technically, the first option works well but still have to see how it looks on the train. Still have to test the second one.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

My mistake. The plate base is 24-stud long. The axles are 16 stud apart only. Both bogies are mobile on the current version (using 2x2 turn plate)

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

That is actually the first design i did but i need to adust the color choice to fit bricks availability.

 

For the motor, either I go with the current PF train motor and use only one axle and mount it rigid to the rear and keep only the front bogie mobile. The base is only 24-stud so it should be ok on the turns but I don't really know as I'm new to Lego trains. The construction i used should allow me to keep the current lower decoration as it looks.

Or I go custom with a 3D printed brace for an electric motor and hold onto a Technic bricks chassis.

[6-wide Y-8000 series locotractors]

Hi, I started my first MOC project to go along with my 3yo son's new interest for lego vehicule including trains.

I foccused my attention on a common locotrator model i was use to spot in local french train stations: the Y-8000 serie.

 

I chosed to keep it to the 6-widish range to fit a train he already has. Colors of the non-motorized version are based on existing models (Infra, Fret, ...). The color of the PF version are custom to fit the body color of the battery box and the IR sensor.

 

"INFRA" color scheme

 

"FRET" color scheme

 

Power Function version (WIP): An air intake has been added on top of the engine for clearance for the PF wire. The motorized 2-wheels bogie still has to be design. Actual design only include PF battery box and IR sensor.