cgarison

Will we get a release of the source code for PU (as well as Boost) so that people can create better apps that can work with the broad product range (MindStorm/Boost/WeDo/PoweredUp)? The lack of a a true programming sandbox and a developer SDK for Boost took away most of its value for me. Likewise, I see a similar issue with Powered Up, although my expectations are not as high with this product.

Battery Box: I am using the AAA battery box with Eneloop rechargeable batteries for a total of 7.2V. As far as the bearings, that makes the rolling stock easy to pull, but the weight of the car is still a factor and all the rolling stock on a PennLUG display will be heavy because of the detail they add.

On my heavy, 8 wide/50+ stud long locomotive, I am using two L-motors with 1-1 gear to the drive wheels. It is not a fast locomotive, but it is acceptable. This setup also provides more than enough power to pull more than 30 train cars that are as heavy as the BMR box car or heavier(http://brickmodelrailroader.com/index.php/2017/05/17/bmr-box-car-instruction-kit-update-and-other-future-kits/).

Nice build. This would look good with Cale's porcelain Mobil station.

Amazing locomotive. My LUG pals now have to quit complaining about my 8 wide, 53 stud long locomotives because this looks fabulous and I have to make mine longer.

Great work and several well deserved bonus points are added for the brick built CN logo.

After using the SBrick for half of a show linked to my iPhone, the one issue that I found was that the connection between my device and the train could be interrupted if I was pairing a bluetooth device on my iPad. Has the robustness of the connection between the receiver brick and the device powering the app been validated so that someone pairing a bluetooth headset does not cause you to lose connection with the train that is being controlled?

Nice Build!

Nice work!

This is one of the better resources for building in the dimensions of Lego L-Gauge (http://l-gauge.org/wiki/index.php?title=Welcome_to_L-Gauge), but I am not aware of anything similar in the smaller gauge of Lego track. Larger gauge layouts use brick built track to accommodate the the size of the trains being built.

Nice work. With the red on the front, this could be the bloody nose Amtrak with some light bley bricks.

Very nice review. I agree the Lego did a great job making an American style locomotive that could be easily modified to suit any builders taste. The only less than optimum spot was the cattle car that struggles to make the tight Lego turns. Other than that, great set.

Gorgeous. I love the scale.

Yes, that is it. And it is indeed a modified Constitution, but after seeing how well the Constitution trains have held up after being modified with PowerFunctions, this would be a no-brainer for TLG to use as their Christmas train.

I just spent a weekend discussing this at Philly BrickFest (after having a few conversations with Peter from S-Brick) which is making me feel like a behind the times schmuck because I am just now getting the devices to work on my layout with the latest iOS9 release along with the latest version of the S-Brick app. My personal goal with the S-Brick is that I will be able to control multiple motors in multiple locomotives in a single consist without worrying if the IR Receivers are getting the same signal and set to the same power levels. Using synchronized, powered units at both ends of my tender on the SpaceTrain is the only way that I can keep the inertia of the heavier car from totaling the MOC everytime I attempt to slow down the locomotive. Inertia is simply a mean and cruel witch. Back to the Bluetooth concept on a large LUG layout is that typically, the Bluetooth signal from many of the cellphones and tablets on the market are not strong enough to maintain a connection with the S-Brick devices as they travel around the layout. Also, some devices (like my iPadAir2) have a very strong Bluetooth signal which could interfere with the connection with my iPhone 6S Plus connected to my locomotive on the layout. It would be pretty nasty to have someone walk by one end of the layout with a Bluetooth connected Apple Watch and have that device interfere with the connection between the SmartPhone/Tablet controlling the trains as they pass along that end of the layout. WiFi may be the better option if I cannot work out the issues with interference on the devices. I will let everyone know my progress with my experiments on the S-Brick and hopefully I will have some solutions running by the end of the year. If I get lucky, I might be able to run some full scale experiments when we have out layout at a train show late this year or very early next year.

My thoughts exactly. This is an absolute wonderful build. The level of detail in Lego Town/Rail layouts is just going off the scale and this goes right in line with the work done by our friends in the community. Great job on the coaling tower.

I would say the Winter Train will be the locomotive (very similar to the Constitution), tender, and passenger car that was seen in the Lego Minifigures Game from late November 2014 through mid-January 2015. If memory serves me right, it was red and green but had a lot of pearl gold accent pieces. Knowing that the items the structures that appear in the game are based upon LDD creations, this train is already developed and just needs to be tweeked for marketability as well as playability. I was in the process of planning a 'holiday train' build for my Winter Village, but if Lego is going to make a set like this, I will use that set and focus my energy on the next generation of my train MOCs for either my ghost town layout or develop my space train layout.

Very nice locomotive with lots of great details. Great Work!

My 53-55 stud long by 8 stud wide creations have no issues with hitting switches on standard lego switch tracks, although you have to be careful how you decorate the layout around a standard curve.

Joe Meno has had a lot of luck building the Disney style monorail using the new power functions model of Masao Hidaka. I also have run Nate's suspended monorail for more than 12 days of Lego events and both are sturdy substitutes for the original monorail. The original monorail is the best for maintenance free running, but the others work well. Here is some information on the different builds: https://issuu.com/twomorrows/docs/brickjournal24preview/21

This is an amazing build.

Nice little War Bonnet.

2016 looks to be less of a 'train' building year and the beginning of the buildout for the Ghost Train. I hope I have enough baseplates and green pieces to start the build. Parts for the majority of buildings are also in my inventory, but I just need to start assembling them and getting everything placed. The year looks bright for Lego building.

I have to offer support for the 79111 Constitution train as well because it is a rugged build and can stand up to some serious play. In fact, I used many of the design elements of the 79111 in my 'Ghost Train' MOC because of the robustness of the design when compared to other Lego steam engine designs. YMMV, but power functions on the Constitution is a great Lego train for play. In my design, I added additional detail from the Monster Fighters Ghost Train to make my MOC, but you can certainly remove many of the detailed elements to make the Constitution more kid friendly. The key is to look at what is available and then build a customized piece that suits the needs of those that are playing with the train. The main thing is that whatever you decide to build make sure that it is an experience that you will enjoy and cherish for years to come. Having positive build memories makes playing with your Lego creation even more fun.

Amazing work! Great Job! We need some lessons on how to build 'fast' trains like those because in these parts our rolling stock does not move at that pace.