English Electric

You have a couple of options: 1. Power functions front and rear This is what I have done, adding a complete set of power functions front and rear. I have also changed the rear light lenses to red which looks good. Pros: Lights rear lights up without trailing extensions through the train. Power from the rear will help avoid train from accidentally uncoupling. Double set of batteries so longer running time between battery changes. Can split the two sets in half and run as two trains! Cons: Expense. Chance that one IR receiver may get a signal and the other one doesn't - not noticed this yet and doesn't overly worry me. Possible imbalance if one set of batteries has less charge than the other. 2. Two power bogies in front locomotive You can also just add a second power functions bogie to the front loco. Pros: Cheaper. No chance of power bogies having conflicting commands. Cons: The bogies will be facing in opposing directions so you will either have to add an 8869 control switch to reverse the polarity to the rear bogie, or open the bogie up and rewire it in reverse inside (soldering required). Rear lights will not light up, unless you add extensions through the train, or add a battery pack to the rear loco just for the lights.

Lovely little train! Would the standard train wheels not fit it? Just thinking you could make a PF powered carriage to go behind it and have it running on a circle of track under the christmas tree (although its a bit late for that now!)

True, perhaps I need to extend the house first!!! Or purchase more straight tracks, but think it may be cheaper to extend.... I have been messing about with the bogie / underframe setup, here is what I've done... Cheers, Dave

Having got two sets, I am already contemplating sets 3 and 4 to make up an 8-carriage + 2 loco train set as per the prototype, this set is really impressive I have to say! I only got one set of the Maersk train and already wished I had at least two, and missed the Emerald Night and ended up having to pay aftermarket prices for it which was really frustrating considering how many times I looked at it in the Lego store!

The Maersk Tain was roughly April 2011 - December 2012 The Emerald Night was around April 2009 - December 2011

Correct You cannot independently run more than 8 trains as all of the controllers are the same, therefore running more than 8 will result in trains clashing on the same IR channel. This gets worse if you decide to add PF lights as they take up the second channel, unless of course you plug them on to the same channel as the motor but then they will only work when the train is moving.

I wondered that, I have only ever purchased PF through S@H.

cei, I would be happy to rewire one for you if you covered the cost of postage, I could pick up a bogie when I next go to the Lego shop, assuming they stock them there? Let me know if you do want to. Cheers, Dave

I don't know if anyone else is planning on doing the same, but I am going to put in two sets of PF equipment, one in each loco and just run them on the same remote channel. That way I will get red lights at the rear. I already have the PF kit and have rewired one of the power bogies to run in the opposite direction, just need to get the trains now!!!

Possibly yes, just won't be able to make the bat wings flap as the eccentrics sit behind the existing wheels and will need to be removed to fit track gauge.

Thanks for your comments guys, as promised here is a quick video, apologies for the poor quality camera work!!! Cheers, Dave

I will try and set it up tomorrow and post a video :)

Hi, new to he forum, my name's Dave and I'm from the UK. Excellent resource you have here at Eurobricks, I have already spent hours reading through past posts. My interest in LEGO has been rekindled by my 7 year old sons obsession with it. Coupled with my interest in railways, I have spent a lot of time reading the train tech forums, but I have a general interest in town/city and technic also. Cheers, Dave

Hello all, I made an introduction in the general section, but thought I would say hello here as I just found this pinned topic. Sven, I have just had a look at some of your track maintenance machines (known as on track machines or OTM's here in he UK), they ae truly excellent models. I actually work as a fleet engineer here in the UK on a fleet of OTMs, and would love to try and model some of them in LEGO, but I wouldn't know where to start... I went to Plasser & Theurer's works in Linz earlier in the year and to Robel in Frielassing, a great experience to see the real things being built!

I phoned Milton Keynes LEGO store yesterday, and they confirmed it will be on sale there from 1st Jan, and they have circa 100 sets in the stock room ready...