Haddock51

This topic was my second large topic about my Lego room after Lego Trains 9V Extreme - ready! which was published on June 6th 2017 A lot of things have happened since then. Attached are pictures and links about additions: New Lego Trains 9V since june 2017: Two Swedish Passenger Trains with Rc- and Da-locomotives (built by Selander) Additions to My Own Lego World since June 2020: Tivoli: Loop Coaster Space: NASA Apollo Saturn V International Space Station (ISS) (together with Space Shuttle Discovery) Famous Attractions: Colosseum Eiffel Tower Famous Historic Aircrafts: Orville and Wilbur Wrights Flyer (Kitty Hawk) WW1: Sopwith Camel and Red Barons Fokker Dr.1 147/11 Triplane Other Lego Sets: Motorized Lighthouse Piano Piano Typewriter Chess Brick Moulding Machine MOCs: Bistro chez Daniel (with mini loudspeaker) Waldenburg Castle

To build a medieval castle from my home districts in Switzerland has been on my mind for a long time. Last year, I initiated some searching. This resulted in discovering Ruin Waldenburg Castle which is situated approx. 30 km southeast of Basel. Based on excellent pictures and references provided by the archaeologist of Baselland, I decided to build a Lego model of this castle as it may have looked like in the 16th/17th century. Waldenburg Castle has a long history which goes back to the 13th century. During the uprisings in January 1798, the castle was put on fire by leaders of the Baselbiet Freedom Movement. Today, only ruins remain. And now – after just over 300 (!) working hours – this Lego model is finally ready! A long journey from idea to reality has come to an end. The virtual work with format and design in Studio 2.0 has taken most time, almost 200 hours. Inventory and procurement of all Lego parts – with orders placed at 32 BrickLink stores in Sweden and other Europe – were also very time consuming. To build the model itself took me approx. 70 hours. This has indeed been an exciting and rather challenging project. I am very satisfied with the result. The model is 85 cm long, 40 cm wide, with a maximum height of 47 cm above the baseplates. It is built in three levels and consists of approx. 5 300 pieces. Lego LED 9V accounts for the interior lighting. I would like to thank the Office of Archaeology of Baselland for their excellent support, without which this project would not have been possible at all. Attached are pictures from “my” Waldenburg Castle and its placement in my own Lego world.

Thank you so much for your feedback @HoMa ! It's always a great pleasure and honour for me to hear from you who has been - and are - one of my greatest sources of inspiration and support when it comes to Lego trains in general and Lego trains 9V in particular. My decision to build the BR 10, and ultimately a complete Riviera Express, is based on the history you are referring to in your reply above. Just like the TEE VT 11.5 and the vintage train with the Swiss Be 6/8 Crocodile. Thank you so much! And yes, I learned early about your "large curves" using straight tracks. I successfully tested it on the floor of my new hobby room back in 2011 before building the new layout. Now I simply lack space for any kind of large radii. Best regards, Daniel PS: What about your plans to bike to the Nordkap and step by in Knivsta, plans you had to abandon (postpone?) back in 2019 due to the Corona/Covid pandemic?

Great to hear from you again @Toastie ! It's been a while since last. I totally agree with your comments above. Yes, I expressed a lot of frustration and anger over the past years about TLG's abdication when it comes to Lego trains in general and the 9V train concept in particular. Instead of wasting energy on TLG, I enjoy sharing with and learning from train nerds like you, @HoMa, @Selander, @alainneke and many more around the world! What a fantastic experience and joy - and what a wonderful feeling of belonging to a family with members dedicated to Lego trains! And sadly, TLG is no longer part of this family, I "mourned" them a long time ago... Still hope to see you at my home in Knivsta some time in the future, now the Covid pandemic being (almost) history ... Best regards, Daniel

I just added some more pictures.

No, I haven't uppgraded any curves to FX bricks wide radii, because there is simply not enough space for larger radii. I had to chase millimeters on this layout anyway... And no, there is no Y or any other facility for turning a full train on the lower loops, simply because lack of space. The only way of turning trains is to park them on the train shelve that is temporarily connected to the layout at the very front of the display, disconnect it, lift it (eventually park it on the trolley), turn it around 180 degrees and place it back again. The longest train shelves have a length of 272 studs, i.e. 2.18 meters. To turn these shelves is indeed quite an exercise .... To be honest, so far I haven't seen any need to turn trains once they are deployed on the layout. For some long trains like the Swedish Iron Ore train - and based on experience of running these trains - there is only one way/direction of operating these. PS: I am very happy with your rods that I have mounted on several of my locomotives! Later this year, I will start my next train project - the Orient Express - with a French EST Class 13 Express Train Steam Locomotive with a 4-8-2 wheel arrangement, even this one with rods! https://www.maerklin.de/en/products/details/article/39243?cHash=a2f3bd9577a5ede3553bd7a16e9d0b83

Even though it's almost five years ago I finalized my Lego Train 9V Extreme track, I still get high pulse each time I run my trains up to the high level and pass the Swiss alps! I still remember the feedback I got from TLG when I contacted them back in 2010 re this project: just forget about it, this will never work ... After I published this topic back in june 2015, I received many feedback from all around the world, but still nothing from TLG - the lines have been and are silent ... And yes, it was quite a challenge to get all these doors. The challenge to find all necessary parts has been a common denominator for basically all my train projects, in particular the TEE VT 11.5 and the Swiss Be 6/8 Crocodile, which both are built based on @HoMas originals.

Thanks. You can read more about my display in my 40 sqm hobby room in these topics: You are welcome to visit me in Sweden next time you travel to Europe. Your alias "Feuer Zug" indicates some connection to a german speaking country, or?

A couple of years ago, I built the BR 10, a very beautiful steam locomotive originally operated by Deutsche Bahn, which was supposed to pull my long and heavy coal train. It was only later I learned that the BR 10 during the 60’s mostly was part of the Riviera Express, a historic passenger train that drove tourists to and from the Italian Riviera. The original which was built in only two copies had a top speed of 160 km/h! Last year I decided to build my own Riviera Express and now, even this express train is part of my Lego train collection. It consists of: A BR 10 (8-wide) with two 9V engines. This locomotive, still one of the most beautiful and spectacular steam locomotives in my collection, is a slightly modified version of @HoMas original. Total length including tender: approx.. 70 studs· Six 7-wide coaches (DB and FS), whereof one dining coach DSG/Mitropa with two 9V engines. Length: 48 studs each · The total train length is approx.. 3 meters. Please note that all coaches – except the coach coloured in Tan/Dark Red – are equipped with real train doors! It’s been a while since last … All beams are strengthened with super magnets. And this is what my Riviera Express looks like: The BR 10 on a German stamp: And this is what the original looks like: Some more pictures: Tender fully loaded with "coal" and covered with a piece of fishnet stockings ....

I live in Knivsta just north of Stockholm. Feel free to visit me next time you plan to visit Scandinavia!

In order to achieve efficient cleaning of the metal plates, you need significant pressure against the rails which requires substantial weight on the car. A few coins will most likely not be enough. Also keep in mind that this concept implies that the cleaning car basically is sliding on the rails. Make sure that the wheel flanges still have enough contact to maintain steering control. PS: Sunil766, you are from Switzerland, my country of birth. Have you seen my recent topic on the Glacier Express MOC? What do you think about it?

To clean this room from dust has multiple dimensions: 1. The trains: All trains in this room have a thin layer of dust on top. The most efficient way of cleaning is to use compressed air, eventually in combination with sprayed water (only on trains without stickers!) and a hair dryer. In addition, all wheels on all 9V motors will be cleaned with 70 percent rubbing alcohol. 2. The train shelves: All train shelves, one by one, will be mounted on the track and cleared from trains. The shelves will be cleaned with a damp dishcloth. The rails will be cleaned manually with a slip block covered with cloth and moistened with 70 percent rubbing alcohol. 3. The track: Dust must be taken off the track, preferably with a suitable vacuum cleaner that reaches out in all parts of the track. To get the dust and debris off the rails and away from the 9V motors with the help of a PU-powered brush from the train wash is simply not good enough! Cleaning the rails is the most challenging exercise! The most efficient way of cleaning is manual cleaning, the same way like the rails on the shelves. This is applicable for all sections that are within reach. For sections out of reach, the special cleaning wagon mentionned before is required. The cleaning wagon must be run back and forth several times to achieve clean metal plates.. 4. My own Lego World: All spaces and objects must be cleaned with a soft dustpan. Very time consuming ... And finally the floor that needs to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.

My longest and heaviest train, the Swedish iron ore train with a Dm3 locomotive ,24 wagons and a total weight of approximately 10 kg, has 13 9V motors which gives an average weight of close to 800 g per motor. My recommendation would be not to exceed 1 kg per motor. In the early planning phase, I was recommended to mount power connections every 5 m. Given the inclines - and based on initial testing - the track segments between the power connections are somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 meters. When it comes to recommended running times, my suggestion would be that you regularly, e.g. every 10 - 15 minutes - check if your motors are getting warm/overheated. Yes, with FX Track the 9V system will experience a renaissance, most likely with significant price increases on already very expensive 9V motors. Is there any 3rd party supplier considering producing own 9V motors?

Proficient is probably slightly exaggerated, but I have been rather careful when using my 9V motors during all these years. My first 9V motors were purchased and operated almost 20 years ago. As of today, none of the motors I have purchased - which in average have a lifetime so far of ten years plus - has broken down! All of them are running without problems! I remember several years ago - probably at the time when TLG decided to discontinue the 9V product line and the introduction of new train product lines like RC, PF etc - when I read several topics with rather negative opinions and comments about 9V motors, mentionning motors that have broken down etc. I also remember myself reacting strongly because I simply couldn't understand what they were talking about! My guess is that some of these motors suffered extra wear because of overload, i.e. too long trains with too much weight for a single motor, in combination with multiple hours of running. Zephyr1934, it's not so easy to answer your questions. Since all my motors are still in operation - i.e. no experienced end of lifetime - the question remains open, at least from my side. I don't run my trains for several hours in a row, for several reasons. I have not seen any extra wear due to running multiple motors at one time. The higher current is irrelevant in this context because 9V motors pick up just so much current for what is needed. No extra wear due to inclines because I use many motors based on the total train weight, thereby avoiding overload. This can easily be verified by checking motor temperatures, and so far I haven't experienced any overheated motors. Once a while I clean motor wheels with 70 percent rubbing alcohol, primarily to prevent deterioration of power transmission fram track to motor. And that's about it. I don't want to resurrect an infected debate, but with my experience - and from what I have seen myself so far - I still believe that Lego train 9V is superior to any other Lego train system, especially with my needs in mind. What about 28 000 plus 10 900 studs?

Thank you XG BC, your comments and feedback are much appreciated! When reading your lines, I recall some of the arguments to go for DCC. I also remember visiting an AFOL colleague in Belgium several years ago with a very interesting and impressive layout using DCC with basically all the features and benefits you mentionned. Yes, lights have been on my agenda for many years and several of my passenger trains are equipped with various light systems. It really creates a special ambiance when running these trains in darkness. However, the lights have to be turned on/off manually which is ok for me. The remaining open topics on my list are sound - and smoke! I remember a video some years ago on Youtube from a guy in Norway who was operating a steam engine - I think it was an Emerald Night - with both sound and smoke! Very impressive indeed, but I haven't investigated this matter any further so far. Hopefully this can be solved for a single locomotive - e.g. the BR10 - without a complete conversion to DCC. Looking ahead, I will think about new train projects, with the Orient Express on top of my wish list. In addition, I hope we start making more videos now when the Corona pandemic seems to be more under control.. Visit my topic "Lego Train 9V Extreme - ready!" where you can read more about this track and watch spectacular videos!