HoMa

For my long 8-wide stuff I've used an incline of 1 plate per 1.5 track pieces (= 24 studs), both on straights and long smooth curves build with straight track. If space is unlimited I would go for an even less incline (0.5 plate per track piece), especially in uphill curves.

Hi, as mentioned before, LEGO train track is 6 studs wide. And it is up to the builder creating locos and other rolling stock in various width. LEGO themselves build trains normally 6 studs wide (consider it is a toy train targeting 6-10 year olds). LEGO fans do indeed prefer more realistic looking width for LEGO trains. Wider trains makes them become longer and heavier ... And the LEGO track curves are a nightmare for good looking trains. If space is no problem, you can solve the curve issue by using strack track pieces and build a gigantic curve: Oversized Image Removed Such a layout give a great chance to run 7/8-wide LEGO trains. Some more links: Train Systems Long and smooth curves Train Wheels Holger

Look at: Original designer of this MOC Jayhurst found a very intelligent solution to make this monster compatible with LEGO curves and switches. Holger

LEGO Train 12 Volts ... great work! And again credits to Jayhurst who inspired us all with this fantastic Big Boy. Adding front and back light is great. A very nice extra for this outstanding model. Back in 2010 I also build myself a copy of Jayhurst's Big Boy - thanks to his flickr gallery it was not such a problem but still a challenge. I added 10 US style waggons to get a really nice long freight train: http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/us-freight-train.php While building my copy of this Big Boy I struggled a bit with the front rack build with 1x2 grill tiles attached at the front axle truck. Could you post some detail pictures how you solved this? Mine are just inline, the little V-shape is missing. Again, great work! Holger

Hi all, you can find my LEGO train MOCs at http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/trains.php This video shows Kai's Thalys and HoMa's ICE 3 on our layout at LEGO Fanwelt in Cologne in 2010. Sorry, it's not my video and train MOC ... I just came up with the long curves once :-] Holger

Hi all, LEGOWorld in Zwolle was held this week (or last week?). Various galleries show great stuff AFOLs put on display. As train fan I was caught by a long, long layout with a massive modern bridge and some really nice European high speed trains running on the layout. Some pictures could be found in here for example: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=487149 Who did built this layout? I would be interested in your experiences (length of loop, numbers of motors in trains, number of speed regulators and power access points, etc, etc ... Great layout! Great pics of trains on the bridge! Holger

Hi Gerard, congratulations to your train layout! Really an eyecatching thing for LEGO train fans. I am interested in some facts, maybe you are willing to share? + length of total loop in track elements + length and width of overall table layout + number of attached power supplies to the loop + number of speed regulators used + number of motors on the trains (just two or more per train?) + Are there any youtube videos available? Holger (the guy who did a large curve layout at LEGO Fanwelt in Köln last year: )

I have used PF motors in various combinations in various MOC engines. PF motors work fine for old-fashioned engines, especially steam engines but also early electric engines like the Swiss Crocodile. OR saying it the other way round: Wenn ever the wheel configuration of the standard train motor doesn't fit to the engine, PF with BBB wheels or the LEGO steam engine wheels is a good choice. Form PF motors you can not expect fast running trains. If you want to go fast, use the standard train motors, either 9V or the new one with PF connection to receiver/battery box. If you want to build a fast steam engine, then I'd prefer an engine without motors at all and standard motors underneath the waggons. While using PF M- or XL-Motors a good advice is to keep it as simple as possible. Means, use as less gears as possible. LEGO Technic Gears, axles, bricks with axleholes etc. are not made for a permanent and long term spinning. Just compare the usage of moving/spinning parts in a Technic model/MOC and a train which should run for hours at LEGO shows. The gears in a PF train engine could become rather loud. I started to use a special lubrication which was made for RC controlled cars using plastic gears. Some small drops really helped and the mechanics worked much smoother afterwards. See may train mocs with various was of powering at: http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/trains.php Holger

Hi all, I also recieved my first order of ME Metal Rails. Feel free to check out my little review at: http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/me-metal-rails.php HoMa

Hi all, I've just relaunched my personal LEGO fan website HoMa's World of Bricks Besides my train mocs you will find some interesting train related FAQ questions and answers, e.g.: • Train Wheels • Train Systems • PowerFunctions (more general) • Long and smooth curves Sorry for the mixture of British and American English ... Kind regards from Germany, HoMa

Eric, sounds great! Everything sounds great with your ME Metal Rails ... can't wait to get them :-] Thanks and good luck with the new train supplemental business for LEGO trains! Holger

Great to see these new rails available now - even if it is April 1st today. Just placed my order. Hopefully a bricklink or similar re-seller could be found in Europe to get the rails shipped from a less expensive point in Europe. Something similar was once done by someone with BrickJournal. Looking forward to see the new radii ... Holger

Keep in mind that end of March easly could be the beginning of April ;-] Holger

At least web.archive.org finds the old bricksonthebrain.com website concerning "Getting Started with LEGO Trains": http://web.archive.org/web/20051101020755/www.bricksonthebrain.com/trains/index.cfm I still got a little recension of this book online on my website, sorry German only: http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/books.htm And this is/was the announcement from the publisher, NoStarch: http://nostarch.com/releases/legotrains_release.pdf Holger

Hi all, I've uploaded the first videos of our big loop train layout at LEGO Fanwelt in Cologne some weeks ago. This is a stationary shoot of the full loop with my ICE 3 and Kai's Thalys: And some "on-track-shoots" of my old BR 10 with Riviera-Express passenger coaches and the ICE 3: It's cool to see these train monsters in 8-wide running on track rather trying to get aroung standard LEGO curves. The whole layout was about 18x6 meters with 3 individual loops using only straight 9V LEGO tracks. The table heights differed very much so the ride on the trains might have not been so comfortable :-] Have fun, Holger

Hi all, I've uploaded some more pictures and videos: Layout plan: ICE 3 and Thalys from birdseye's perspective BigBoy (original design byJayhurst) All pictures - at brickshelf: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=453644 und - at flickr: Enjoy, HoMa P.S. Sorry, I don't have any other pics of the tank cars.

After cooming up with the idea to use just straight 9V track to build long, smooth curves I wanted to realise a full train layout which only uses such smooth curves and is suitable for long, 7-/8-wide trains. Now most of the work is done and we got the chance to test the layout in preparation for the upcoming LEGO Fanwelt http://www.legofanwelt.de/home/index_e.php in Köln, November 2010. The layout contains 3 loops, one single track, one double-track, all powered with the 9V LEGO train system. The single and double track overlap so bridges and long ramps to go up and down are used. The single track has an incline ratio of 1 plate per 1 9V track element. The double track has an incline of 1 plate per 1,5 9V tracks. The inner loop of the double track uses 276 track pieces, the outer 282 track pieces. The whole layout is 18 meter long and 6 meter wide. The testing went very well, the smooth climbs and long curves all work very well. Each loop should have 2 or better 4 feeds for electric power from several speed regulators. See some videos and pictures at: my Flickr gallery or visit us at the LEGO Fanwelt in Köln! HoMa

It was only testing ... I've used two speed regulators for each loop of track. Each speed regulator had 2 or 3 connections to the track using only LEGO 9V extension wires (all I got). Close to the black bridge and close to the non-elevated curve the power was feed to the track. This worked fine but I had to run from one speed regulator to the other all the time. For the November show I will use some none LEGO extension wire to create multiple plug-ins of power and keeping all speed regulators close together. BTW, does anyone know the exact width of the LEGO 9V wires? Again thanks for all the nice comments! Holger

Thanks all for your comments so far! The bridge was originally designed by Thomas Avery back in 2004 http://www.texbrick.com/model_whitebridge/index.html ... Thanks Thomas for this great bridge. Space ... We only had the chance to use the room at our local church on a Friday and Saturday. A few hours of test driving were surrounded by 5-7 hours of set up and 3 hours of clearing everything away. The full layout will be shown at the LEGOfanwelt event in Cologne in November. Holger

I found another piece of tram track over on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougidle/2946866050/ HoMa

Hi, thanks for sharing. Good that you also found a way to solve the one-wheel-truck problem with bricks. I once (back in 2001) build the InterCityNight train, a German "hotel train" using Talgo waggons: LEGO InterCityNight I'm a conformist!, Holger

Hi, The hole in the middle is the same as in #8866. The shorter end of a 3/4 Technic pin will fit into this whole, but it will be very loose. There is no room for a full 6 long axle to go through the motor. But I don't know any train wheel which will fit on the longer end of the 3/4 pin? You could put anything with one stud in the hole, but the connection is not very tight. Tschüß Holger

Hi, sorry, I can not tell. The dimensions of the body are the same, the axle holders are orange in this new motor and the cable is "build-in". I also recieved following information from LEGO to pass on: „... the new LPF Train Motor looks much like the former from the outside, it has been reengineered from the inside. It has more motor power and is more efficient. The new train runs as long on AAA batteries as the former did on AA batteries.“ I personally see the new battery box in a positive way. Now we have two different power resources with the same dimensions to power our trains or other MOCs. Either we use one-way batteries which might be cheaper in a short term perspective or we use the rechargeable battery which is expensive if you have to buy one, but on a long term perspective it will be worth it. Overall I am happy to see a choice rather then one or none solutions offered from Billund. From the LEGO City perspective the new trains are great and especially the cargo train comes with lots of extras e.g. track, switches, crane, truck, containers ... kids will love that and there is a high playability in this set. And we as AFOLs should see sets like this either as collectible items or as random assortment of elements which are used for our own mocs. Holger

Hi, The train motor has a fixed wire: The new AAA battery box: See more pictures at: www.holgermatthes.de/bricks Holger

As far as I know there is one mold for the big train wheels which molds 4x flanged and 2x blinds in one production run. All 6 elements automatically are packed in one polybag. (This was proven by the LugBulk orders at various LUGs where the black wheels were only available as pre-packed polybag with 4+2 wheels.) I would say, this would not be changed for the red wheels, even if the blind red wheel is not used for the Toy Story Western Train steamer. Holger