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Hello everyone! I think it’s time I shared something over here I’ve been working on. This is RENFE’s AVE S-102 (Talgo 350) made out of Lego. You might already be familiar with this Spanish high-speed train since other talented builders have shared their own wonderful versions in this forum. Here’s a picture of the real thing if you’re not familiar with it (photo by Adrià Pàmies on flickr). If you didn’t know, you won’t be surprised to learn that this EMU has earned itself the nickname “Pato” (Duck) due to the shape of the head. Very reminiscent of Japanese Shinkansen as a result of following the same aerodynamic principles. These trains are composed of 2 tractor heads at each end and 12 Talgo coahes. In Lego form I decided to shorten it to just 6 coaches, enough to feature one of each unique variation. The Talgo 350 is employed by RENFE for both its AVE and Avlo services. The Avlo brand, which stands for “alta velocidad low cost” (a bit of Spanglish there for you), being the equivalent and direct response to SNCF’s Ouigo. Originally, I intended to build the Avlo version because I find the livery very striking and unlike anything running in Europe, let alone Spain. I got as far as designing every coach, but as soon as I got to the heads I realized that the magenta brick palette is too limited to achieve the shape, so I turned it into an AVE instead. Turning it into an AVE brought its own challenge though. In order to achieve the not quite boxy look of the coaches and keep the magenta stripe running all along the length of the train I had hinge the lower section of the walls at a very gentle angle to get it just right. It’s almost imperceptible, but in my opinion, it makes all the difference. Unfortunately, as much as I’d like to have the entire train brick-built, I just don’t have the space necessary for it. That’s why for now I’m happy to only have one of the heads (the unpowered one) and only three of the coaches as a static display. Of course, this being a Talgo train, it features their signature single pair of wheels between coaches (rodal). Thanks to @Hod Carrier's brilliant rodal design this train can navigate pretty much any track geometry (with some restrictions) while maintaining a distance of barely more than a stud between coaches. I don’t rule out building the rest of the coaches and the other engine in the future, as well as motorizing the entire train. However, the remaining head’s final design is still pretty much a work in progress. For now, the intention is to power both bogies with two geared-up PF L motors and a BuWizz 2.0. I’ve never tackled a project of this size before, so there are many things I’m not sure of yet. I’m worried the two PF L Motors won’t be enough to pull the entire consist. Or even if it has enough pulling power, I’m not sure the rodal design can handle the weight of so many heavy coaches. In that case, I suppose restricting the train to wider radius curves would help it run better.
