M_slug357

@jtlan, It didn't occur to me before, but would the addition of a 2nd belt help with the transmission of power? Also, what do you think about applying something to the pulley wheels to make them more... grippy? Lastly, you mentioned your loco's been jumping the switches, but is this happening on 9V or PF switches? My lighter engines always jump 9V switches in similar setups to the one you illustrated. Anyways, can't wait for your next loco!

@Daedalus304 I don't know about you, but I'm saving up as much as I possibly can for this! I think coaster mentioned summertime for the launch of the campaign?

lol! Thanks fer the comedy @Duq and @BurkusCircus!! Where are these secret convo's being held @ anyways? Reddit?

Hey again, Any news, rumors, or sales going on out there...?

Releasing the schematics is a bit counter-intuitive I'd say, especially if there needs to be a certain amount of gain before even getting to the 9V stuff. Maybe in like, 5 yrs? lol Also, don't forget people that PF track + copper or nickel tape = temporary holdover for the 9V items! At least, that's what I'll be doing anyways. 2017 just might be a great year for trains!!

This is definitely great work @coaster!! I'm interested in getting these not only for myself, but also to possibly tempt my local club into jumping in on the kickstarter for these 9V ones... Definitely let the community know how&when the kickstarter kicks off, so that we can advertise it further!

I think the current plan is to attach metal in a similar fashion to ME Models' 9V tracks. And in this case, I was wondering how the middle sections were to be electrified. Do you have a pic or two to share @legoman666? Would be great to get some close-ups/ detailed views of your implementations!

Thanks everyone for your interest so far!! @ScotNick I'm sorry that it took so long to get these files out, but also hope you had an enjoyable time trying to reverse-engineer the frames :) If anyone's having trouble with the files or the link, please message me!

Hello fellow builders! I felt that it was finally time to share with you all something that I've been working on/ playing with for a while now: My L-Motor Frame. L-Motor Block Types by Nick Jackson, on Flickr The concept for this project was to create a stable platform on which (primarily) steam engines could be produced with less motor& cable obstructions. L-Motor Block Types by Nick Jackson, on Flickr This would then allow the engine's body to be built relatively free of electrical components, or crammed with them in the case of tank engines. L-Motor Block Variants by Nick Jackson, on Flickr I think that the most interesting part of the frame is the fact that it is easily modifiable, and can essentially go from 2 to 7 axles! At the time of writing this however, I've only dared to go up to 4 axles for a related project. L-Motor Block Variants (2) by Nick Jackson, on Flickr Hopefully these frames and their different gear ratios will inspire you to make a steam engine! Although, there are a great many European engines that are not steam, but employ connecting rods for their drive wheels. L-Frame with Medium-Large wheels by Nick Jackson, on Flickr Lastly, here are some alternative wheel sizes that you may be interested in. These are made possible by the work of BigBen Bricks and @Shupp. The smallest feasible size would be the Medium-Large drivers by Shupp. These would need a bit of reworking from a standard L-Frame in order to clear switches and such. New Wheels!!! (2) by Nick Jackson, on Flickr Here, a set of XL wheels from BigBen fit nicely on a standard frame. L-Frame with XXL wheels by Nick Jackson, on Flickr And, by upgrading to the longer frame size, you could even accommodate 6 of Shupp's XXL wheels! Hopefully this post will benefit everyone, but moreso people who've had a difficult time getting into trains, and especially steam! Please, let me know your thoughts, and definitely share your ideas for a potential future build that might benefit from this design! Oh, and here's the link to the files: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9xAgBdzDImZaFFsM2lGVkdmcEk Thanks for reading, ~M_Slug357~

@BurkusCircus That's a lovely prototype! But seriously larger& way out of the price range of regular train fans... Also, You must've not seen this thread?

@coaster Thanks for that!! I was also wondering about the 9v version of the switches; how would you go about electrifying the 'flipper' and the following curve section? Are there channels/grooves somewhere for wires to go through? I couldn't really see any on the shapeways preview...

@Daedalus304 Don't worry, I too lack surgeon's hands! Is @legoman666 still offering to assemble these? I wouldn't mind purchasing one as an example, but then building my own copies afterwards. I'm decent with a soldering iron, and need an excuse to buy new tips! Thanks for the info btw!

How was it building CodeFox's bluetooth receiver? That's slightly more interesting (to me) than your engine MOC; Could you please provide some details?

Maybe use saran wrap to protect some of the internals...? Obviously, as long as the trains aren't diving headlong into the snow, they should be fine... I think?

Hmm, world-wide iconic trains? The first in my mind would be Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends b/c it hits the nostalgia vein. I know TLG had a prior liscence with this property for Duplo a while back; Why did it end? The 2nd most iconic to me is the "American" version(s) of 4-4-0's and 4-6-0's. There's one in almost every western movie or tv show, and there were a vast amount of liveries back in their heyday. In terms of train parts showing up in other themes, I still think the best way would be a train set in that theme! :) I wonder if TLG will commit to the 4-wide track? Could be interesting to have that aforementioned tram be on the narrow guage track, like the streetcars in SanFran....

Assuming your train(diesel?) has one motor but two bogies, you could: -beef up with a 2nd motor bogie -put more weight directly over the powered axles -place a helper motor in the last car, and then snake an attachment cable up to the engine

@coaster Oh, that's right!! :) Will this double crossover be available on shapeways sometime soon? (before the kickstarter)

Looking good! Any chance of dying the pieces in dbg to match the regular PF track...?

@dr_spock @Tcm0 thanks for that info! I am definitely not happy about getting a new line of motors that are weaker than the last lot, especially since all of my current trains' designs are based on the current selection of motors. I could understand if the PF 2.0 stuff was physically smaller, but if they're just gonna be the same size....? @ElectroDiva I think you may be right... While many AFOLs may have kids to cater to, I think it's safe to say that we all have a separate budget for our own Lego stuff. So, What kinds of sets are people the most willing to empty their wallets for, and on a consistant basis? How can future train offerings mimic the "popularity" of the WV Train? What was the last commercially successful train set, and why was it so sought after? Do future train sets need more cross-theme appeal? If so, what themes should/could be crossed into? I'm curious to know!

Ok, so it seems that there's a growing concensus for smaller train offerings- not neccessarily smaller engines or cars- but lower price points. It would be interesting to have the next cycle of trains mimic other themes, with 4-5 sets that range from small (like a single waggon?) to large (like a regular set) and maybe an Expert one for good measure. What I'm really curious about is the next generation of PF components. From the German toy fair, there was that "baby Mindstorms" robotics set that uses (I think) 2-3 M-motors in the new 2.0 style. I'm not a huge fan of having the electrical connectors change form... again! I think it's too soon... Do you think TLG will be rolling out 2.0 upgrades of the entire PF line?

((I'm a bit defensive of L motors since I use them quite a bit in my engines)) My theory is that mechanically, you only have the motor turning one axle in your 4-4-2 build? If so, I would recommend powering both drive axles instead. Check out my Class 08 shunter: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94581721@N06/30732265640/in/album-72157643243395285/ This engine is powered by a single L motor, but 2 out of it's 3 axles are powered.

I don't think we'll see too many direct re-releases, but I wouldn't mind a good re-imagining of good sets like those! I think something along the lines of 7740 or 7715 from the 12V days could use a re-working with modern day elements. I wonder how well a 'mega' train set would do sales-wise? Meaning a larger set ((not two separate train sets put into one box)), priced upwards of $250-$350 usd, that contained: -two engines, preferably one large (like maersk) and one small (a shunter), or two medium sized ones, -around 5 to 8 wagons, a mix of freight & passenger, -enough track for two loops, about 60, -around 2-3 trackside structures and 2-3 auxiliary vehicles, -lastly, about 6-12 minifigs In total, around 3,000 parts I'd imagine. Basically, something a lot more robust than the typical under $200 usd sets.

I may be able to help you there! I'm currently working on a technic-heavy series of trains that may interest you: They all revolve around the L-motor and lego's steam driver wheels; at the moment they don't work with smaller wheels, but are compatible with larger wheels like Big Ben's XL and Shupp's XXL wheels.

You may want to invest in a series of shelving units that are short wnoufh to fit underneath your trains' table(s). This way, you not only have storage space for whatever but also a blocker of sorts that'll keep bricks & people from straying underneath the table(s). In the case of shelves that are the same height as the tables' height, you could then use the top of the shevles as extra surface area, thus increasing the size of the layout as a bonus. hope this helps!

There are two places I'd double check: -first the Xmas tree car since it uses gears for the spinning function -second the large red wheels, do they spin freely? Might need to adjust those hope this helps!