MajklSpajkl

I am using these: https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00TWFXCEA/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A11IL2PNWYJU7H Perfectly round and the same size. Bought three boxes of 100 and got total of about 350. I guess they don't count very well :-)

Great work @Doug72! Thx for all your effort so far! Very nice summary of the now rather long topic. It's been a hectic week so far, so I didn't have time to comment on you compact ball loader. Did you notice any ball jamming in the shaft maybe? Great work again. Might be good to make that hopper a bit larger in order to bbe able to take more balls in when waiting for the train. Best regards! Miha

Thanks for more photos. Awesome space usage. Do you think you could do it with LEGO parts only, if you'd forget about the necessary load capacity?

Fantastic mechanisms Efferman! I really wonder how you managed to stuff all the motors and mechanisms in such small space, especially above the rear axles.

Fantastic result for three days! Even for three months as well I know that looks weren't the most important here, but they don't fall behind at all. Except the cabin feels a bit on the smaller side, compared to the wheels and tires. What do you use for removing stickers, or to be more exact - cleaning any glue off of the bricks? Best regards, Miha

The passing module itself works fine. Problem is with the switch tracks. When the train comes from the curve back to the straight track it derails when passing the actual moving part of the switch, which does seem to have some friction in it or maybe the spring in it is to loose. Regarding the counter weight. My lift also strugls more when going down so I am thinking of doing the same as you, but since i only have a full block of steel it means going back to the hardware store :-) But I'll try to get some washers this time...

@Doug72: Just found a workaround over that new jumper plate 3L with 2 stund in the middle that berthill uses for 24:8 setup. You can use one regular jumper plate and then next to it a 1x1 round plate with hollow stud so it can connect to the middle of the gear rack. @Berthil ...that pins alignment I only did it in the Bugatti Chiron set...

Let's not forget @dunes here, if we are patting ourselves on the shoulder . His work with digital files and his ideas for central worm gear shaft without custom parts also helped a whole lot. Big THX! @Berthil, thx for extra photos. Indeed, simple works best. I have my small setup for our exhibition all over our living room and am tweeking quite a lot of little problems that are popping out like mushrooms after the rain. I am having some problems with the lift platform. I see you guys don't brace the 20:12 (Doug) or 24:8 (Berthill) from the outer side. I feel like because I did that, it might add more friction in the whole drivetrain, hence worse performance for me. I'll try without it and see what I get. Another weird thing is that my trains are derailing after they go through rail switch (passing module). I think it's something with the switch, but I don't have another to try it. It looks like"the heart" (I think that's how we call the part where to rails meet in kinda x shape part) is to high and the back axle of cart drives over it... I hope another switch, which I'll borrow, will make things right. P.S.: Man, I wish I make it one day to LEGO world Utrecht

Like Berthill said, you @Doug72 made the most work here so thank's to you again for sharing your ideas and improvents.@Berthill, I kinda guessed that probably you use rubber bands. I think I'll leave it with the counterweights, but would be interested as well in some close up photos of the area around tha 24:8 gear pair. Thank you in advance.

Wow @Berthil, your timing is amazing. Mine is from 40 to 45 seconds That lighter battery really helps a lot I guess and 24:8 ratio as well. That pulley system looks really cool and the whole module runs really smooth. Job well done. Unfortunatelly my kids got the hands on mine module and now I have to tweek and repair quite some problems... A question: What makes you exit switch lift back up if you don't have a counterweight for it?

Indeed really well captured shape of the car at such small scale. Instantly recognizable! Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the front wheels turn a bit slower because of the additional reduction on the differencial and therefore front axle is actually braking the much more powerfull back axle? Have you had any problems with that setup? Best regards, Miha

Exactly (Just my odd sense of humor nobody gets). Now without trying to be funny, the most interesting in all this is, how you came up with this idea. I lost much of my imagination long time ago, so I really do admire you.

Thank you guys for suggestions. Best regards.

I am affraid that those gear are not braced enough and the axles might also twist because all of the torque

Wow, looks great in dark azure! If anyone else is interested, the photos are in my bricksafe folder. https://bricksafe.com/pages/MajklSpajkl/gbc-akiyuki-train-system-v2/loader

My co-worker actually suggested just that. I might try it. That Plasti-Dip stuff sound great as well, but I'am affraid is harder to get than heat shrinking tubes and sounds a bit more expensive than tubes...

Great solution Doug! Thx!

I see, sorry for missunderstanding @jorgeopesi You've put it in words quite right, I was jumping to conclusion to fast.

Well, I don't see how modification of parts to suit your needs is throwing money away... I used to think modding of parts was heretic, but now not anymore. I do try to do it as little as possible but sometimes it is just necessary - and I don't hide it either.

Hehe @dunes, you work fast What set are those steel balls from - I assume they are LEGO are they? Will they provide enough counterweight if put in those half cylinder case? My measurements kinda pointed out that about 140-150g per weight is needed... but of course anything up to that is better than nothing

Never thought of such MOD, but I think it would definetly come handy sometimes. Maybe even TLG produces these types of pins someday. Thx for sharing. Do you have any particular project coming to make use of this elements?

I was affraid this might be the case...maybe making the platform wider for a stud on each side would make it, but I don't think I'll give it a try... Thx for letting me know before i got started

@Doug72, did you upload the video as unlisted or as private? Video is unavailable. You have to change it to unlisted in order to be able to share the url or embed it. Or making it public works of course.

I totaly forgot about it. . I went back to watch Akiyuki's original version - 5-6 seconds per lift. I guess it will be hard to reach that with the use of worm gear. But as I said, I'm mouch more into reliabilty than speed.

I just don't get it. There must be something I'm doing very wrong then, or maybe my motors are more tired than yours . I achieved you result only by using counterweights. And I've been extra carefull with all the axles in order not to induce extra friction... I am affraid that using 24:8 would be a problem for my unfortunate setup... Will try tonight. Best regards.