SavaTheAggie

I've tried searching elsewhere, but could not find it anywhere. I'm looking for a quarter curve track file. There is one linked in this thread, but after installing it it is a tighter radius curve than standard curve track. Has anyone created this file? Thanks, --Tony

Texas State Railroad Pacific (4-6-2) Locomotive #500 version 2.9 Texas State Railroad #500 v2.9 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr Again, I hope you all will forgive posting a MOC already posted once before, but again I've done quite a bit of work since last I showed her off. She's wearing new piping, "valve gear", plus a lot of things that can't be seen. For example, I replaced the 1x1 technic bricks holding the rear truck's facade in place with some of LEGO's new 1x2+1x2 brackets (keeps them from falling off). I've also gone through her chassis and removed and/or anchored all bricks that could shift and cause any friction on her axles. Texas State Railroad #500 v2.9 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr She is my favorite locomotive, and a good performer. Her two PF train motors can pull quite a bit, and now that I've improved her performance she hasn't derailed in 6 months (knock on wood) and barely slows down at all in curves. Evolution of Engine #500 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr She's also my favorite locomotive to photograph. I'm not sure why, must be the green. :) --Tony

Erie Railroad's Camelback Angus (0-8-8-0) Locomotive #2602 Gallery I hope you will forgive me for posting this again, but to my credit it's was back in 2009 and I've almost tore her completely apart only to rebuild her. From Wikipedia: The three L-1 0-8-8-0 steam locomotives of the Erie Railroad, built in 1907 by ALCO, and numbered 2600, 2601 and 2602; were unique in that they were the only articulated camelback locomotives ever built. When built, they were the largest steam locomotives in existence. They were built for pushing service, especially on the heavy grades of the Delaware and Susquehanna Divisions over the Allegheny Mountains. In 1921 they were rebuilt as 2-8-8-2s with more conventionally located cabs. They were taken out of service in 1930 as larger locomotives replaced them. This version of my older MOC has been nearly completely rebuilt, adding in Power Functions and quite a bit more fine details. The tender contains two M Power Functions motors powering the two center axles, with the battery box and IR receiver hidden in the boiler. I've made the roof and front pistons slightly more prototypical, and added over 64 studs worth of hoses, pipes, and hand rails. I also attempted to make her run a bit smoother, though I can't say I'm sure I was able to accomplish much outside of adding some plastic compatible lubricant. --Tony

I agree with commander wolf, lose the piston arm and go with either a 9 wide body or snot tiles with an 8 wide frame. Building a 9 wide frame on a fixed motor is not difficult, you just need to make the attempt. --Tony

While I am sure it is possible to send electricity into the battery box, and some of that electricity would recharge the batteries, the battery box lacks the design and hardware to do it safely or efficiently. At minimum you chance ruining your expensive rechargable batteries. Pulling the batteries out may be a PIA but it's the price you pay to save money over the big rechargable battery box. --Tony

It is a fine Galloping Goose, but it is not mine.

Incorporating some suggestions: --Tony

Nothing earth-shattering, but here are some freight cars I've been working on using Collectible Minifig bases. I've designed these cars to be as light-weight as possible, and for the most part I've succeeded. Both designs revolve around standard LEGO train bases to save weight. I already have 10 of the gondolas built, and my Allegheny enjoys pulling them. Looks real slick. CMF Gondola I still need to add texture to the load. CMF Hopper (Work in Progress) Since taking the picture, I've decided to switch to a 28 stud train base togo improve the length to width ratio. --Tony

So long as you stick with a Flanged-Blind-Flanged-Blind setup (or the reverse), a x-8-x setup using medium, large, or XL drivers have no issues taking corners and points. The real issue comes in 1) getting the lead and rear trucks to negotiate around the pistons and the drivers themselves and 2) extra long locomotives hanging over too much in curves. I would suggest starting with a 2-8-2 or 2-8-4 arrangement at first to get your feet wet. Once you feel comfortable there move on to more complex 4-8-4s and the like. Feel free to browse my gallery if you want to see some arrangements that are fully track compatible: http://www.flickr.co...57600864043419/ --Tony

After Thanksgiving (the good one in November ), I took my son over to Orange, Texas, to set up a one day, one-man show at the Houston Fall Tour Train Show. I am very pleased with the results, and actually a little shocked I own as much ballasted track as I do (though I still need to add some more detail bits to them). The Gallery There's also some video. There are three in the flickr set, and one of the three is on YouTube: Note the caboose is attached to the train the Allegheny is pulling. --Tony

I apologize for resurrecting this thread yet again. I'm sure most if you are tired of seeing it pop up on the list. But for those interested, I have a video of the redesigned #4449 from TexLUG's most recent display. --Tony

Not train related, but I always thought they'd work well to simulate the spinning props of an airplane. --Tony

Nice. Are you still planning on even larger radii? --Tony

The number boards have been moved several times over the coarse of her life. From delivery up until the 70's she wore her number boards mid-boiler. Then when she was rescued, refitted, and repainted to pull the American Freedom train in 1976, her number boards were moved up to the smokebox. Sometime afterward she was returned to her original Daylight livery and her number boards moved back mid-boiler. After September 11th, she was once again repainted in the AFT colors and likewise her number boards moved back to the smokebox. Today she once again wears the Daylight livery but her number boards are still up front in the AFT position. So my model of the 4449 and her 'X4449' number board placement is accurate for the years between 1980 and 2001. --Tony

If I'm not mistaken, the smallest curve on BBB's page is the standard lego curve. --Tony

After seeing the animation I have become very enthusiastic about this new track system. I also feel it could be minimally ballasted, for example sitting on one or two layers of baseplates with nothing in-between the ties, and it would still look pretty darn good. If the price is right, I could see myself investing quite s bit in this system. --Tonh

If anyone is interested in knowing, I was forced to make a significant change in my locomotive's design. I knew the back end swung out an increcible amount in curves, but after the Galveston Railroad Museum train show I discovered is swung out enough to hit a train on an adjacent track. This posed a problem twofold - first, obviously, it would cause derailments if on an interior curve. But second, and more importantly, if place on an outer curve, it might be a risk to the public, especially children, who usually get right up against the table at shows. I couldn't have that at all. So I was faced with a choice of making the train a simple show piece, which hurts my pride as a builder, or making a serious, drastic design change that I feared I might have to make. I decided to go with the latter. My pride as a LEGO builder prevents me from simply accepting a locomotive as a show piece - I consider any train of mine that cannot negotiate standard LEGO track as a complete failure. Much like my T1, the Daylight could not fall into this category. Changes included: Raising the entire boiler/cab/firebox assembly one plate to allow the drivers to clear the skirting. Attaching the rear truck to the firebox via a bogie plate. Removing the driver and pony truck assembly from the rest of the locomotive. Reattaching the driver assembly to the locomotive via a bogie plate, articulating the locomotive. Redesigning the front of the locomotive to be one plate taller, including changing the way the forward orange slope is built. Removing the 1x1 round tile from the piston design (one of my favorite bits) because the pistons wouldn't clear the forward orange slope otherwise. She's gone from swinging out some 9-10 studs in curves down to just about 5 studs. This should allow her to completely clear any normal track issues. Unfortunately I have not been able to test her yet, so time will tell if what I've done here will mean anything. --Tony

I've stopped thinking in terms of 6, 7, or 8 wide. While it is true many of my trains are 8 wide, I find it more productive to consider scale instead. In my case I build at roughly 1:48 scale. This allows me to build trains with a more or less appropriate length to width ratio. It also allows me to consider a minifig as the height of a normal person. For example, while an American locomotive may be correctly built as 8-wide at 1:48 scale, building a British locomotive in 8-wide is not the same scale, the majority of British trains are 7-wide at 1:48 scale. Similarly very old locomotives would be 7 or even 6 wide in "8-wide scale". But then again I'm very anal retentive when it comes to LEGO trains. --Tony

Daylight Compare by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr --Tony

Perhaps I am mistaken but I believe he was making a personal dig against my MOCs, not official sets. --Tony

Thank you all, I really appreciate the feedback. I really had fun building her at the end, but towards the beginning it was very frustrating. Like with another streamliner of mine, I just about gave up on ever building her on several occasions. I'm happy I didn't, though. To answer the question - I am currently considering making instructions available in my Bricklink shop, but there's a lot of odd construction in the boiler to get everything to work right, and she's never been under her own power so I don't know how stable she'll be. I'll find out next weekend. I don't work in LDD, so sorry, I can't help any of you there. It's rather amazing to me that I started building trains for the first time in 2006. It's been a fun ride, and I'm not anywhere close to done yet. I look forward to seeing your next MOC, I'm currently working on some mass-producable freight cars. I have so many locomotives with very little for them to pull. I am very jealous of all the folks who got to see her in her new home. Someday I'll make it out there. My first experience with her was in an old children's book, it was a mostly picture book that followed the train on a journey somewhere. One of those one sentence per page deals. I never saw a real photo of her until well into my college years, and I've yet to see her in person. Someday... someday... --Tony

Excellent work, a fine little steam engine. Your eye for detail is superb. The addition of lights is icing on the cake. --Tony

A great deal of detail on such a small scale, though after visiting your flickr page, and seeing this here, I kind of wished you'd give a little more explanation. Still, from an 8-wide builder's perspective it's a great midi-scale MOC. --Tony

Thanks all! I had heard stories from my father about the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railway Company throughout my childhood, but from the way he told the stories it sounded like they never had proper railway equipment. It wasn't until I visited the Galveston Railroad Museum with my son last year did I discover how wrong I was. I just had to build her. --Tony

I eagerly await my bank account having the sufficient funds to have some fun with your new stuff. I can't wait to try it. --Tony