SavaTheAggie

The reversing switch is a life saver. Unfortunately on several of my builds I've have had such little room left over that installing the switch caused it to switch into the opposite position. :) You shouldn't have that problem with the Berkshire, its' tender is quite roomy. Good luck! You have to be careful there - the PF system uses four wires, and you have to be sure that you're swapping the correct ones. Two of the wires are direct power, and two of the wires are signaled power. I'm no expert, but I think the motors receive power from two of the wires when powered directly from a battery box, and the other two wires when getting power directly from the IR receiver. --Tony

Do you mean powering it with Power Functions? My ALCO RS-2 is already powered with 9v. To power it with Power Functions would be easy except the battery box - there's room for everything else. To fit a battery box would require one of three things - redesign to "fit" a battery box in the design in spite of it not being accurate, hollow out the fuel tank and extend it further down to hide a battery box inside, or build a custom battery box (which is what I'd probably do). Speaking of which - you can purchase the instructions to my RS-2 and my MRS-1 in my bricklink shop. --Tony

I've got one in the design phase, I haven't shared it here yet. It's the Palestine, Texas, Engine Shed at the Texas State Railroad. She's not much to look at on the outside, but I plan to have plenty of interior detail. --Tony

Official, still built sets I have: LEGO Express Deluxe (another copy partially parted out) Metroliner Santa Fe Super Chief - 2 stock engines, 1 MOC B unit, 6 cars plus 1 MOC Toy Story 3 Train 7938 Passenger Train 7939 Cargo Train Maersk Train (Emerald Night x 2, both parted out) MOCs, which are my bread and butter, I have Steam: 4-4-0 6-wide (probably to scale with 8-wide) 9v 4-6-0 6-wide 9v 2-4-0+0-4-2 6-wide unpowered 2-8-0 8-wide 9v 2-8-2 8-wide unpowered 4-6-2 7-wide 9v 4-6-2 8-wide PF 4-6-4 streamlined 6-wide 9v 2-8-4 8-wide Polar Express with coaches 9v 2-10-4 8-wide PF 0-8-8-0 8-wide 9v 4-4-4-4 streamlined 8-wide 9v 2-6-6-6 10-wide (to scale with 8-wide) PF 4-6-2+2-6-4 8-wide unpowered Diesel GE 45 ton siderod switcher 8-wide unpowered GE 70 ton switcher 8-wide unpowered ALCO RS-2 8-wide 9v ALCO MRS-1 8-wide unpowered So that makes 25 trains currently built, or 27 locomotives if you break the Santa Fe Super Chief up. --Tony

Thanks all. It's not. Three of the four TSRR diesels are unpowered, as they're either too small or the design too complex to be powered in any fashion. --Tony

Thanks all. It's not. Three of the four TSRR diesels are unpowered, as they're either too small or the design too complex to be powered in any fashion. --Tony

Gallery Texas State Railroad GE 70 ton switcher #22 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_70-ton_switcher Built by General Electric in May 1956 for the Texas South-Eastern Railroad as engine #22. It operated on the Texas State Railroad when the TSE operated the line under lease. Source I have visited the TSRR many times, but I have never seen this one out of the Palestine shop. I do not know of her operating status or of any plans to change it. --Tony

Gallery Texas State Railroad GE 45 ton side rod switcher #1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_45-ton_switcher Built by General Electric in January 1947 for the Temple Lumber Co. as locomotive #1. It was later acquired by the Texas State Railroad in 1972. Source This is the only TSRR locomotive I have never seen in person. She has been recently repainted all red, which I thought was boring, so I built her as she was. --Tony

If it is true, which I sincerely doubt, it will not be a system like normal model trains. The entire reason for switching to PF was to move away from a toy that plugs into the wall to be played with. In the US, and even younger in the EU, toys that plug into the wall to operate have a minimum age requirement by law which is older than LEGO's target 6-12 market. In the US I believe it is 8 years old, and in the EU I'm told it is far older (like 10 or 12). LEGO moved to the PF system because it became a toy that could be legally marketed to 6 year olds, the lower limit to their target LEGO System market. So whatever replaces PF, whenever and whatever that is, it won't be DCC, it won't be 9v, and it won't resemble either. --Tony

This is just a reminded that May 31st is your last day to register for Brick Fiesta and get your engraved badge. http://brickfiesta.com/ Also, as I have been named the Train Coordinator, if you have any special requirements for your train related MOCs please don't hesitate to contact me. All of my train MOCs will be on display, and hopefully a few new ones as well. --Tony

PatsPirateShip_01 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr More photos here: Gallery This is my good friend Pat's Pirate Ship. I've known Pat since elementary school, and he, more than anyone else, is responsible for me becoming an AFOL in the first place. He has been working on this pirate ship for many years now, and it is still not finished. The ship is truly massive, and completely modular. Except for the very forward section of the bow, everything is built on 16 stud wide sections to allow access to the inside (the bow is on 32 x32 baseplates). The ship's wheel turns the rudder, and everything is fully furnished and accessible. . Pat is a closet AFOL, and I've only been able to get him to attend two LUG meetings, and he only lurks on a few community websites. I feel he's far too talented to be kept a secret, so I've decided to out him to the world. Hello, world! --Tony

Thanks. I don't know why they didn't use the Vanderbilt tender from the movie, in fact it caused quite a bit of confusion with me while trying to find photos of the #400 while I was building it. But photographic evidence shows that it always had the Vanderbilt tender, so it was a decision of the movie producers not to use it, I guess. Perhaps they thought a Vanderbilt tender was too "out of the ordinary" and didn't want it drawing attention. I also don't know when (or even if) the locomotive was switched over to burning oil over coal - wouldn't it be funny if they placed decorative coal on top of an oil tender for the movie. Indeed, I think my #400 would look great in your scene. Ever since I posted earlier my brain's been on active thinking about copying your idea here.

Great extended version of the set. The locomotive from the set has always bugged me - the cab is too tall for the proportions to the locomotive (done because it isn't supposed to be a "real" train), but aside from that it looks really slick. I love the little tractor on the flatcar. The backdrop really makes it though, I ought to do something similar. I've actually built the locomotive from "How The West Was Won". http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=53570 Perhaps I should borrow your idea and do something similar. It would be fun - haven't done a "Scenic Tour" photo in a while. --Tony

No, I was referring to the PF Train motor - it's got more torque and pulling power than the 9v train motor. But yes, the XL motor is the most powerful that LEGO has created. --Tony

Well done. The locomotive has a very nice level of detail, and looks like it would be right at home in a freight yard somewhere. The passenger cars are excellent, and I'm really impressed with the shapes you've created with the roof line. --Tony

Here's a picture of all the TSRR diesels - from left to right #1, #22, #7, and #8. The last two have already been built. Diesels of the Texas State Railroad by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr --Tony

Scale is very important to me, but not in a mathematical sense. I need everything I build to look right when placed next to one another. Tony's Unifying Theory of LEGO by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr I build 8 wide trains. I happen to build 1:48 scale, but that ended up being something I discovered after the fact. http://www.railbricks.com/railblog-categories/other/163-math-can-be-fun 8 wide forever! --Tony

Thank you very much for the kind words. My LUG even took notice. My next train MOC, whenever I can get to it, will be a diesel - the Texas State Railroad's locomotive #1, a GE 45 ton siderod switcher. I've already designed it in LDraw, I just need to order parts. After that I will probably build the last TSRR Diesel, #22. After that will be the final TSRR steamer. Thanks much! #400 is the only TSRR steam engine I've yet to see in person, and currently it's in the shop being rebuilt. It'll be some time before I'll ever get to compare the two in real life. Thanks much! I'm not the best out there but I'd like to think of myself as decent. --Tony

LUGShow_04-02-11_05 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr TexLUG's April 2011 LUG Showcase display at the LEGO Brand Retail Store in Baybrook Mall. Display by Me. --Tony

A distinct benefit of the Rechargeable battery box over the AAA battery box is the on-board speed control. This allows you to run a train at sane speeds without the use of the IR receiver, especially useful on very small trains that where space is at a premium. Also the rechargeable battery lasts longer on a single charge than 6 AAA batteries, and the rechargeable battery gives you constant output of current, so for the life of the charge your train won't slow down. Of course the cost of the rechargeable battery box has me wanting to buy one, maybe two, but for the most part heavily relying on the AAA battery box anyway - most of my trains have the room for an IR receiver. --Tony

Since the brand new Maersk train is recommended by LEGO themselves to be powered by the rechargeable battery box, I don't think it's time to go all chicken little just yet. Give it time, it's probably just a logistical problem. --Tony

Thanks much! Originally I wasn't really feeling all that excited about building her, only the Vanderbilt tender interested me. But the more bricks I put together the more I began to enjoy the process. Now that she's wearing her stickers I think she is a real looker. Thanks much! The labels are all stickers - my father gave us a new printer he got for free (one of those purchase $X amount and get a rebate coupon for this printer). The black from the printer matches LEGO black perfectly... which is something I've never been able to achieve before, it was always a little too light or slightly tinted yellow. Thanks Much! I wouldn't call what I do genius, but thank you. Only three more locomotives to go... Thanks much! I can take no credit for the pistons, they were originally designed by Cale Leiphart, though I have perfected the design I use personally to make the 2x2 tile stay on better. Thanks much! I have thought about making this one available, but that will wait for a bit. I will be releasing instructions first for my two diesels and possibly the TSRR passenger coaches. --Tony

Much better, it looks much more like the prototype now. I'm actually tempted to build non motorized version just to have it, though I don't have any narrow gauge track (I'd like to change that). I can just see one of these little narrow gauge engines pulling out of a mountain canyon to a large yard and to one of my bigger standard gauge steamers. To your motor issue - I'm now even more concerned. You've got the gearing set up so that the motor is turning at slower RPM than the wheels, which is going to cause even more stress. I would at least use 1:1 gearing ratio, if not gearing it down even more than that to save the motor. You asked about an alternative - unless you're willing to make a full boxed-in freight car to hide a larger motor, I don't think anything but a third party motor will work for you. If it were me, I would probably create two box cars (or similar solid wall car) along with all the other rolling stock my train would be pulling. In one, the first box car behind the locomotive, I'd put a geared down PF Medium motor. In the second I'd put the $50 rechargeable PF battery, with of course a wire leading from one to the other. I would choose the rechargeable battery because it has a speed control on board, so there wouldn't be much need to use an IR receiver (which would only take up more room). That may not fit in your vision, but it would certainly be a workable solution. --Tony

I'm sorry to hear about Carl's death, but this project will be a great way to honor him. The locomotive looks pretty good so far. The only real nit pick I can provide is that the boiler looks too long - comparing the two profiles, the drawing and your LDD image, it looks like the cab needs to be moved forward one stud. As for the wheels, I would have gone with Ben's small train wheels and just used a technic crankshaft to turn them into drivers. http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2853 I've seen this done before and it works well, I plan on using it on an upcoming diesel that uses siderods like a steam engine. I would be concerned about your micromotor. While it does fit within the confines of your engine, they're not designed for much load. Given their rarity and expense it would be a real shame to burn one out. I would suggest considering a piece of powered rolling stock, where you'd have more room to stuff a cheaper and stronger motor. --Tony

Gallery Texas State Railroad Mikado (2-8-2) Engine #400. From the TSRR Website: -------------------------------- This locomotive began its career on the Tremont & Gulf Railway, a Louisiana short line. Wearing number 30, it was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1917. The engine is a 2-8-2 type, which means it has two small wheels at the front of the engine, eight drivers (the large wheels), and two small wheels at the rear of the engine. This type of locomotive is commonly referred to as a “Mikado” because the first engines of this wheel arrangement were ordered by the government of Japan. The Tremont & Gulf operated this locomotive until 1954, when it was sold to the Magma Copper Mine in Magma, Arizona. During its tenure at the mine the locomotive was utilized in the 1962 epic MGM movie How the West Was Won. Viewers of this movie recall this spectacular train crash scene the engine was featured in. The mine replaced its steam engines with diesel power in the late sixties, seemingly ending the long career of the lanky Mikado. However, in 1974, it came out of its brief retirement. Texas State Railroad staff, scouring the country in search of viable steam locomotives, located and purchased this engine. It was shipped by rail to Texas and underwent extensive repair and refurbishing. After several years of hard work the Mikado was once again ready to go to work in 1978, rolling down the iron rails with style and grace to thrill a new generation of rail enthusiasts. ------------------------------ This is the fourth of five steam engines of the Texas State Railroad I have constructed. Because of the complex Vanderbilt tender there is no room for a motor, but given a motorized passenger car behind her she should perform well. --Tony