Snapshot

I use this design for points: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whoward69/sets/72157621512518259/. The PF motor just needs a converter cable to work with NXT and that's how I use it.

That does work well. I'd been thinking about it but now you've shown it's worth doing...... You mentioned using PAB for your parts. Do you know about Bricklink?

Because the plate that fits to the motor is too thick and fouls the train base. You really need a short 9V cable on the motor first. But I think an RC motor will struggle with the weight of a Maersk loco anyway.

I don't think an RF receiver would be much smaller as most of the volume would be the power control circuitry and PF connectors which wouldn't change much. The advantage would be that it could be a more regular shape which would not need to poke out of the top of the model.

William Howard has made a nice little 0-6-0 shunter and the plans are on Flickr. It's designed for a 9-volt motor but it's easy enough to replace it with a brick-built dummy - the design from the trailing engine of 7938 will do nicely - and use a pusher box-wagon if you want it mobile. I built one in red

It's here. Scroll down to 'The Great Western LEGO Show'. I'm not aware of any Dorset-based events but there's always room for a new one.

You must take a day to visit STEAM in Swindon on 1st or 2nd October for the Brickish annual show.

Use a reversing switch as originally suggested. You should have room now you've removed one battery. Alternatively, modify a short extension cable by reversing the two inner wires.

Model aircraft clubs used to (may still) manage it by having a peg board - if you didn't have the peg for the frequency you were using you couldn't turn your transmitter on. These days many sets use the 2.4GHz band and auto-switch at high speed between frequencies which allegedly removes interference. Similarly, I have a camera remote control that works the same way, cost about £30 for receiver and transmitter and has a range of 100 metres. Autoswitching on 2.4GHz is the way to go IMHO.

Have a look at this method for powering a second set of wheels. It's a truly wonderful little model anyway.....

I believe part of the problem may be that the receiver is swamped by high ambient light so loses sensitivity. The friend who made the repeaters for my NXT-controlled train was confident that they'd cover the whole layout but they had a maximum range of a metre in the display area. Lets be honest - we're trying to stretch the use of IR control far beyond what it was designed for so we must expect some problems.

Which bit of the south? Hampshire is a hotbed of Lego train activity under the Brickish banner and, of course, we have the annual extravagnaza at the steam museum in Swindon.I know from bitter experience that the range of the PF controller outside the home is at most a few feet. At shows, we're almost chasing the train to get it to respond to commands. PF is designed for indoor use where the signal bounces off walls and ceilings. Away from that environment it struggles. Jonathan

You're not correct. Both motors are connected to the same channel so using the switches will alter both of them.

I don't have that problem at the moment but I don't know how it'll stand up to a full day or two at a show. Because it's driven by a NTX brick I was able to experiment with different times and powers. I was able to set it to only rotate as much as necessary so the panels aren't needed as much. I am going to fit some (once they arrive) to see if they make any difference but I suspect they won't. If you're switching the motor manually then the panels will definitely be needed for long-term reliability. Jonathan

Here's an all-Lego solution, bar the PF-to-NXT converter cable. The design isn't mine - it's here on Flickr. As it's two years old, I'm surprised no-one else here has found it. I've left off the side panels for the moment as I've got precise movement driven from the NXT controller. Jonathan

You can use the reversing switch, as mentioned or pick up a couple of short 9V cables from the 'bay or Bricklink. You attach one to each motor but connect the other ends in the opposite direction to each other i.e. a cable sticking out each end. Then connect one of your extension cables from the IR controller to the stacked connectors. An old solution to a common problem. The problem you might also find with using the PF connectors straight onto the 8866 motors is that they're slightly too thick for the bogies to turn easily when used with standard train baseplates. The 9V cable connectors are slightly thinner so avoid the problem. Jonathan

The power limitation is down to the NXT brick as it strictly limits the power available to sensors. To improve it would need a redesign of the IRLink so it can take an external power source but my experience with IR is that it would still struggle to reach more than a few feet in an open environment. I don't believe HiTechnic make any other IR transmitters, certainly not with a NXT-G block for PF. What we need is for TLG to redesign PF to use Bluetooth instead of IR. That would really open up the possibilities!As an alternative approach, consider using NXT to control 9V trains. One of my fellow Brickish members has used a 9V controller with a NXT servo motor attached to the speed dial to control a train that was part of a GBC. It was odd to watch but worked very well.

The problem with the Hi-Technic IRLink is its pathetic range. Indoors it's about a foot and in a display venue you might as well forget it. You need an amplifier design like the one Mark Bellis has published or like a friend made for me. The range in a hall was still only a couple of feet but it was useable with enough carefully sited transmitters. There's a video here of my first public attempts at NXT train control and this shows the NXT & IR parts. Jonathan

The EN is supposedly modelled on the Scotsman so we've already got it. If you want it closer than that then you MOD it. (Yes, I know I'm replying to an old post. )

If it's just decorative I use the one from BlokBricks but it's not very strong so, if I really want it to stop a train, I use a large pile of bricks....

No visible difference but I find the newer ones roll more freely and the wheels are able to rotate independently so should be better in curves.

Carl, how good are the o-rings on your 9V motors? I found mine were dry and hard through age so probably don't grip as well as new ones. I've got a load of new ones - contact me through Brickish if you'd like some. For anyone else, they're 13mm x 1.5mm N70 and Polymax is a good source for UK buyers. Jonathan

I use Lego's rechargeable batteries as I don't like dismantling models to replace disposable or rechargeable AAAs and they're longer running for public shows. On one loco the battery box is part of the structure and it's a major effort to get it out so rechargeable was the only way to go.

You need a 8886 PF extension lead attached to the IR receiver then as many plugs as you want attached to the other end of the lead. This may be difficult in your small shunter however. This won't let you attach two PF motors as they'll run in opposite directions. Jonathan

Almost. I put two motors under the first coach of five; battery box and receiver inside. It did mean that the TX needed to be pointed directly at the coach but it worked. Problem was that my double tender EN doesn't push very well, even with the gears stripped out but I've yet to try the other friction-reducing mods from Railbricks. The battry is behind the small windows and the RX is behind the large ones. Jonathan