doug72

I did 1 hr of testing with good results, train did not ever fail, I will do some more testing soon. @doug72 I can do some PDF instructions (should be a little bit better then the last ones) for you if you want to build it and have a look. Thanks Looks to be more robust & reliable module.. Yes please make PDF instructions & I will build it. At the moment I am struggling with trying to make a passing loop module for Type 2 GBC Train car.

Thanks for the new instructions. forGBC Train type 2. Followed your instructions all went OK until the the change over switch seem to stop working. Problem finally found, it was due to the insulation of the PF cable from the L motor had broken down & bare wires were toucing. It is hard to route the PF cables so as not to interfere with the two trip beams & the switch change over links. Also if the trip rubber bands on the train reverser are too strong it tend pushes the cross axle at the none switch end of the battery box through the trip beam due to low friction where it passes through the axle holes. Had resorted to glueing the axle to try & stop this happening. Rebuilting from the start again and try & improve try & PF cable runs .

Post removed due LOI

I have never brought any LA,s on line but I have plenty of them from the many Lego sets I have purchased over the years. This way you build up a good stock of parts.

Use Lego City tracks for sraight, curvred, points & flexible

Before cutting wires, check out the contacts on the cable plug and PF rx are making contact with each other. Just ease out the contacts on the plug & PF Rx. and test. Its worked for me.

Meccano version Train System I also spotted this a few days ago, I like the idea for the passing train cars using a sliding table. Would be quite a challenge to build a Lego version. Found this on you Tube. Hope to build it soon & improve it using cams. Doug 72

An excellent build of a large Marine Diesel Engine, I was a Chief Marine Enginner on VLCCs for most of my time at sea, now retired. Just one thing missing: the barring over motor & gear to turn the engine over before starting up on air to ensure all parts free & lubricated etc. The largest engine built is a 14 cyclinder made by a Finish Company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wärtsilä-Sulzer_RTA96-C A big challenge would be to build a Doxford opposed piston Engine. A Nightmare to work on.

Synths Toys (uk) have them in stock for £144.99 Plenty in stock at various stores around the UK.

My self unloading ball hopper allows for 30 balls to transfer to any GBC module with the standard inbox 10L height.

GBC Train:- I have reviewed your suggestions but I dought any of them would meet the criteria for GBC TRAIN modules. The Train Car with its ball hopper is the heart of any module by using the train car to power the module and the train reverser. More complex Train GBC modules are possibly using EV3 to power & control them. I am currently have an early stages WIP for a new module to transfer a ball hopper to another train car or to ground level to load balls from an GBC Inbox.

I have run out of new ideas for modules. Any suggestions for new modules welcome. Idearly with the module powered by the train cart or use Mindstorms.

Recently I have been dismantling some older GBC Train modules that used these gear racks. Dispite carefully disconnecting them, many of the yellow ones were found to have split 0r cracked end connections. Tried gluing the crack ends without success. Black gear racks don’t seem to have this problem. Possibly yellow ones are made from a different material. Has anyone found a use for the broken ones ?

Improved GBC Train Vertical ball Lift - Mark 3 TC23 entry :- Mark 1 Used an EV3 for drive & Control the lift. Mark 2 version Used three 56T Turntables to synchronise the lift ============================================== Mark 3 version I pondered if any other Lego gears could also synchronise the ball lift and still be powered by the train car? Yes it can by using three 40T gears. See video Video:- Tap image to start the video. MVI_900 The top of each tower has worm drive gear box with a 40T gear. Four LEGO Block connectors (part 32166) are required plus 2 worm gears. IMG_9003 Lift Towers built same as previous Mark 1 & 2 builds IMG_9006 Ball In box; 10L entry and 30 balls per trip. IMG_9007 Ball loading onto lift. IMG_9005 The Train reverser required a 40T gear with a single trip arm. It took some time to modify a normal Train Reverser so it could drive the lift & release the train when lift at the highest point and discharge balls into the train hopper. Ball loading point into train hopper. IMG_9009 IMG_9011 Self unloading ball hopper. IMG_9009 IMG_9010 Many balls were scattered during testing & adjustments. Synchronisation is easy to achieve. ================================================= During prolonged testing the train car gears started to skip as the lift raised 30 balls. Took a long time to find out why ! The problem was not the lift, it was the train car, that powers the module. A 12T single bevel gear had shifted and lost contact with the 12T DB gear that turns the train axles & wheels.This due to the 2 beams spreading when I changed the batteries. Now sorted and the lift works very reliably. With fresh batteries can easily move 30 balls per trip.

Turn the train motor unit 180 Degs,it will then run the same way as the other train motor

Progress update: GBC Train Reverser now synchronised with the vertical ball lift. The lift mechanism is the same as the EV3 version but the train car now drives both the ball lift which is able to carry 30 balls & also drive the lift train reverser. The ball in box is a standared GBC with 10L entry height. A lifting ball gate was installed to release the balls as the lift reaches its lowest point. Lift with 30 balls rises and roll out into the train car hopper the when lift at its highest point. The Lift Train Reverser restarts the train and at same time the lift drive stops as the train departs. IMG_8998 IMG_8996 How ? Solution:- use three Z56 Turntables A standard train reverser was modified by fitting a 56T turntable with a single striker arm. see image. Both lift towers have worm drive 56T turntables. IMG_8997 IMG_8985 The turntable is rotated using a 2L worm gear to give 56/1 ratio driven by the train car. The train car when it docks also drives to the two lift tower 56T turntables which are driven using a 2L worm gear to give 56/1 ratio. Result:- Module stays in sync with the train car arriving & departing. Tested with a 11L lift arms with a 30 ball load OK. Had some issues with the train car 8T gears skipping as lift neared the top. Found the train car axles had worn. Replaced Tried with another train car and now OK. The GBC train car uses a L motor which has more power The hardest task was arranging the trip arm linkage to let the balls roll out of the input box. Now tested and very reliable. Now proved it is possible to drive & synchronise with the ball lift. staying in sync with the train car departing. Self Unloading Train Car Hopper IMG_8995 The normal ball carrier was removed and replaced by a bespoke ball hopper that self unloads as it docks on the train reverser. Video ?

Results Congratulations to the three winners. I was pleased with the number of votes . I got - my highest ever. Now dismantling the contest build as its taking up a lot of space. I have now built a similar module but only driven by a standard GBC Train car, Also takes up less space. More info & video to come. Seasons greeting to all GBC contestants. Doug72

Agree, Doesn’t look if anyone else will vote

3:10 1:6 5:4 6:3 2:2 4:1

When will the voting topic open ?

GBC Train Reverser can now be synchronised with a vertical ball lift. Now devised a way to synchronise a train reverser with the lift tower by using 56T Turntables. see image. A standard train reverser was modified by fitting a 56T turntable with a single striker arm. The turntable is rotated using a 2L worm gear to give 56/1 ratio & driven by the train car. IMG_8985 The train car also drives to the lift tower 56T turntable and driven using a 2L worm gear to give 56/1 ratio. to stay in sync with the train car departing. Tested with a 11 lift arm with a 30 ball load OK. The GBC train car uses a L motor which has more power The train car is able to drive both the reverser & the ball lift OK and to carry 30 balls per trip cycle, Now proved it is possible to drive & synchronise with the ball lift. And stay in sync with the train car departing. Lift Tower:- Only one side of the tower built for testing purposes:- Next step is to complete the tower with two upright frames, a ball carriage and a GBC in ball inbox.

[TC23] GBC Train Vertical Ball lift Loader with EV3 Mindstorms Control Discussion Topic. https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/192030-tc23-gbc-train-vertical-ball-lift-wip-ev3-version/ General View:- IMG_8929 Overhead View:- IMG_0308 I decided to use a EV3 Mindstorms to power & control the ball lift and train car movements. After working out how many turns were required to raise & lower the lift through its complete cycle the EV3 medium drive motor was set to 56 revolutions to drive the two 56T turntables. When the lift is at full height @ 12,o-clock position the Lift EV3 motor stops. and the train cart departs. Self unloading Train cart :- The original GBC train car hopper was removed and a bespoke ball hopper with a lifting ball gate was installed.. IMG_8894 IMG_8895 Once balls have been loaded it is restarted by a medium EV3 motor running the train reverser with 2 striker arms for 1 revolution. The Train cart proceeds back along back the track to the out box where the balls are discharge either into a collection box or into the in box of another GBC module. Once balls are unloaded the train reverser (2) re-starts the train car to travel back to the ball lift where it it activates the EV3 Touch Sensor again. At the same time the trip beam on the Train car is pushed over by the the Yellow quadrant, just enough to stop the motor. Another lift cycle then starts. Ball rate is 30 balls per trip and easily meets the requirement of 1 ball per sec. The Final build with three train track sections can transfer two 30 ball batches in 53 seconds. The module has proved to be very successful & reliable. Video link:- https://youtu.be/OqLku5LJnE0

Re Trip Beams: 11 L is OK as the reverser striker arm hits it centrally. You need to reposition the the 2 crank arms the other way :-LEGO Beam 3 x 0.5 with Knob and Pin (33299 / 61408) Re Step 12, two 3L XOX thin beam, added a t 3/4 pin to the center hole helps to keep battery box from lifting. Routing of cables from battery & chang over swith, I use blue tack to keep them in place so they don,t snag the trip beams.