doug72

Agree your comments, A stand alone GBC driven by one motor is relatively easy mechanically. With train GBC it is more complicated. Generally the train car powers the GBC module which OK if it is for input to out sides with the train car released by its own reverser unit. Possible to add a separate PF motor to assist triggered by the train docking if extra power required. When a module requires a reversal of motion such as in the Transfer Crane & Swing loader modules, it requires an additional mechanical reverser to achieve this powered from the train car, as this changes over there is a short dwell period which in turn gets the whole system to get out of sync. I have built / modified many Train GBC modules which function OK and stay in sync all driven by the train car. However the Transfer Crane Loader & Swing Loader have me stumped, I tried a square drive & failed, so EV3 was the solution. Still hunting for lost balls !!

The coal wagons are called Chaldons and sloped at both ends & sides. Each coal wagon had a long wooden pole used to brake the wagons which acted on one wheel by a man rider pushing it down. The passenger coach is a replica of that used on the Stockton & Darlington railway 1829 to 1831. The tall pale blue cabin car carries an air compressor to power the modern braking system required today. For £100 you can book a slot & drive the train.

@dr_spock @Toastie Thanks for your comments which I agree with. RCX, NXT 9 volt rails were way before the time I joined the Eurobricks Technic Forum. My early builds were cranes & construction equipment and later simple GBC then the Akiyuki Train GBC system. One of my most complex was the Though GBC Rotary Dumper which is fully mechanical controlled. - I have rebuilt / improved the rotary dumper part for potential future use. Now mainly now interested in Train GBC and have built modified / improved modules using fully mechanical solutions. I have tried many times to make a simpler Akiyuki Transfer Crane & also a Swing Loader module using mechanical solutions alone which either failed or not very reliable. I tried trip levers / PF switches etc but none worked & run out of ideas so turned to EV3. As I had an unused Xmas (2019) EV3 Mindstorms Set I finally gave it a try and began to figure how to use it. Early problem was the instructions & programming were for Microsoft OS. I use Mac OS (Big Sur) and finally I found the correct instructions using Lego Classroom & then Home versions and how to use & program it. I will only use EV3 only when all else fails !

Train GBC:- Mechanical Versus EV3 Contro ( Discussion Thread ) I have posted this on the general forum for Comments & thoughts on this from a wider audience. I see more & more GBC modules using EV3 control on videos taken at various Lego GBC conventions. With some GBC Train modules it is impossible to control them mechanically no matter how hard you try. EV3 offers a solution with the ability to precisely set the movements, timing and positioning. Mechanical control is dependent on getting synchronisation using gearing which can be quite complex. Comments & discussion please.

Train GBC Loader Module Ver 2 using EV3 Completed. The Balls are Rolling ! Ball Input box finally built which took a long time to get it functioning as required with many balls going everywhere !! Can transfer 30 balls per run cycle. Input box is GBC standard 10L high x 8L wide. Length is 16L to hold 30 balls Ball loading is controlled by a trip arm as the empty ball hopper touches down on the base plate. EV3 program can be seen at the end of the video. =============================================== Next build is a Swing Loader using EV3 to control movements. This only requires a touch sensor & 2 medium motors. Basic program made but will need refining.

I have book "The man who made Beamish" it is Frank Atkinson Autobiograhy ( ISBN 0 935730 01.) I live about 12 miles away from the Museum which has now re-opened after Covid19 lockdown ended recently. Beamish has fully working train, trams, trolly buses systems - and the 1950's town is currently being built with all sorts of actual buildings being moved to the site. If you are ever in the UK its well worth a visit. The C2C cycle route runs close by.

And I thought GBC was complicated ! !

Video of Steam Elephant at Beamish Museum in action.

Train GBC Modules using EV3 with photos. (WIP) (Vedeo) My previous attempts to mechanically get a GBC Swing Loader & a Crane Loader to work failed as I was unable to get synchronisation for the required movements. I have abandoned both projects and settled on using EV3 to control them. Both modules now rebuilt using EV3 Control. Crane GBC Loader Took awhile to devise the EV3 program to run the loading cycle. If anyone wants the EV3 program, just ask. Had a spectacular disintegration of the chain traversing drive when wrong speed setting was used. i.e revolutions. Change to degrees of rotation to get precise positioning. Chain drive:- uses the old Lego large chain links with sprocket gears. This is clamped to the hoist carriage see photo below. Improved structure built with loading cycle started when the train car with ball hopper docks. Three EV3 motors are used plus a touch sensor. 1 x medium motor to run the train reverser trip. 2 x Large EV3 motors for hoist & traversing. 1 x Touch Sensor activated by train car to start the EV3 program. Train motor is stopped as it docks by using a static cam to push the train car trip bar just enough to stop the train motor. When loading cycle ends the Medium EV3 motor runs for 2 revs to turn the train reverser rotor and restart the loaded train car. Tested and functions OK - Video - test running to fine tune postions for loading & replacing on train car. input loading box still to build with balls released by a trip bar as empty train ball hopper lands. Comments and suggestions Welcome. Photos Below Swing Loader. ( to be posted later) Only a fairly simple program is required for this module. Structure built and proven but awaiting EV3 parts to arrive. Touch Sensor (eBay) & Medium Motor. (Lego on line). Parts now received. Crane Loader Photos : - IMG_8145 IMG_8146 IMG_8147 IMG_8148 IMG_8149 IMG_8150 IMG_8151 IMG_8152

Extremely rare for GBC modules to use any bodywork.

To stop the uni coupling bushes from cracking I use small “0” rings, works a treat.

Agree about moving Scale Modeling Forum to join the Technic and Model Team but feel that new Technic posts would drop off off the front page even quicker !! Solution:- Move Super Cars to a new dedicated forum called Technic Super Cars.

Great, including train GBC as well ?

Your Photos are too dark to see any detail.

Agree, no wheels with tires.

Recently I have have been disassembling some older MOCs and have found that many using these gear racks that the end axle holes section were either cracked or just dropped off as the were separated from the adjacent rack section even when eased apart carefully. This seems to only affect the yellow gear racks, none of the black ones I have don’t have this problem. Perhaps the yellow ones use a different colouring material making them brittle compared to the black versions. Have tried to repair the cracked ones using liquid ABS but often fail again. Now have several useless yellow gear racks !!

Swing Loader Update with images:- The drive to the swinging arms is very reliable and consists of two parallel linked worm drive gear boxes with clutch gear protection. Progress has been very slow trying to get a viable way to control this module. The Swing loader is capable of carrying & transferring 30 balls per cycle. The two 24T gears help share the load from the train car drive. A short dwell period is then required to load 30 balls & then activate the reverser the main drive to swing the load back up & over to land on the train. A push rod then activates the trip rotor to cause train the leave. At this point I found that the swing arm reverser was blocked by the train push rod for the main reverser unit until the train had departed. As train departs the drive system stops !! I need to find a way to allow the drive reverser to work in both directions - maybe by using a differential. Now looking for ideas and a solution to this, does anyone have ideas to overcome this problem. Now tried a trip lever system to move the reverser but as it changes over it stops midway and drive stops for the swing arms. Need a the reverser to snap over but also give short dwell time to load balls. Its a Catch 22 situation !!!!! April 19th :- build abandoned as cannot find a solution without using EV3

I have a similar problem with a change over gear for a train GBC module I am building. It needs to snap over quickly. I use a rubber band to assist this and at same time hold red lever in position. I hope to use a system of trip levers to make the change over.

Additional 24T gear for Train Reverser. First reverser I modified work fine without the 24T gear touching the underside of the gear rack 10 x 1L plate supporting the two gear racks. Second reverser I found the 24T gear fouled the under side end edge, probably due to a slightly bent axle. I have revised the rack to prevent this. Photo shows revised method which increases the power output from the train car without skipping under heavy load.

See pages 17, 18,20,21 for earlier posts about this turntable Make sure that the 8T gear on the axles does not rub on the gear rack ends of the gear Rack. See photo showing positioning of the gear rack. Re PF Switch. The old style switch is best as it requires no modification & the small pole reverser switch allows correct setting so that the trip beams on train car work correctly. See posts on page 25 Feb 12th 2019. The newer switch is can be used but needs opening up to modifying to remove the lever notches otherwise the trip beams will not move the switch to reverse the train car. Drive gears on the axles also need changing sides to make sure the trip beams act correctly.

Modified GBC Train Reverser. When testing the Train GBC Swing Loader found that the 8T gear on the train axle would skip under heavy load & damaged the 8T gear. To overcome this I have added an extra 24T gear on the rack side to share the load. The extra gear also helps push the train car fully against the end stop. The gear rack had to modified slightly as shown. Tested and works OK & train enters & leaves OK. Now proven that the train can power the swing loader and carry 30 balls per trip. More updates about the Swing Loader coming soon.

Lots of GBC on this thread,

Both look ideal for solving the difficult mounting problem with these gear rack housings.

Re Stacking 2L worm gears. There is a right way & a wrong way to do this - see image. If stacked the wrong way the worm teeth don,t match and cause increased friction when engaged with gear racks. The groove seen between the teeth should all be in line to be correct. Flickr

Now showing but take a long time to fully appear and I am on super fast broad band 220 mbps, same on main computer and iPad.