Rustie86

On a related note, none of the PF train sets (7938, 7939, and the station & grade crossing) are listed in that catalog. Made me nervous when I saw it (or rather, didn't).

I think I'm going to end up hobo-ing on the real railroads if I decide to buy much more in LEGO trains! Which makes it an obvious necessity for them to put out ANOTHER set I want. This looks like a very nice set, and I sure hope it'll be relatively easy to get ahold of. My only issue is the roofline on that boxcar/van. It's too disjointed for my taste.

Oh, man, I can't wait! So we are certainly getting the new PF motor brick separately? Any word on US pricing for that part? And the same for the compact AAA battery box?

Hi, nicoga, I'm really glad to hear that you're getting interested in LEGO trains. While I can't say I'm the most knowledgeable train fan, I may be able to answer some of your questions. Best first set, in my opinion, would definitely be the 7939 Cargo Train. Firstly, the play value is very good. It's got a lot of extras and functionality to mes with. Unlike the Emerald Night, it contains one complete Power Functions setup - enough to run one train. The Emerald Night can be powered, but the equipment is sold separately. And while we're on the subject I've become a fan of Power Functions after buying the Cargo Train myself. It's a simple yet highly functional method for powering trains. One of the drawbacks is the amount of space needed to house/conceal the PF equipment, but with some creativity, it can be worked in nicely. Also in its favor is the fact that it's current production, and therefore isn't quite so expensive or hard to find as some of the legacy systems (4.5v; 12v; 9v; and the first, substandard iteration of RC trains...). As for track, I'm not a fan of the flexible track being produced right now (I kinda feel like it's being pushed on us, but that's another topic). It's not very good-looking, and while it's functional enough, stretches of it in a flexed arrangement can cause loss of traction. I also like my track arrangements to be somewhat more rigid, anyway. It could be very useful for laying broad curves, when used properly in conjunction with straight track, but that's a bit advanced a technique. If you can still find it, there's a discontinued track pack with curves and straights together, and curved track is dirt cheap right now on Bricklink. There is a straight/flex pack available currently as well. I do hope, whatever start you make in the LEGO train hobby, that you enjoy it. And if you have any other questions, or want a second opinion, feel free to ask us.

Too cool, Sava. I've always liked the look of those T&P Texas-types. It's even better to see it painted for the AFT considering its role in the event didn't seem to be very well-known. I'm planning some eventual Bessemer & Lake Erie locomotives, and I may have to get my mitts on your instructions to do their 2-10-4.

My reasoning for $125 was that since this set includes more to build (and reasonably thus, more bricks) than the EN ($100) but no track for certain and likely no PF equipment, unlike the Cargo Train ($180), it seemed a reasonable and optimistically low number to me. It's really just an educat4ed guess. Also, I still have to get one of the new train stations yet...

I am like so stoked, man. If the BNSF GP38 was available right now, I'd take the Maersk set over the BNSF. The lines of the BNSF were not realistic enough for me (what was up with that nose? It didn't capture that EMD 'face' well enough), and that was the dealbreaker in the end. The Maersk loco is much improved in this area, from what I can make out. Ideal price for me: about $125. With student loans to pay off it gets tricky building a fleet of Lego trains. That $125 I could just scrape together.

That is a very nice looking modification to the set, cimddwc. I think its awesome.

There are actually two different versions of the new train motor brick (the 9v-motor-shaped motor). One came out with the first pair of RC trains, and had grey axle cams (the thingys inside the motor where the axle slides in), while the other came out with the trans powered by the full Power Functions system, and have orange axle sprockets. Thus they are referred to as RC and PF motors, respectively. The big gray motors come in two sizes and are know by those: Medium (M) and Extra Large (XL). AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE

It is possible to create parallel tracks using the 9v/RC track geometry. All you need is to install a single curve on the curved branch of the turnout. They'll be parallel, but the tracks will be on a 16-stud center (the center of each parallel section will be 16 studs apart. There will be 8 studs between tie/sleeper ends).

I have this set from when the MOT series came out. I was never really sold on it though, it seemed too tall for my other Lego equipment. I rebuilt it into a more attractive center cupola caboose, with a door on each end.

I will most certainly be keeping the coach for my Emerald Night. However, I will not be running them together (much). I have an older design for a large coach I'd like to refine a bit, and them I'm going to build a few of those to run with the EN.

I did go ahead and order my circle on Bricklink. The issue is, I had been hoping to get some more straights to go along with. Lego really needs to sell it's train track system in the same manner the model railroad companies do. It would put an end to all this drama.

Just a thought; I would do this the other way around. That way, you could place a tag on each piece of equipment, and it could be used for car tracking as well. You'd know where every individual piece of equipment is on your layout.

I'd have to concur that Power Functions is the way to go these days. 9V is just too expensive to do on a fairly large scale, and there are a number of clever and ingenious builders out there finding ways to adapt PF to their creations.

Sir, this is absolutely BRILLIANT!

If the straight/curved track pack really is toast, then I've got a problem as I need another circle for my upcoming layout!

I also have to agree that I would much rather see each style of track sold separately as well. By the way, what happened to that double crossover that was offered back when the first RC trains came out?

Please add me as well. I'm Rustie86, a longtime real train fan and Lego train fan from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I received my first Lego train set, the 4563 Load 'n Haul Railroad. That was followed by the tank car and caboose from the My Own Train series, and nothing else, really. I eventually entered my Dark Ages and went off to college. During my years at Penn State, I came across the LDraw site and Peeron.com. Looking through the Lego train instructions there, I found a lot of sets that I had wanted to add to my train, plus a number of custom train creations on other sites. I started virtually designing/modifying, and later building, some original freight equipment of my own as well as 'improved' versions of some of the sets I'd missed out on. I started refining the 3225 Classic Train, then the 4544 Car Transport Wagon (With Car, no less) and moved on to a slew of original designs. Just this past summer, I gave myself a birthday present in the form of the 7939 Cargo Train. Upon experimenting with the Power Functions system for the first time, I have to say I'm almost completely won over by it. I have only recently started planning a layout; a friend of mine that belongs to a railroad historical group nearby asked if I'd be interested in setting one up for the kids at the group's caboose ride events. For an example of one of my builds: The Locomotive from my MODded 3225 Others are located on my MOCPages page, such as my pride and joy, the 4-wheel tank car, and a few other random pieces.